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5 Things You Learn When You Move Outside Kentucky

1/30/2014

87 Comments

 
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***UPDATED*** 
First of all, thanks for reading!  A reader named Ryan politely pointed out an incorrect statistic for the UCLA Bruins Men's Basketball Team, so I have corrected that!  Thanks for the comments, keep checking back!

***UPDATED***
Thanks to Lex for pointing out Kentucky Lake!  Kentucky Lake is the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi (still Kentucky!)  The correction is reflected below as well.

I've been writing on this blog for over a year, and it's been a lot of fun.  I'm grateful and ecstatic for people who are returning readers.  If you can read between the lines, I'm from Kentucky.  I'm fairly well-traveled for a 25-yo and would like to speak of my experiences.  Louisville, the largest city in Kentucky, is known as the Northernmost Southern City and the Southernmost Northern City.  I like the former, but feel free to disagree.  We have a unique heritage, with bloody fights in the civil war and long traditions of distilling bourbon and breeding horses.  I hope this post brings non-Kentuckians closer to our state, and opens locals' eyes to the different world beyond the Bluegrass State.

#5:  People don't understand your pronunciation of "Louisville"

You've seen the T-shirts.  Printed "Luis-ville" "Luey-ville" "Loo-i-vuhl" "Loo-uh-vuhl" and "Louisville"; we have our own pronunciations and accents, but generally, if you're from Kentucky, you lean towards the "Loo-i-vuhl" and "Loo-uh-vuhl" pronunciations.  I've lived in Kentucky, Louisiana,  and California, and I've visited countless other states, including Hawaii, Alaska, Florida, New York and Rhode Island.  When I say I'm from "Louisville" the first response is usually "What?" or "Where?".  It's not that they haven't heard of Louisville, Kentucky.  We are the 16th largest metro area in the country, with around 1.3 million people, but most recognize it as "Luey-ville".  I've found that our pronunciation of "Louisville" is comparable to the way Baltimore residents say "Baldimor".  It's a lazy and blended word that only residents can recognize and appreciate.

#4:  The First Saturday in May isn't a Holiday

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Remember when every Kentucky Oaks Friday gave us a day off of school?  Did you go to "Derby Parties" and talk about what you were doing for "Derby"?  "Derby" is just a generic word outside of Kentucky.  It's not a special day, kids don't get out of school, and few people even care about it outside of "Horse People" circles.  Sure, people have heard of the "Kentucky Derby"; it's a national icon, the first and most important of races in the coveted Triple Crown.  Celebrities from Hollywood and around the world visit for the sites, smells, and fun hats (remember when the Queen of England and George W. Bush sat side by side at Churchill Downs?). It's a unique race fought through mud and dust and sweat and blood and the sound of thundering hooves and screams and yells and the smell of horse and Mint Juleps, but in order to reference it outside the Bluegrass State you must put "Kentucky" in front of "Derby".  Don't even think about trying to explain the Steamboat Race, the Hot Air Balloon Race, or Thunder over Louisville.

#3:  "Bourbon" and "Whiskey" are Interchangeable. 

This is one of the inspirations for my blog in general.  When I waited tables in New Orleans I would input orders of alcohol and all of the whiskeys were under the category "Bourbon".  Jack Daniels, Crown Royal and SoCo are NOT bourbon, and there are even some Kentuckians that don't quite get it, but most of us do.  Bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.  Kentucky has a "Bourbon Trail", a stretch of two major interstate highways that touch all of the major bourbon distilleries including Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, Maker's Mark and Jim Beam, but some folks don't know that 95% of bourbon is distilled in Kentucky, nor what makes the difference.  If it were up to me, I'd add that it must be distilled in Kentucky to the list of legal requirements for labeling your product as "bourbon".  The name comes from Bourbon County, when products were labeled by county ("bourbon whiskey") and shipped, largely by river, to be sold.  "Bourbon Whiskey" from Bourbon County, Kentucky, was shipped down the Mississippi and sold in a major port in the south, New Orleans, where a large French population had settled and they took quickly to the product with the French name.  Remember, all squares are rectangles.

