Day 13: December 27, 2018 Drivette Comment via blog |
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I selected my lodging for last night to be near two things I wanted to see
in Lexington then had my planning nullified by the setting sun. So I
started the day by backtracking on I-75 to reach a section of Old
US-25/Dixie Highway at Clay's Ferry. How I'd missed driving this for so
long is a mystery and rather embarrassing. I'm glad that I didn't push
through here in the dark though. I would have missed some great views and
just might have been a little intimidated. The descent has plenty of
curves and ends with the announcement that the bridge ahead is one lane.
That lane is about 16 feet wide and 442 feet long and has carrying traffic
over the Kentucky River since 1871 when the Civil War was a very fresh
memory. It was rehabbed in 1955.
I paused after crossing to get a look at the entire bridge. A promising, but closed for the winter, BBQ restaurant sits near the bridge. The restaurant's parking lot provides a good spot for studying the newer bridge high above. It was built in 1946 as a two lane bridge to carry US-25. A matching span was added in 1963 to provide two more lanes for I-75. In 1998, the space between was filled in to make a six lane bridge. |
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I continued on the Dixie Highway to Ashland in Lexington. I've driven by Henry Clay's home
many times but never managed to stop. It was one of the two things I'd
targeted in Lexington. Clay was a three time candidate for president and a
member of the US Senate "Hall of Fame". The closest thing the
Senate has to a hall of fame is the five (eventually seven) senators
selected to have their portraits placed in the Senate Reception Room. Clay
is one of the five. The first picture was taken while approaching the
house from the parking lot. The cone topped building on the left is one of
two original ice houses. In the background is
the entrance to a part of the house holding the ticket desk, a gift shop,
and a small museum. Photos are not permitted on the tour of the house.
These are from the museum area. The flag is from Clay's 1844 presidential
campaign.
The current house is a reproduction of the house Henry Clay lived in. But it's a 160 year old reproduction. The central portion of the original house was built in 1806 with the wings added a few years later. Materials were poor, especially the brick, plus the house was likely damaged by the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes. Following Henry's death, his son had the unstable building razed and rebuilt. The layout of the reproduction is the same as the original although the actual construction is a bit more ornate. |
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The Parkette Drive
In did not spend a lot of time on my To Do list. It went on my list
just last June when I discovered it on a list of 50 best drive ins. It
opened in 1951 and closed in 2007. That didn't last long, however. Jeff
and Randy Kaplan bought the place in 2008 and reopened it in 2009. Reviews
from the early days indicate they might have opened too early or were
otherwise unprepared. The problems have apparently been solved. Seating
was increased by 90 with a 2013 addition.
I considered using the car-hop service, but let the rain push me inside. Note that the speaker/microphone box is on a long cord and removable from the tray. I'm actually glad that I went in. The red swivel stools and boomerang patterned counter are pretty cool. The place isn't at all as deserted as it looks. About three of the booths to the right of the picture were filled as were several tables in the new "Dine In Garage" area. I have two pictures of my Big Lex burger. One as delivered and another after I unwrapped it. I had planned on following one of the two Dixie Highway routes back to Cincinnati, but, just like it did with my plans it eat in the car, the rain changed my mind. I headed straight to I-75, passing right by last night's sleeping spot, and took the many-laned path home. |
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