"Where are you from?
Pittsburgh......originally...
Originally?
Well, right now, we live out of our car.
You do?
We are traveling the country for a while visiting National Parks!
Awesome! Do you plan on going to [insert nearby hometown park]?
Yes! Our plan is to be there by [insert specific date]. Do you have any suggestions on what else to do in the area?
[Insert wonderful suggestions from complete strangers excited to talk about home]"
And so it goes...Our current comrades were from Louisville (two unassociated couples, actually) so the park was Mammoth Cave, and of course Red River Gorge (National Landmark). They highly recommended both. In addition however, they also said to truly experience Kentucky, we needed to see a horse farm, and go on a distillery tour. The latter piece of advice is what led us to poll opinions via the 'book' on which distillery to visit. We ended up with Buffalo Trace in the number 1 spot due to the cost (free). We also wouldn't turn down the opportunity to visit Makers Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, or Wild Turkey. And so Teela would have it we were able to visit every one but Wild Turkey.
I have to say, Buffalo Trace was the best. It was free, the taster portions were generous, and by far they had the best guide: Freddie. Freddie is a third generation employee and his knowledge and enthusiasm are second to none. It felt real.
By comparison, Woodford Reserve felt pomp, prepared, and professional.
We managed to squeeze in a tasting (not the full tour) at Four Roses that same day. We also squeezed in the Makers mark tour a day or so later. It was the Goldilocks middle ground between Woodford and Buffalo. Stacy even dipped a bottle for her daddy!
So here is what we learned. To be truly be called Bourbon you must be produced in 'Murica!...
...You have to have at least a 51% corn mash bill...mash bills vary widely per recipe per distillery...
...You have to spend 'time' in a new charred white oak barrel...
A few notes about the time spent in the barrel. There is no minimum. Distilleries pay taxes on the amount put into the barrel and they can lose up to 65% to evaporation. It pays to get it out quickly. To be called "Straight" the bourbon needs to spend at least 2 years in the barrel. If it spends less than 4 years in there, they have to tell you how long with an aging statement on the bottle.
And there are a few other rules about alcohol content at various stages, but it must be > 80 proof in the bottle.
One of the things that makes Kentucky a home for Bourbon is the wonderful ground water that is filtered through a band of limestone capped by sandstone. This also is the cause of two other famous Kentucky landmarks. Mammoth Cave (read last blog post) and Red River Gorge. So... enough drinking. We got a call from another REI peep (Thanks Kate E for playing climbing guide!) about hitting up said US climbing mecca known as The Red. Red River Gorge is famous for its pocketed sandstone which makes great climbing holds.
So of course we held onto them.
And during climbing conversation we discovered that Kate happens to be vacationing at the same campground, the same week, in the same park in Maine. Follow-up climbing party?
After 2 weeks of strenuous activity and with an AirBnB gift card to burn (thanks to Scott & Leah & Callie), we headed back up into the nether regions of the Smokies and found a blissful hideaway for an amazing price.
OH! On the way I saved a turtle from certain demise in the highway. He hissed at me in return. I strive to be more like B. B. Rodriguez.
Our destination was a farm near the Carolina/Tennessee border that has a guest room and campground. This place is pretty spectacular. 100 acres of woods in Unicoi with an orchard, garden, pond, and no crowds. Greeted upon arrival by an acoustic playing guitar host offering wine and a cheese platter. Oh, we were going to be spoiled! We spent a rainy day inside enjoying a bottle of bourbon, a hot bath, and catching up on photos and this silly blog.
With the weather looking better the following day and having received a surprise text from another REI peep who was spending time in Gatlinburg (only 2 hours away) asking if we were up for a hike together, and since we were ready to get out again. The answer was 'Heck yes!' Might I add, he was on his honeymoon!
Chuck and his splendid wife - Niña (Congrats on the wedding!!), met us to go photograph some wildflowers and waterfalls on the western side of Smokey Mountain National Park. What a gorgeous day to be outside. Highlights included finally getting to meet Niña in person, watching her excitement at playing with Stacy's camera, teaching Chuck how to actually identify poison ivy, and just catching up.
After some burgers and brews, we said our good byes, and headed back to the farm. You see, we had to leave the following morning to return to... gasp... Pittsburgh. I know, some of you are mad we didn't say anything or stop by to see you. Well, we had good reason. We are not done with our trip yet and didn't want to open that can of worms of being "home" yet. Plus, we were returning for a special reason.
A friend met us for lunch barely a month into our trip, and happened to ask our advice on a good proposal spot in our third visited park, Rainier. Spoiler alert, he took our advice, she said yes, and a few months later we snuck into town in the middle of the night.
Attempting to clean ourselves up, we went to a wedding (which was a blast by the way) and escaped prior to anyone discovering our whereabouts... Anyone, except all of our mutual friends at the wedding. Half of them were so drunk that they might have thought us being there was all a dream or part of their hangover anyways. Congrats Matt and Abby!!!
So on the road again. And with our end date quickly closing in. Emotions are running high, money is running low, and we are running away. Until next time.
-K
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