Monday, August 6, 2012

Florence Y'All

For those unfamiliar with midwest geography, the great city of Cincinnati lies right on the river that marks the border between Ohio and Kentucky. This makes downtown Cincy easily accessible from northern Kentucky, where many choose to live. 

I have crossed many rivers in the midwest. Crossing the Missouri from Nebraska into Iowa, for example, brings... more of the same. You know, cornfields. Same with crossing the Mississippi from Iowa into Illinois. 

But crossing from Ohio into Kentucky feels dramatic. Like somebody should be asking to see my passport, maybe. And then searching my car for drugs or fireworks. 

On the other side of that river, suddenly people speak with drawls. You see more tattoos and fewer...sleeves. The line at the grocery store moves a little more slowly because the checker is telling the person in front of you about their deceased father and then about the fatal accident that happened "right out at that light" several months ago (true story). You start to notice restaurants with names like "Bubby's BBQ" (true story), and people will tell you their life story if you ask their name (also true and yet rather endearing). 

Kentucky is famous for the Kentucky derby:

fried chicken, Daniel Boone, bourbon, and hot browns:
Photo from Southern Living
And, my personal favorite, the Florence water tower:


And it's also really beautiful. Beginning in Kentucky, the landscape changes from flat farmland to hilly and densely forested. It also has 50 state parks, one of which we visited the other week:

This is Cumberland Falls (hence the falling water in the picture). Yes, it was hot and muggy (we keep forgetting that going outside in June or July in the midwest is usually a sweaty mistake), but it was just so beautiful. There was water. And green stuff. Both novelties to westerners like ourselves. 


So come visit, y'all.

7 comments:

  1. I love the water tower! Y'all. So funny.

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  2. "Hilly and densely forested." That sounds magical. :D I hope you like your new home.

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  3. Just reading this makes me miss Kentucky!! You are totally right about it-- which is why I loved it. haha. We were totally bummed to be moving away from Louisville just as you guys were moving to Cincy. It would have been fun to get together. But all the same it looks and sounds like you are enjoying life.

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  4. Glad there are so many parks to check out! Looks beautiful! Hope you guys are all settled in!

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  5. I wanna go visit! That sounds fun. Do you think people would be offended if I ask to take their pictures?

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  6. Oh man the hot brown (wouldn't recommend it to a health nut like you, it will take a year off your life)! I love Kentucky. Haven't done the Ohio thing yet though.

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  7. I laughed out loud when I saw the water tower! That resulted with slight spittle on the screen...oops. (This is Karen. Not mom.)

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