We spent the majority of our summer in Beattyville, Kentucky. It is an hour south of Lexington. We explored a potential business opportunity with our friends to build an RV campground. We ultimately decided not to pursue the project, but we wish our friends all the best in bringing their vision to fruition.
Despite the business opportunity not working out, we had a wonderful time living on the 40 acres of property in Kentucky. The property sits up high, and the Kentucky river snakes around
the perimeter. Most mornings we woke up to a dense fog covering the land. The house is on a dead end, so very little traffic goes by. It is a peaceful place.
The house was built in the early 1900s, and it was ordered from a Sears and Roebucks catalog. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen since I was there long enough to fully stock it. We all spent time sitting on the front porch.
Michael and our friend Troy worked hard clearing land and some old buildings. We had friends come and visit during the summer, and they helped out too.
Our friend Tonja planted a beautiful garden that produced many delicious veggies. We had more zucchini, kale, cucumbers, green beans, and tomatoes than we would use. Lucas and Henry got to spend time with their friend Neyo. We brought the trampoline out. The boys all worked on the farm, and we paid them for their time.
The driveway is big enough for a pickleball court, so we had to play. The property came with two outdoor cats, Garfield (aka Ralph) and Nala. Lucas bonded with Nala by feeding her every day. Garfield was ok, but he was not as friendly. The boys loved having the cats around. The property also has a pond where the boys caught some fish.
Beattyville, Kentucky, is not much to write home about. It boasts the annual Wooly Worm festival in October, but other than that festival, there isn’t much there. Downtown Beattyville flooded a few years ago and has not fully recovered. It is 30 minutes south of the Red River Gorge, which is a popular rock climbing and hiking destination.
We had fun exploring the Red River Gorge area. We went kayaking in a cave with our friends Jewell and Matt. They brought their cool dog Kobe with them. Jewell is one of my dearest friends. We met twenty years ago when we were both case clerks at a law firm in Atlanta. Jewell did not end up as a lawyer.
We also went on a hike to Gray’s Arch. There is a lot of good hiking and rock climbing in the Red River Gorge. The area is building up with great restaurants and tourist attractions.
We enjoyed being in one place for a while. It was nice to settle for a bit after our fast traveling in South America, but we do not sit still for long. We said goodbye to Kentucky in early September.