#2:  Kentucky is Beautiful

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When you tell people you're from Kentucky, they usually are a bit surprised.  Whether it's actual concerns over lack of footwear and incest or just that Kentuckians don't travel much (except for basketball, see below) and it's a relatively low-populous state, they don't know a whole lot about us.  The biggest thing they usually will remember is that it's absolutely gorgeous.  Even people who only briefly drove through the state or visited for short periods of time will compliment me on my home state's beauty.  We are truly the "heartland" of the U.S.  Fort Knox is famous for its gold reserves, but was chosen because of its central location to the rest of the country.  We have a mix of all the best the nation has to offer.  We have tall southern pines, eastern mountains, vast grasslands and crop fields, a large metropolitan area, long and winding waterways and all of these are complimented by a full four seasons.   We have bits of the north, south, east and midwest, but the seasons give life and color to each.  The south is just as green, but is far flatter and can't boast the rolling hills and horse-fields we do.  The north has more trees and valleys, but is far colder.  The midwest is just as flat as the south, but starts to dry out.  Lake Cumberland is the largest man-made lake on our side of the Mississippi by volume (that baby is deep!) and boasts some serious shoreline:  "The shoreline of Lake Cumberland — at the theoretically maximum possible elevation of water — is 1,255 miles.  The coastline of Florida, not including islands, is 770 miles in length.  The total Atlantic coastline of the United States from Maine to the tip of Florida is 2,069 miles.  The total Pacific coastline of the continental U.S. (California, Oregon and Washington) is 1,293 miles." - http://heartoflakecumberland.com/lake-cumberland/history/.  The only outdoorsy thing that we can't really  compete with is skiing and snowboarding. We get snow, but not nearly as much as this anomaly-winter is giving the east coast.  Go northeast, or far west.  To Colorado.  To Steamboat Springs.

#1:  Nobody Understands Our College Rivalry

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You are Blue.  You are Red.  There is no in-between.  There are no others.  You have no Superbowl to yearn for, no Stanley Cup to defend, no World Series curse to overcome, you know two teams, and they are Kentucky and Louisville.  You must pick a side.  Children in the middle ages were chosen at birth to be high-born lords and ladies, knights, or blacksmiths, and Kentucky children are born to cheer for the Red or the Blue.  We are bordered by Tennessee, who has the Titans; Missouri, who has the Rams; Illinois, who has the Bears; Indiana, who has the Colts; Ohio, who has the Bengals and Browns; West Virginia, who has the Hatfields; and Virginia, who has nobody.  We don't have legitimate professional teams (I was at a San Diego Padres game once, and a friend used the "Riverbats" as trash-talk to another Kentucky native hating on the Padres), so we grew to appreciate our sports for what they were, and we excel at basketball.

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Our football teams are in their own situations right now; Louisville with a seemingly waning supremacy after the loss of Charlie Strong and Kentucky's dawn on the horizon with Mark Stoops' reign, but our basketball teams have always been elite.  Louisville itself holds three NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championships, and Kentucky has 8.  UCAA has 11, winning 10 in a span of 12 years (1964-1975) with the same coach and one more in 1995; Indiana winning 5, 3 with Bobby Knight.  Those are the only teams that come close to the dominance of college basketball in Kentucky.  UK holds records in all-time winning percentage and games, NCAA tournament appearances and wins, Sweet Sixteen appearances, Elite Eight appearances, and is second in championship appearances and wins (UCLA holds the most for both).  Come March every year, we are well-known and feared, and when we stumble, people are shocked and startled.  The south (SEC schools), get the southern sports rivalries, but no one has a rivalry as deep and strong as Louisville vs Kentucky.  The SEC has strong football roots but also has professional teams, so the contrast isn't as solid, as bold, as deep.  To live in Kentucky is to Bleed Blue or Red, and that is no small claim.  Choose a side.
87 Comments
sela
1/30/2014 10:29:03 pm

very enjoyable reading--especially interesting is the Cumberland coatline--didn't know that!! Maybe you can get away this summer and visit for a houseboat trip?!!!

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Jane Duncan
1/31/2014 11:39:27 pm

Try renting a houseboat from State Dock (Lake Cumberland State Park is at the top of the hill) with friends- you will have a blast and it is unbelieveably beautiful!

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casey
2/1/2014 12:08:12 pm

Beaver creek is just as popular and is less expensive than state dock.have been to both and beaver creek starts out in the most beautiful rock walls!

Emily
1/31/2014 03:04:07 pm

Beautifully written and oh-so-true. I would add that when you move outside the country the most frustrating association people have with Kentucky is KFC. No, I do not come from the land of fried chicken! I come from the land of beautiful horses! to which they reply: "you fry horses too?" Sigh.

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guitarsandbourbon
1/31/2014 10:53:28 pm

Thanks, Emily! The Colonel was an honorary runner-up who almost made this list... Love the fried horses joke, Kentucky is veiled to many people, but I wouldn't call anywhere else home.

