A Likely Story

"So often a visit to a bookshop has cheered me and reminded me that there are good things in the world."   --Vincent Van Gogh

This is exactly how I felt today when I visited A Likely Story in Midway, Kentucky.  Full of charm and personality, this shop is a fun destination for book lovers of all ages.  Spend some time at 113 East Main Street and see for yourself.  For more information, check out their website .

Back to Old Taylor Distillery: Becoming Castle and Key (Part 1)

Castle and Key Distillery, Woodford County
My husband and I took the "restoration experience tour" yesterday and loved it!  

The transformation of the Old Taylor Distillery into Castle and Key is quite remarkable.  We noted a careful,
thoughtful renovation with a sharp eye for detail and respect for the past.

Part of the tour shows visitors the process of making bourbon.

The grain and other ingredients are mixed together in huge vats.

Here's a batch that is heating up and bubbling with the yeast added.

Remnants of the stoves once used to heat the bourbon are being preserved  and can be seen as you
enter the gift shop.

The gift shop.  The shelves are made of reclaimed wood from the property.

The ceiling above the gift shop allows lots of natural light to enter the building.

My next blog post will show you more photos of this massive restoration project, including shots of some the beautiful outdoor spaces. In the meantime, visit the Castle and Key website for more about this exciting endeavor and for information about taking the tour yourself.  I highly recommend it!

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve Distillery
Woodford County

Inside the welcome center

Old stencil used for printing on barrel tops

Inside the welcome center is a small restaurant that serves sandwiches, soups, drinks, and desserts.  The
chili and cornbread made for a warm, delicious lunch on a cold winter day.

Behind the welcome center is the distillery, various offices, and storage barns.

Barrels of bourbon travel from distillery to storage on a track system.

The Grassy Springs Branch of Glenn's Creek runs through Woodford Reserve property.

Halloween Fun in Midway

Midway, Woodford County

Revisiting Old Taylor Distillery One Year Later

Old Taylor Distillery, Woodford County

Much of what I saw this past weekend at Old Taylor was the same as it was a year ago.

The beautiful stone walls are still intact.

The vines, whose fall color is so striking against the gray stone, still cling to the empty buildings and are even
more numerous than they were last year.

Beautifully aged and rusty, the iron entrance gate and fences remain.  

Barbed wire entwined with old vines on this length of fence seemed to have been collected and moved from
the surrounding walkways.

I photographed this same window last October.  It was broken and vine-covered
then, too, but the vines are more numerous and invasive this year.

The big change I noticed from the road was the landscaping.  Ground has been cleared and new shrubs and trees
have been planted.  An old fountain has been cleaned and looks ready for spring.

A row of arborvitae now line part of the property beside McCracken Pike.

* A big thanks to my friend, Rosalie, for suggesting I return to Old Taylor to see the changes.