After a bit of zigzagging, i.e. Knoxville to Nashville to Mammoth Cave National Park to Paducah to Louisville, I left Kentucky and arrived in West Virginia just in time for a two day snow dump. Admittedly, the barren trees coated in white surrounding Beech Fork Campground was pretty and almost magical, but the 24 degree night was less than ideal. Just a couple of days earlier it was warm enough at the Daniel Boone National Forest that I had swapped my cold weather clothes for shorts and short sleeves. Not so fast, said Mother Nature!
I spent a little time in Huntington, WV, enjoying an exhibit of quilts at the local library and wandering aimlessly before rolling on to Charleston, the state capitol. In both towns I noticed more people struggling to get by – without housing, without jobs – compared with other towns I’ve been in. I had a conversation with a mid-30s woman at a store I went to about life in Charleston and she mentioned the opioid epidemic along with other rampant addictions like alcohol and gambling. I was reminded of the mini-series Dope Sick and became angry all over again at big Pharma and capitalism on steroids.
At an art collective gallery I talked with a man who became an artist upon retirement welding fun and funny table top sculptures, some that move and some fixed. He shared his thoughts on the economy and people in West Virginia. The loss of industry, especially but not only around coal mining, is a major factor. He noted the stereotypes people have about West Virginians, such as they don’t care about the environment and want to hold onto coal mining because it’s what they do. That’s not it, he said; it’s that politicians (he mentioned Hillary Clinton specifically) come only talk about ending the reliance on fossil fuels but don’t have plans to replace coal mining, leaving too many West Virginians without the means to pay the bills. He talked about how unseen people feel when candidates don’t show up or show up so briefly it was meaningless, again citing Hillary Clinton’s 15 minute visit in 2016 after she alienated the state in a speech about ending coal mining. Then when Trump showed up eight times, it was no mystery why people voted for him.
Before West Virginia, one of my last stops in Kentucky was Louisville. I had a blast. My first stop was the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum – it was a thrill. I stood at home plate holding the bats of Babe Ruth, Ken Griffey and Edgar Martinez…bats they had actually swung, the Babe in 1933! I think the photo is with his bat, but I’m not 100% on that. It was almost a pound heavier than the other two, although I learned that most often Ruth used a bat that was just a few ounces heavier. I also saw the billets, or bats-to-be, sorted by player; the one Mariner was Colt Emerson and I just read in the paper today that he was sent down to AAA.
I also went into the bat vault which holds about 3500 of the 5000 models they make for the pros and the retail market. I didn’t think it would be nearly as interesting as it was, but it was fascinating. In addition to weight, bats vary by length, type of wood, the taper down to the nub, and a few other variables.
On the tour we watched as the cylinders, aka billets, of wood moved in and through the CNC machine which had been programmed with the specs for the particular bat according to the player’s choices. When made by hand it took 30 minutes to transform the billet into a bat; the CNC machine did it in 30 seconds. There are a few additional steps, like imprinting the logo, the name of the player, etc., then dipping them in stain or paint…they had a bunch of pink bats destined for Mother’s Day and bats used by the Savannah Bananas.
And then there’s the museum packed with historic moments of the game – Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, Mo’ne Davis was honored for the fantastic game she pitched in the Little League World Series in 2014, and Dorothy Kamenshek earned a spot due to the mark she made in the All-American Girls Professional League where she played for ten seasons.
I admit it – I was enthralled the entire time I was in the Louisville Slugger building!
Another part of Louisville I enjoyed was driving around to see the murals honoring Muhammad Ali. I got to see a few different neighborhoods as I followed google maps to each location. A couple of the murals were subtle, but most were vibrant and larger than life. They seemed inspiring to me and I wish I’d had the chance to talk to locals about their impact.
After sitting in the van for a while I was ready to get outside…it was a beautiful day…so I walked across the pedestrian/biking bridge to Jeffersonville, Indiana. I wandered into a used bookstore which turned out to be a nonprofit, the proceeds going to a mental health agency. I enjoyed a conversation with the woman, Annie, who worked there and I found a book by Sherri Tepper, an author I like a lot. Weirdly, when I wandered into a used book store in Galveston I found a book by the same author…I’ve now begun a quest for books by her at every used bookstore I go to.
Finally I topped off the evening with a Misfits and Mayhem walking tour which began with a cocktail in a basement speakeasy. I was the only customer and somehow the two hour walk turned into almost three – I learned a lot about the history of Louisville along with some “maybe” history of Louisville and some stories that I wish were true but am pretty sure they fall into the urban myth category.
A brief stop in Frankfort, the state capitol, included observation from afar of an anti-choice rally and march, a stroll through the four block downtown, and a visit to the Josephine Sculpture Park. The sculpture park covered several acres and showcased a variety of materials and themes.
That was my time in Louisville. I headed to the Cracker Barrel to catch a good night’s sleep before I headed off to the Daniel Boone National Forest the next day. This forest is an area with lots of natural arches and I was able to hike to a couple of them. The more dramatic arches were on hikes that were a little more challenging than I was willing to do on my own. I had a nice stay there and left just as the temp was dropping dramatically. I headed to my next campground near Huntington, WV where it proceeded to snow nearly the entire time I was there (pics above). I think that was the last of winter, but who knows. I want to head to Pennsylvania after the Shenandoah Nat’l Park, but given weather reports, it could too soon. Aarrrgggghhhhh!
Karen in the Gap 
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