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Karen
1/31/2014 09:07:48 pm

I've lived on Ky all my life, moved to Florida 20 years ago, but I still say loo-a-vul, I still bleed blue and the Derby is more to me than just 2 minutes of fast horse racing.

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guitarsandbourbon
1/31/2014 10:55:44 pm

Karen, glad you visited today, hope this blog can bring you close to home every once in a while! (I bleed blue myself!)

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John
2/1/2014 12:51:10 am

I've lived in Kansas for 15 years and have almost lost my Louisville accent - different from the Kentucky accent- but if i'm home more than a day or get tired or angry, it comes right back. Kentucky will always be home.

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Kentucky blue eyes
2/1/2014 05:30:48 pm

I too have moved from Louisville nearly six years ago and I am sad that my accent has faded, which is made obvious by the fact that I rarely am asked "Where are you from?" anymore which used to be a daily occurrence. It is funny how it comes flooding back as soon as I go home, or talk to friends and family from home on the telephone. I too tend to regain it when I am mad, tired and when I sing as well (Loretta Lynn just wouldn't sound quite right without that familiar twang!). I love my home and am proud to be from Kentucky!

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Ryan
2/1/2014 01:45:08 am

Great article and so true, Kentucky is an amazing place. Wooden won 10 of UCLA's titles though. The 11th was won by Jim Harrick in 1995... Of course UK came back in 1996 to win our 6th title!

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 01:47:23 am

Ryan, thanks for the correction! I rushed the post a bit, but I'm glad someone caught it!

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 03:09:57 am

I've corrected that stat line with an update, it should post soon, thanks for the involvement!

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Kaitlyn
2/1/2014 02:01:36 am

Everything about this post is spot on. I grew up in Lexington and went to UofL, and just recently have moved to Orlando where I work with people from all over the country and world. No one understands my love of bourbon, the UK UofL rivalry or why I get confused when they tell me they don't know what the Derby is. But at least my roommates know how to say Louisville correctly! :)

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Big Red
2/1/2014 02:11:14 am

Not just Kentucky and Louisville...Go Toppers!

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Katie Potzick
2/1/2014 03:37:53 am

This is so true! I just moved to Nashville from Louisville 6 months ago. I never realized I'd miss Kentucky so much. It's just an hour away but feels like a world away.

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Lance
2/1/2014 03:50:03 am

Great article. I grew up in Louisville and I'm a diehard Card. Problem is, I went to UCF, and I get crap all the time for being such a fan. People just don't get it. I've never seen a state with such pride for college teams, because they are engrained INTO the culture of the state itself. That's why I love Louisville.

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Janey
2/1/2014 03:57:47 am

You go to Paris France, and when they ask you what part of the states you are from and you say Kentucky their reply is "ahhh viskey(how they pronounce whiskey)

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 06:38:48 am

Love it! Our Bourbon State has more influence than most people initially remember!

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Kathy
2/1/2014 04:38:22 am

I was born in southern Indiana but moved to Kentucky in my junior of high school. Major of my family live in Louisville. So it's great to be a Kentuckian but there is another school besides UK & U of L my school WKU ( go Tops)

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Jennifer
2/1/2014 04:43:54 am

It is funny to see ppl who get relocated here go thru the first Uk/Ul game and march maddness. We do have a little of it all in Kentucky. Great article

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Kimberly
2/1/2014 06:04:11 am

Gah. Like this article but as usual, a lot about sports. Kentucky is so much more. What about Kentucky being "where rednecks started, against the coal companies!" Or about how America has polluted it by its addiction to cheap energy. "You load 16 tons and whadya get?..." And even that Lincoln was born there, or what Henry Clay or Stephen Foster gave to the USA, in the formation of the country as we know it?

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 06:45:56 am

Kimberly, I agree with you, but my blog is primarily about music, whiskey (specifically of the bourbon variety), sports and other kinds of entertainment, so sadly there are many things about Kentucky that just won't make it here! I'm happy for the enthusiasm and involvement and hope you will visit back from time to time! I bring my topics back to focus on Kentucky routinely so keep checking for interesting and non-sports related plugs!

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Amanda
2/1/2014 06:13:46 am

I mostly agree although I think that more people than you think will cheer for several KY basketball teams when it comes time for March Madness. I always root for my teams in this order: WKU (my home town), UK (my alma mater), and U of L (where I lived for 8 yrs.) It sure makes it more fun to have several KY teams in the Big Dance each year and to be actually happy when any of them do well! Each school represents a different stage in my life. However, I realize that most fans are not that magnanimous. ha!

