VACATION Part 3 - Kentucky Down Under

We spent an afternoon at KENTUCKY DOWN UNDER in Horse Cave, KY.
We paid one price for the little zoo, shows, and a 30-minute tour of Mammoth Onyx Cave. If you like animals, this is a fun place, although it was very hot when we were there, and there is a decent sized hill you need to walk up in order to get into the park. If you have trouble walking up hills, this is not the best option. They sometimes have a wagon to take you around, but it was not running while we were there.

As you enter the park, there are animals carved out of tree trunks

At the animal show:  Petting a Cockatoo

Petting a snake

Getting ready for the cave tour.
We had to wear helmets and carry flashlights.

QUICK REVIEW:  This cave is not lighted, and they say it is one of the easier caves for kids to go on, especially if they have never been in a cave before. I have never been in a cave, so I have nothing to compare it to. However, there was an area where we had to climb some steep, narrow steps, and duck under some rocks. The steps were wet and slippery (Be sure to wear sneakers!). It was too difficult for EL to climb and I had to take her out to sit with her daddy. He chose not go in because of the incline. So, if you have trouble climbing, and do not like steep stairs, or dark enclosed places, be forewarned. JJ and I really liked the cave and thought it was neat to see. Plus, it was so much cooler inside and helped cool us down on a hot day.  

A picture from inside the cave

Sheep dog

Demonstration of sheep herding

Talking about kangaroos before entering the Walk-About Tour

The kangaroos were very tame, and very soft

Can you see the joey?

Feeding the Lorikeets was a highlight of this park.
(Be forewarned that the birds may doo doo on your shirt!)

Family pic with the Lorikeets

When you enter the bird area, they immediately fly down and land on your shoulders, arms, and head. JJ was surprised at first, but thought it was a lot of fun. We all did.

EL's visit with a Lorikeet

Lemurs

A laughing Kookaburra bird.
JJ was able to get this one to laugh.

In the evening, we drove through Mammoth Cave National Park
and stopped at the visitors center.

On the bridge at the visitors center

VACATION Part 2 - Eastern Kentucky

After leaving Louisville, KY, we drove to
Eastern KY to visit my brother and his family.
It was our first time at their house.

 

Cousins hanging out together

Preacher Bill came to give us tips on ventriloquism.
You can learn more about him and his ministry at:
THE DUMMY IN THE MIDDLE

We spent an afternoon at YOUTH HAVEN BIBLE CAMP
where my brother and his family are raising support to become
full-time missionaries at.

Family picture at the camp

Horses at the camp

Taking a trail hike at the camp

A view from "The Point"
which can be seen at the top of the trail.
Beautiful!

J.J. and J.D. on the paddle boats



David and R.A. on the paddle boats

We went to church on Sunday morning where
David and my nieces did a puppet performance

Leaving Eastern KY and heading to Bowling Green
(Mammoth Cave area)

Some tired-out kids here.
We all had a great time!

VACATION Part 1 - Louisville, KY

Even though we had some difficult moments on our vacation this year, we also had some fun times as a family, and are glad we had the chance to go. Here are pictures from our time in Louisville, KY...

 

On the road from Grandma & Grandpa Mac's (in the St. Louis area)
to Louisville, KY, where we stayed for one night.

 

Going through a tunnel in Kentucky

 

Entering Louisville

 

Eating dinner at Denny's





Downtown Louisville





A visit to Glassworks

 

A demonstration of glass blowing at Glassworks.
Quick Review:  This was an interesting stop, however, in our opinion,
the cost was not worth what we saw. We went on a self-guided tour
and viewed glass blowing in two different locations.
It came to about $5.00 per person. Any hands-on activities
were an additional price, which were also costly. 
We were there for less than an hour.

 

Leaving Louisville, it was raining,
but the hills and rocks were amazing to us flat-landers.

 

 

A Not-So-Perfect Vacation

Have you ever wanted something to be perfect, then things didn't go as you expected them to and it wasn't so perfect after all? On our vacation this year, I had to keep reminding the kids (and myself), that there's no such thing as a perfect vacation (or a perfect anything, for that matter). We did have fun, and we truly enjoyed visiting with family and seeing new places, but we also had some difficult moments. All 4 of us ended up at a doctor's office at some point during the week...

