Thursday we got up early to go to Abraham Lincoln's birthplace and his childhood home at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.
We learned a lot about Lincoln's childhood. Yes, he was born in a log cabin, but not in poverty. For the times and the area, the family was middle class.
The family settled in near present-day Hodgenville, Kentucky. They first lived in Sinking Spring, Kentucky, but a land rights conflict arose and they moved to a home at Knob Creek. Again, there was a land dispute (they were common for this time and place due to lack of land surveys), and when Abe was still quite young, they moved to Indiana and then on to Illinois.
A few views of the monument to Lincoln, which contained a replica birthplace log cabin.
A walk down steps, past early spring flowers, took us to Sinking Spring, where the Lincolns got their water.
We walked around the woods a bit. It was nice to walk there, thinking about young Abraham playing among those trees.
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| This guy was lucky to have found a nut that was missed last fall! |
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| Nancy Hanks Lincoln, holding a baby Abe, father Thomas, and older sister Sarah. |
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| Father was a carpenter and made this small table |
Knob Creek, just near the Lincolns' home.
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| A field near their home |
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| Replica log cabin. Log cabins were commonplace as a temporary home until the time a family could build something bigger and more permanent. Because the Lincoln Family was never in one place for long enough, they never got to build a family home in Kentucky. |
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| The grave marker of Abraham's infant brother, Thomas, who lived only a few days |
We drove back to Bardstown for one more sip of bourbon before heading out. First we stopped by the former apartment building of the person who pointed us there.
Then, we went on to Lux Row Distillery for one more tour and tasting!
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| Corn mash on its third day of cooking |
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| An empty mash tank |
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| Barrels and barrels and barrels of bourbon in the rickhouse, where they age for at least four years |
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| About to get a taste of this barrel's brew. It was yummy, even at 130 proof! |
Finally, we drove the short way to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where we met our next Boondockers Welcome host, Elaine, on her Alpaca Farm.
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Darlene the mule is 35 years old!
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| Weird alpaca feet |
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| Stay away from my wife!! |