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 06:47:45 am

I'm a Wildcat through and through, but I am also one of those few that am happy to see other Commonwealth teams succeed! Sometimes the big picture makes the individual success that much greater!

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Lauren link
2/1/2014 06:15:25 am

All so so so true! Gotta love our great Commonwealth :) I recently wrote a similar article on my blog, but it included a bit more about Lexington and Keeneland. Take a look sometime!

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alysa
2/1/2014 06:20:46 am

Try referring to UK by initials. You lived in England? Yes, because the United Kingdom is a college. ;-)

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 06:50:26 am

#6: Googling "UK" and "Football" will usually result in premier British soccer clubs popping up! We don't like to use the punctuation for our schools in the Bluegrass State, but the confusion can be part of the fun! ;)

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sadie
2/1/2014 04:00:23 pm

Yes. I am a ky girl. I am living in the northwest until my husband retires. It cracks me up when I talk about UK and people think I mean England.

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Ryan
2/1/2014 08:05:08 am

All of this is true, except that Kentucky has more than one major metropolitan area. There is also Lexington, and the Kentucky side of Greater Cincinnati, where the combination of the three northernmost counties of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton amount to well over 300,000 people. Also, Florence [Boone County] and Independence [Kenton County] are rapidly growing large towns/small cities, with Florence having grown from only about 5,800 in 1960 to nearly 30,000 people in 2010, with an exception growth for a city of it's size from 18,624 in 1990 to 29,951 in 2010. Anyways, Bowling Green also shows potential to become a future metropolis one day. I would also add the NKU Norse and the WKU Hilltoppers as major basketball teams to this state as well. Other than that, everything else is definitely true about this. Great post.

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Ryan
2/1/2014 08:07:14 am

Florence and Independence are in the northernmost Kentucky area, by the way, and I meant exceptionAL growth above; my mistake.

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Doug
2/1/2014 08:35:29 am

Very interesting blog, Travis - please keep up the good work. Does the Telecaster in the photo belong to you?

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 08:38:36 am

Doug, thanks, and I'll try to keep it coming, I haven't seen nearly as much success in viewership until this post, so I hope I can keep you all intrigued! Yes, the Tele is mine, though I'm afraid I don't play it often, I mostly play my acoustic, just a simple beater, but when I get out of the Navy I should be able to devote some more time to it as well.

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Lex
2/1/2014 09:53:34 am

Love this article! But one small correction, Kentucky Lake (which is also a man-made lake) is actually bigger than Lake Cumberland. It has over 2,000 miles of shoreline!

http://www.kentuckylake.org/lakeinfo.shtml
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/largest-lakes-kentucky-53342.html

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guitarsandbourbon
2/1/2014 10:13:16 am

Thanks Lex, I corrected! Lake Cumberland is biggest by volume!

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Angie
2/1/2014 10:23:58 am

Love it.....I am a NC bred gal and recently relocated back to NC but I still think of Kentucky as home! Both of my girls grew up there and my youngest chose to stay in Kentucky when we moved so I'll always have a reason to come back! And it's true... Sadly enough, people from other places have no concept of the derby. To me the first week of May was my birthday but now it is so much more.... Last year my birthday was on Derby day... So I got to celebrate both!!!! Alas, I really miss my old Kentucky home and would come back to bleed red any day for my Lu uh ville team any day!!!

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Moe
2/1/2014 02:02:42 pm

I moved from my Kentucky home to Little Rock Arkansas in 1999. Never realized the rivalry between these hogs and our Wildcats til I got here either!

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James
2/1/2014 03:50:46 pm

I have lived in bay area CA for 7 yrs. My accent is gone but I have a permanent draw. My wife and I are avid bourbon drinkers. People may try but their idea is only old men drink it. Best part it is super cheap. I paid $17 for a fifth of makers on xmas eve generally 20. I pay $6 a pour of Blantons after i point out the bottle to assure the bartender that they actually have it. I'm die hard cards fan and just college basketball in general. Non of my friends get that at all

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Don Bellairs
2/1/2014 07:57:20 pm

You might mention that the fastest, cleanest flat pickers are not rock stars but bluegrass musicians.

And why mountain people are so private and so personal.

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Jane
2/1/2014 08:22:27 pm

Love this! I've lived in three states outside of KY and all apply! However, now I love in NC and I'd say that's the only state that people understand our college sports rivalry (#1).