First of all, EL had 3 appointments in St. Louis. She had a checkup with the Sleep Clinic, the Ophthalmologist, and the Endocrinologist. (I'll share how things went with those in another post, but another needle stick was involved for drawing labs. It was stressful, but we made it through it.)

We had a nice visit with my parents while we were in the St. Louis area, then traveled to Kentucky for the major part of our vacation. My brother and his family live there, and it was really great to visit with them and to see the beautiful scenery in the area. However, while there, David was ushering a dog out of the house and split his big toenail. It wasn't serious, just a little inconvenient... and painful. When we got home, he ended up seeing his foot doctor to get the nail clipped properly.

After we left my brother's place, we spent a couple of days in the Mammoth Cave area. While there, I fell in the hotel bathroom and landed hard on my tailbone. When we got home, I had an X-ray taken and, thankfully nothing is broken; but it sure does hurt.

Also in Kentucky, JJ came down with a fever, sore throat, and bad earache. Our time was cut short at Beech Bend Amusement Park, and we headed home. A doctors visit revealed an ear infection and sinus issues. He was put on antibiotics and is now doing better.

As we headed home to nurse our wounds, I think we were all a bit disappointed that things didn't go as planned. We all wanted a perfect vacation away from the stresses of life, and I'm not really sure why things happened the way they did. Maybe God wanted us to come home sooner than planned because He was protecting us from something that was about to happen. Maybe our cats missed us. Maybe we needed to be reminded that it is always better to focus on the positive rather than the negative. Maybe this was simply a teaching moment for our kids that, even through disappointments, we can still praise the Lord.

I could go on with all the maybe's... The fact of the matter is that life is full of ups and downs, and being on vacation doesn't automatically keep difficulties from happening, and it doesn't mean God doesn't love us. It just means we live in an imperfect world... and it's our reactions to the negative things that will make a huge difference in our attitudes and outlook on life.

COOKBOOK REVIEW: My Irish Table by Armstrong & Hagedorn

I have been interested in Irish traditions for quite awhile now; and I would really love to visit Ireland someday. I guess its partly because of my Irish roots. No, I haven't researched far enough back to know of anyone in my family line who actually came to America from Ireland, but my maiden name is Scottish-Irish. I'm hoping that someday I will be able to research farther back than I already have. In the meantime, I will be content to enjoy listening to Celtic music, looking at beautiful scenery online and in picture books, and reading about Irish traditions.

My Irish Table, a new cookbook by Carthal Armstrong and David Hagedorn has given me a little glimpse into some traditional Irish dishes.  Really, though, its not just a cookbook; it is also filled with stories from Armstrong's childhood, as well as his journey from Dublin to Washington DC.

Armstrong was born and raised in Dublin. At the age of 20, he came to America and worked his way up the ladder, eventually becoming an internationally recognized 4-star chef and an owner of several restaurants. This cookbook is his collection of traditional Irish dishes, family recipes that are dear to his heart, and Irish-inspired dishes from one of his restaurants:  Restaurant Eve


A few interesting things I learned from this book include the following:

1.  Real Irish Stew is not made with beef. It is traditionally made with lamb. It also does not normally include carrots, but the author adds them in his stew for some added sweetness.

2.  Breakfast in Ireland traditionally includes several kinds of sausage, fried potatoes, tomatoes, buttered toast, and eggs.

3.  Black pudding is not really a pudding. It is a rich, poached sausage made with pork blood, fat, and spices. Sounds disgusting.

4.  Chips in Ireland are what we would call French Fries.

5.  Most Irish do not eat corned beef on St. Patrick's Day. That is an American tradition. They also do not drink green beer, dye the rivers green (like in Chicago), or get really drunk. It is actually a solemn, stay-at-home holiday, similar to our Thanksgiving, and many of the pubs are closed.

My Irish Table is a good quality hardcover book with color photos. I don't know if I can definitely say I will try too many of the recipes that are included - maybe a few - like the Tomato Marmalade and the Roasted Potatoes. But, in any case, it is at least a fun book to read if you are interested in Ireland and traditional Irish meals.

NOTE:  I received this book free of charge from Blogging for Books for the purpose of this review, and I gave my honest opinion.