Wednesday October 08, 2014
In the morning we set out for a drive through the Land Between the Lakes. Kentucky Lake is a man made lake. The Kentucky dam was completed in 1944 and it flooded towns, highways and railways. All of the aforementioned were relocated to higher ground. The Barclay lake was completed in 1966 and flooded a formerly inhabited area as well. A canal connects the two lakes just below the dam. The reservoir created also created one of the largest and most popular recreational boating areas in the U.S. Are you bored yet?
The higher ground between these two lakes became the Land Between the Lakes Park. But we were hungry. There isn’t anyplace within the park to eat. We had to duck out at a bridge and find somewhere to eat. We have been adventurous on this trip and we have been willing to try most anything. So why not try the first restaurant we could find…The Aurora Bar-B-Que in Aurora Kentucky. The Aurora is the home of the ‘winking’ pig. The reasons to stop just keep coming. We parked the Verado and started to make our
way into the restaurant. An odd contraption greeted us at the front door. Mary Lynn says it is to clean the farm animal shit off your boots. I suggested that I did not have any such contamination on my croc flops but might if I used this device. Needless to say I conducted one of my protracted discussions at this device until I noticed that everyone else had moved on…other than a very large Kentucky person. Said Kentuckian had a look of concern. “Are y’all done with the boot cleaner”? JEEZUZ another close call in Kentucky.
At first we were confused by the process…by observation we learned you had to go up to the order window and…wait for it…order. Allan had the loose meat. After questioning I learned the loose meat was a pulled pork bbq sandwich without the sandwich. Just meat. I had the shrimp. The food was pretty damn good and reasonably priced.
I was concerned about the fact that there was a large poster about what to do if someone is choking. Nothing like staring at a poster showing a choking character to enjoy your shrimp.
We recrossed Barclay Lake and resumed our trek down the land between the lakes. Our target was the pioneer village called ‘the homeplace’. It was cool, there was a horse towing a man and a plough around a field. A woman who was knitting or something on the porch of the house. There were sheep. I know I shouldn’t have anything against sheep but I think all farm animals including chickens are smarter than sheep.
There were examples of pioneer tools that look more like torture devices. As we were leaving we met the horse and the farmer at the end of the path obviously done with their skit for the day. The horse was joking with the farmer and tried to knock him down. It reminded me of the Sam and Ralph punch clock scene from the infamous looney tune cartoon. I just shouldn’t go to places like this.
I also learned that farmers had to smoke tobacco before it could be smoked. Remember you heard that here first. Mary Lynn sent me ahead to start the Verado and get it cooled down. Pretty sure it was another time out.
Our next stop on the way home was the Bison and Elk Prairie. In order to gain access to this area you must cough up $5 per car. There is a sign that says the best viewing time is between 6 and 7 a.m. and 6 and 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. We arrived at 2:00 p.m. and on a different day. For 3/4 of the loop around this bountiful sanctuary we had not yet seen any living creatures. Not a bird, bug, snake or squirrel.
The signs say to get back in your car and lock the doors if an elk or a bison gets within 200 feet. Good advice I’m sure, animals that can hide as well as these critters could obviously open your car door. We did finally see 1.5 elk and the head of what Mary Lynn was sure was a baby elk. No Bison…perhaps a band of hunters on ATVs had been through and ran them over a cliff…
We returned back to FRACAS and were all down for the night at boater midnight.
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