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Tricia McGillan
2/2/2014 08:19:01 am

I am a Louisville transplant in the opposite direction (DC/Carolinas) to Louisville. Agree that NC gets the Ky rivalry but if you gre up east of the Appalachians, Cincinnati, Indy, Louisville, it's all the Midwest and we Easterners don't get it.

Now that this girl who grew up in Maryland and NC (ACC til I die), has developed an affinity for her new home town team (Go Cards), hee's what I have learned-most interesting foodie team you didn't know about; nicest people, hooked on high school, artsy and organic in ways no one expects.

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Mary E
2/1/2014 08:38:20 pm

I couldn't agree more! I am a true blue UK fan and lived in southwest FL for 2 years. They just don't understand how we could care that much about college ball. But bourbon and horses is what I've noticed we're known for. Love this blog!

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Alex McMalley
2/1/2014 10:18:41 pm

'Virginia has nothing?' We have the Redskins, the Capitals, the Nationals, Virginia Tech Hokies and tons of college bball teams - surely you've heard of Richmond's VCU. I'm from Virginia and now living in Kentucky, not by choice, and it's extremely dissappinting.. Virginia is far more beautiful and we've got our amazing wine - listed by Forbes Magazine as the 'Napa of the East Coast', beautiful mountains, great skiing, amazing beaches, we've got Washington DC, and cities like Charlottesville, Arlington, and Virginia Beach that always rank on national lists of having the happiest and healthiest people, and being the most beautiful places to live. What never makes those lists? Cities in KENTUCKY. YAWN.

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Debbie
2/1/2014 10:49:38 pm

I wish people would remember Mammoth Cave - it is the largest cave system in the world and larger than #2 largest and #3 largest put together. FYI - Hallmark has a book called Kentucky Fried Bucket List and it has things to do in Ky. Fun book which takes you all over the state.

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Carla
2/1/2014 10:56:41 pm

I lived in southern Kentucky on a farm. Artist would come from miles around to just paint the landscape. Also don't forget about Mammoth Caves it is the longest cave system in the world know to date.

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Caroll
2/1/2014 11:17:38 pm

I was born and raised in Louisville, Ky and left at the tender age of 18 married to an Air Force guy. Left for 22 years and now I'm back. We are not backwards and in fact are very educated and our medical facilities are bar none. ie. John Brown Cancer Center. I love my heritage and wish I could convince at least one of my three daughters to return here!

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Heather
2/1/2014 11:45:38 pm

I loved the article, but I have to disagree on #1. More people understand than you think. I went to Alabama and our rival is Auburn. We are in same conf and state. There are many others. You should research....

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Nona
2/1/2014 11:46:50 pm

Very enjoyable. I too have visited several other places...NYC, Houston, LAKE etc. Some with intentions of staying. Came back home. I am from the Versailles/Lexington area probably the biggest area of all for bourbon and horses. Wouldn't trade it for anything. As a matter of fact the trip to NYC ended with me literally kissing the grass when I got back home.

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Kerry
2/2/2014 12:07:42 am

Th city of Louisville was named after King Louis, this is the correct way to pronounce the name of the city...Lou-e-ville.

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Lynn Fewell
2/2/2014 12:30:09 am

I was born and raised in northern Kentucky and consider myself a southerner! Our Boone County's high school mascot is Johnny Reb. I left Florence,Kentucky, along with my husband and 5 sons, at the age of 29. for Traverse City, Michigan. We moved from there to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and I have ended up in Georgia. My sons are scattered over 4 states and have various allegiances but I will always be a Kentuckian! I still cry when hearing My Old Kentucky Home played at the Derby! It is 2nd only to the National Anthem in bringing on the tears!. An area you might want to mention is Paducah. Paducah has most everything a big city has without the problems. They have fine dining dowtown, a nationally recognized theater group and a really good Symphony Orchestra lead by a conductor from New York. If I weren't so old, I would leave Georgia and move to Paducah tomorrow. Love your site and I enjoyed reading all the comments!

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guitarsandbourbon
2/2/2014 04:19:57 am

Thanks, Lynn! 'My Old Kentucky Home' is as nostalgic and tear-jerking as can be! This will be my 7th Derby away from home, so I get butterflies whenever I hear it, especially before the race on that first Saturday in May... "My Old Kentucky Home, far away..."

