Wakefield-Scearce Galleries

On a recent visit to Kentucky to see my daughter and her family, my son-in-law took us to the most amazing place.  I should have started this post by mentioning that Kentucky (as well as all the other Eastern states) are really amazing to Coloradans like me.  Here in the west there are few buildings more than 100 years old, and antiques older than 100 years are few and far between, so when visiting Eastern cities the old buildings and their furnishing are amazing to see.   

Getting back to the point, my son-in-law took us to the Wakefield-Scearce Galleries which specializes in fine English antiques.  A visit to the place would be amazing any time of year, but beginning in November, they decorate the whole place "to the nines" for Christmas.  Fortunately, I was totally captivated by the Christmas decorations (not to mention that I was keeping up with a certain little someone who was leading me through the maze of rooms) and wasn't tempted to buy any of the gorgeous antiques!

I didn't get a very good picture of the building, because it was so huge and I couldn't get far enough away...

Here is a view from the second floor... 

Beautiful, huge Christmas tree...

Every mantel was beautifully decorated...

and almost every room had a beautiful Christmas tree...

and of course, delightful things for children to see...

My favorite Hobby...

One of the things I love about traveling is getting to eat at restaurants which are indigenous to the area.  I have a rule of thumb that when we travel we can't go to restaurant that we have in our own state.

So, after returning from Kentucky and North Carolina I have had my fill of the regional standards such as White Castle and Krystal's.  One of my favorite places to eat in Kentucky (and surrounding areas) is 

Steak 'n Shake.  It is a step above a fast food restaurant, but is still an excellent value.  We stopped at a Steak 'n Shake in Mt Vernon, IL on the way home.  My husband had one of their famous steakburgers.  His burger, along with fries, cost just over $3.00.  I had a turkey club sandwich, which was around $5.00.  

 Turkey Club

 Steak Burger (with top bun removed)

Another new favorite of mine in the Kentucky area is a restaurant call Zaxby's.  Here again, this restaurant is a step up from fast food but still very casual dining.  They serve chicken, and I'm not a real fan of restaurant chicken, but I fell in love with their House Salad which comes with grilled or crispy chicken over a bed of lettuce, tomatoes and cucmbers.  It costs around $6.00.  Unfortunately, eventhough I enjoyed this salad four times over the course of the six weeks I was gone, I never took a picture.

To be continued...

Louisville Zoo

Since I arrived in Kentucky on August 18th, and my daughter didn't deliver the baby until the 30th, I was fortunate to have a lot of quality time with her and her two kiddos.  She & her husband have a season pass to the Louisville Zoo, so we went there twice...

"L" really loves to see all the animals...

"N" loves to read his zoo map...

Pygmie Hippos - I had never seen such a thing...

My Favorite Things - Crescent Hill Reservoir, Louisville, KY

Hats, Hats, Hats

 I was in Louisville, KY visiting my daughter and her family just before Derby Day (and I meant to post this a few weeks ago, but didn't get around to it).  We were shopping at the local mall and this is what we saw...

 Hats at JCPenney...

 More hats at JCPenney...

Still more hats at JCPenney... 

Hats at "A Taste of Kentucky"...

Reminds me of the seasonal trips to Denver when I was little with my Mother and Grandmother to visit their favorite Hat Shop.