I Love the Bluegrass

With all of our travels to magical places, it is easy to forget the beauty of the place you call home. We have seen crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, waterfalls that tower over us, and valleys so deep you can't see the bottom. We constantly find ourselves looking for homes on Zillow in places like Whitefish Montana, Mammoth Lakes California and the Virgin Islands, but do we ever stop for a second an appreciate the beauty of where we live now? Today, we take time to be grateful for living in the Bluegrass State, for living in Big Blue Nation, and for living in Kentucky.

Kentucky has so much to offer for anyone who has never visited the state. From the sandstone walls of the Red River Gorge to the vivid green pastures of horse country, Kentucky is a truly magical state. There are just too many things that make Kentucky so beautiful that we can't just pick one favorite.  

The Red River Gorge has been a frequently visited place since we were kids, although we explored separately as we were children on different adventures. As a couple, we have explored the RRG more times than we can count and each time, we find something new. Recently, we have started backpacking more in order to prepare for a much larger trip at a national park sometime in the future. Our most favorite hike (and favorite backpacking camping spot) is Auxier Ridge, which is part of a 5-mile loop with some of the best views of the gorge. If you are feeling adventurous, you can add in Double Arch and Courthouse Rock which adds about 2 miles. No trip to RRG is complete without a trip to Miguel's Pizza, which offers about every topping you can think of! We will save you the guessing and give you our secret to the best pizza which is avocado, corn, bacon, white onions, and chorizo...... trust us when we say you won't regret your decision!

One of the other top things we love about our state is basketball and football!! While Kentucky offers two Division 1 schools to root for, we are fans of the Big Blue Nation. The unity that the University of Kentucky football and basketball brings to this state is unlike anything else. The roar of the crowd when the team runs out of the tunnel will send adrenaline through every part of your body. However, nothing, we mean nothing comes close to the UK Men's Basketball winning the National Championship. An entire state (well almost, sorry UofL) is united in one big party that spills into the streets for days. There is a chance you also see a couch or two on fire, yeah it's a thing here. 

Very few things really beat the thrill of the racetrack from the brightly colored suits that seem right out of Dumb and Dumber to eating some Kentucky Burgoo to the rhythmic sound of the horses hooves pounding around the track ....... Horse racing is a staple here and we are proud to be the horse capital of the world. We are blessed with almost 2 months of horse racing in the Bluegrass between the spring and fall meet at Keeneland and the one and only Kentucky Derby. On a rare occasion, Lexington has been able to host the Breeder's Cup, which brings people from all over the world to our big little city of Lexington to celebrate the thrill of the race.

It is important to take some time to be grateful about the beauties we have right outside our backdoor, instead of always running off to the next big adventure. We have been to 27 states and 4 countries (soon to be 5) between the two of us and no matter the beauty of anywhere else, home is always where the bluegrass grows.