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Mimi
2/2/2014 01:52:29 am

Travis, this is a fun blog! I've lived in Frankfort, within walking distance of the Capitol my entire life, except for the 4 1/2 years I studied at the University of Southern Mississippi. Love the South! I believe we are as far north as you can go and still be "Southern." One reason: there are no grits north of the Ohio River. Just try to get them for breakfast! Louisville is pronounced "Lou-uh-vul.' And I bleed blue. Go, CATS!

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tim
2/2/2014 02:00:52 am

Louisville is the 41st largest metro area. We kid ourselves by including the county in our city population.

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guitarsandbourbon
2/2/2014 04:25:06 am

It's 16th with the county, larger than New Orleans, which also includes its greater metro area. I like that count, and Jefferson County is pretty unified, so it makes sense. The downtown area of Louisville may be much smaller than other major cities, but it doesn't have to be insignificant!

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Jim Metts link
2/2/2014 02:04:51 am

I loved your article and agree with everything you said about Kentucky. I was born in Frankfort, Ky and moved to Florida with Mom, Dad and my sister when I was eleven years old. Am now 63 and still consider Kentucky my home. I go back every year for the family reunion. Also, am a diehard Wildcat. Shine on.

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Ross
2/2/2014 02:45:52 am

I was born in muhlenburg co. Lived in Corbin (1st KFC) for awhile. Bowling Green, and graduated from Somerset H.S. In 07 and now live in Savannah GA I say Loo-uh-vull get harassed constantly! But I love my home state and always boast about it proudly! Go Big Blue!

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Randolph link
2/2/2014 03:00:09 am

actually, Jack Daniels is technically bourbon. But you know, good ol Tennessee.

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guitarsandbourbon
2/2/2014 04:35:01 am

Randolph, Jack is filtered with sugar maple charcoal prior to aging, therefore NOT 'straight' bourbon. Straight bourbon may not have any coloring, flavoring or other spirits added to it, everything comes from the charred oak barrels in which it is aged and the grains that make up the sour mash. So technically it may be referred to as 'bourbon', but I'm a defender of 'straight bourbon' and any use of the word 'bourbon' on my blog, unless otherwise specified, is referring to 'straight bourbon.' Hope that clarifies.

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R8108
2/2/2014 06:38:55 am

27 C.F.R. Section 5.22 which designates the standards of identity does not actually state that a straight bourbon cannot have added flavoring. Section 5.23 which designates alteration of class and type, states " There may be added to any class or type of distilled spirits, without changing the class or type thereof, (i) such harmless coloring, flavoring, or blending materials as are an essential
component part of the particular class or type of distilled spirits to which added." The limit to that is 2.5% of the finished product. Also, NAFTA Annex 313 states "1. Canada and Mexico shall recognize Bourbon Whiskey and Tennessee Whiskey, which is a straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee, as distinctive products of the United States. Accordingly, Canada and Mexico shall not permit the sale of any product as Bourbon Whiskey or Tennessee Whiskey, unless it has been manufactured in the United States in accordance with the laws and regulations of the United States governing the manufacture of Bourbon Whiskey and Tennessee Whiskey." The laws governing JD says it is straight bourbon as long as the sugar maple doesn't exceed 2.5% in the finished product. I highly doubt there is anywhere near 2.5% of sugar maple particulates in JD.

Lynn Fewell
2/2/2014 03:06:41 am

Randolph...If Lynchburg keeps harassing JD they might have to come to the Bluegrass State where bourbon is truly appreciated!

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Lynn Fewell
2/2/2014 03:08:37 am

Doug....Based on your comment, I don't think Kentucky misses you!

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Bart
2/2/2014 03:38:19 am

Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are connected, which makes the combination the largest man-made body of water in the world.

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guitarsandbourbon
2/2/2014 04:40:06 am

Thank you to everyone that has contributed, unfortunately I can't respond to every comment, but I read everything!

***Please be respectful of others. I will remove rude comments as quickly as possible for the enjoyment of all of my readers, past present and future. I love disagreements and debates if they are respectful and well thought-out but I won't tolerate any rude and immature statements.

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Carl Gordon
2/2/2014 06:26:00 am

With guitars and bourbon, beautiful horses and landscape; one cannot forget the Kentucky craftsmen that create beauty within our state. Mandolins, hand made in the Maysville area by Warren May have given musical fame to the state with buyers of his product worldwide. I was lucky enough to have Mr. May as a shop teacher nearly 40 years ago and recently saw one of his pieces that brought back wonderful school-day memories. Coal sculptures also have their own Kentucky flavor and one would be remiss to forget our ties to America's finest game through H&B's baseball bats.

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Gary
2/2/2014 07:02:35 am

Great Blog ! I too have traveled to many parts of the U.S. and have lived in Atlanta area for 20 yrs after growing up in KY. The one thing I seem to notice when I visit "home" is that people in KY wear more clothing supporting their favorite schools than I have seen in any other part of the country, including the football crazy south.

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Brian link
2/2/2014 07:03:08 am

Hey Travis,
My uncle, who still lives in Louisville, posted this on his timeline so I got to read it, finally. Your post was spot on, brother. I left The Ville in 1990 when I joined the Air Force. I lived and visited in several countries, lived and visited a number of other states and nowhere will ever compare to "My Ole Kentucky Home."
I, currently, live in Elizabeth, Colorado but have, also, lived in Dover, Delaware (4.5 years) and in Utah (11 years). Everywhere I've lived has their good points. I miss the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab and the centralized location between DC, Philly, Baltimore, and Ocean City, Maryland that I had in Dover but it was never Home. I miss being 30-45 minutes from bed to lift at Powder Mountain Winter Resort and the surprisingly diverse atmosphere of Salt Lake City but it was never Home. Colorado is great. We bought a nice house and some acreage here and have a small hobby farm going. The atmosphere and the people aren't nearly as uptight as I've found in other areas of the West. I've found a good woman and we have a large family of dogs and this is as close to Home as I have ever been. But, still, it ain't Home.
Nothing beats those rolling hills, the smells, the damp in the air, the friendliness of the people, the food, or just the feel of being Home. I have, recently, run into some folks who were wearing UK Blue at a little shop here that serves some damned good biscuits and gravy. Yeah, imagine that, meeting people from Home in a place like that! There is, apparently, a bar where Kentuckians gather to watch the games and socialize. I will eventually find it. I've tried for YEARS to get non-Kentuckians to take an interest in the Derby enough to have a party but, alas, my labors have been in vain. Perhaps, if I can find enough people, we will be able to pull it off. We'll see.
Anyway, in closing, I wanted to thank you for your post. I don't get to go Home nearly as often as I'd like and most of my family has moved up into Southern Indiana. I'm supposed to be taking a rescue dog from here in Colorado to Virginia and am REALLY looking forward to that trip. I'll be stopping and spending at least a weekend back Home. Although, every time I go Home, Home has changed, it still feels like the Home that my heart craves.

All the best,
Brian

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Diane
2/2/2014 07:50:26 am

Great blog! My husband and I are considering a move to Kentucky in a couple of years, actually to Louisville. We have spent the last 25+ years in Florida, raising our two sons. We look forward to the four seasons which we miss very much. (We are originally from Illinois.) Can't say we are looking forward to that thing you have called "snow". BTW, I have learned the correct pronounciation of Louisville. My son's fiance is a Louisville native and has taught us well. LOL.

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Jamie B
2/2/2014 10:24:17 am

When I was in high school, our class took a trip to Washington DC. My friend and I were in line at the Air & Space Museum and got into a conversation with a girl our age visiting from China. She was with her father, and he didn't speak English so she would translate for him. As soon as we said we were from Kentucky, his face lit up and he said "Ohh, KFC!!" Hey...I hope theirs is better than what we get in the States...
Now that I live in California, most people just marvel that they can't hear my accent. And I've been asked to pronounce Louisville more times than I can count. I just tell them to say it however they want, we'll know what they're talking about.

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Barbara O'Mary
2/2/2014 11:02:55 pm

You learn not blubber when ever they play My Ole Kentucky Home out in public. People wonder about you.

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Sam
2/2/2014 11:54:43 pm

To the insist comment I was born in Louisville so I bleed red and now live in Henderson(small town Ky) so I get a lot of insist jokes and researched and have learned we get a bad rap only because KY was the first state to actually add it to our laws not because we're the worst actually northern states where you're snowed in for months of winter have worse insist then Ky does!

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D.Gahafer
2/3/2014 12:31:09 am

Noteworthy is that even though Bourbon is made in Bourbon County, it is a dry county and no one can purchase it there. Also noteworthy is that naturalist and preservationist, John Muir, referred to Kentucky as our greenest state.

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Kathy K.
2/3/2014 04:16:18 am

You can take us out of Kentucky but you can't take Kentucky out of us!

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Ruth
2/3/2014 06:57:51 am

Love this and look forward to more posts. I consider Louisville my hometown but lived in Bourbon County for nearly 17 years before moving to NC where I eagerly talked to total strangers if they had on any kind of Kentucky (not just UK) apparel. Now living near Evansville, IN and am amazed that the number of UK, UofL and WKU shirts I see daily at the school where I teach. They easily outnumber the IU and Purdue shirts! I bleed red of any kind - GO Cards and Go Tops!!

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lisa
2/3/2014 07:28:43 am

Great blog. I have friends who are from Louisville and they are born and raised there story is so true great people and beautiful places. Thanks I do know the derby,balloon race and run for roses thanks for memories.

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Mike
2/3/2014 07:41:08 am

Great article. My wife and I are both social studies teachers here in the Bluegrass State. We realized we hadn't seen much of our own state so one summer, we travelled from state park to state park. We fell in love with the Cumberland Valley, especially Pine Mountain and the Falls.

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Shawn
2/3/2014 07:58:50 am

Florida is 50% larger than Kentucky and is a peninsula. The coastline stat is extremely inaccurate. Just pull out a map.

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Steve link
2/3/2014 10:25:38 am

We moved to the Phoenix area in September of 2009. In May of 2010, we held a Derby party, to expose our new friends we had made to KY culture. Hot browns, Derby pies, pulled pork w/ bourbon bbq sauce, etc...the race ran around 3:15 PHX time so we had people arrive at 2:30, ready for a long night of fun and games. The race runs, they ask, "Is that it? The race is over?" and upon hearing us say yes they leave...definitely not like any Derby party I had ever been to before.

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Chelsea Collier
2/3/2014 12:31:24 pm

This was a great read! Love my Lake Cumberland (makes for great summers), and UK!

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barb link
2/3/2014 08:13:27 pm

just moved to ft Lauderdale from northern ky - lst move ever - 60 years old. my mom called ky "god's country" - just beautiful and people are nice and laid back. Moved for sunshine... plan to visit often. love your blog

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ldkjh
2/4/2014 04:50:04 am

This is stupid. There are other rivalries like UK-WKU other than UL-UK

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Me
2/4/2014 02:10:46 pm

I didn't read the other comments, but you are very incorrect about the title "bourbon". Bourbons do not exclusively come from KY, they are classified as such by being at least 51% corn based. Granted most come from KY, but that's not a requirement.

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guitarsandbourbon
2/11/2014 07:44:31 am

Thanks for the great debate! I will talk more about the differences between "Bourbon" and "Whiskey-in-general" in a soon-to-come post! There is a rich history in the name "Bourbon" and certainly some dispute over legitimacy to the name. Rest assured that "Bourbon" comes from the famous French family and that it must be made with 51% corn, and that about 95% of all Bourbons are distilled in the great state of Kentucky! Make of that what you will for now.

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Every state has its splits. In Iowa (expecially SE Iowa) you are either a Hawkeye Fan or a Cyclone Fan. Right now a few Hawks are waking to the fact that there are Iowa State Cyclones worthy of following!
3/28/2014 08:41:04 am

That is it. I have not got started on a Blog and do not have a Website!

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I thought I was on some one else's Blog. Thought it was my grandson, but I just figured out I was mistaken. I am from Iowa.
3/28/2014 08:42:15 am

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Jim link
7/24/2014 09:55:31 am

I was born in Frankfort but had to move with Mom & Dad back when I was only eleven. Now 53 years since moving to Miami I still consider myself a Kentucky boy and visit as often as I can. Hopefully, very soon, I will be able to retire to KY.

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JeNell
8/22/2014 03:49:25 am

I really like the picture of Cumberland Falls. But you don't mention it, which makes me wonder have you ever been to that area. It is rich in Appalachian culture. You cross from Whitley Co.,(Home to the first KFC) into McCreary Co., which has the Big South Fork and it is one of the most beautiful parks in the country. The Cumberlands Falls area has loads of things to do. It claims on the only Moonbow inthe world and you can hike to Eagle Falls. Cumberlands Falls is close to Laurel Lake and Lake Cumberland. Then if you get tired of that you can head towards Middlesboro and the Cumberland Gap.

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Jim link
5/24/2016 08:18:00 pm

This is a great post. Thank you

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Athalia link
11/8/2016 08:11:40 am

Virginia is far more beautiful and we've got amazing wine - listed by Forbes Magazine as the 'Napa of the East Coast'. Virginia currently ranks fifth in the number of wineries in the nation and is also the nation’s fifth largest wine grape producer.

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