We decided to go back to my moms family roots for Thanksgiving.  My mom passed away in January and her favorite nephew,Bill and his wife Tommie drove up from Kentucky to  say their final ” goodbye ” to her a few days before she passed away. My husband and I decided /planned to take a road trip with my daughter and her husband to go down memory lane for and pay my respects to my mothers life .

As a child we would load up in the early dark marking hours . Mom would pack sandwiches and daddy would fill two milk cartons cut in half with frozen water and bring the ice pick.  That was our ice for the road trip that we were about to embark upon. I can remember driving thru Afton Oklahoma and we would stop at Buffalo Ranch. It was only fitting that we started that direction on this road trip.  We found out that Buffalo Ranch is not the same as it was in years past ..its now a convenient store. Broke my heart. Buffalo still there, but just not the same.

It use to be an old fun trading post. Sure the buffalo are still there, but not like it use to be so I was disappointed.  On my childhood trips we would stop at a place in Missouri called Hillbilly Junction. This is when my mother would get very angry at me. I would run inside and get into the toys and place a corn cob pipe in my mouth and start talking differently trying to have an accent. Yes I got into trouble and rightfully so..but it was good memories. We would buy our Daniel Boone skin hats. So on this trip I was excited to show everyone. We arrived and it was out of business.Another  disappointment. Things change…all things.

We took Norman…he goes with us everywhere we go in the United States. He is such a great little travel guy!

 

I started having the memories of  my brother and I and how we would start the process of ” stay on your side”  ” momma he hit me” and the long trip began . After a few hours I was driving my daughter crazy in the back seat just like I did my brother!

My mom would make my dad stop at every antique store along the way.Sometimes he would stay outside but I would always go inside with my mother   There was one shop I always remember because it was an elderly man who lived next door and we had to always knock on his door to have him open his shop next door.  So off we go…” Mom I’m going home for thanksgiving “.

 Antique stores along the way.

loved finding this! 

On this trip, We found a quaint old cafe along the way and we stopped since we were starving. We stepped inside and it was like walking back in time. I spoke with the owner, she worked at this cafe when she was younger and later decided to purchase it and turn it back into how it “use to be”.I had breakfast for lunch…due to breakfast is served all day. The boys had burgers and enjoyed them. Pie looked  amazing, but we were too stuffed for pie.

 

Another fun stop was Patty’s 1880 settlement…it was like a mini Dollywood…it made me laugh. It had the gift shop of a cracker barrel, and the food of an amazing restaurant. Bread was served in clay flower pots, their famous pork chop was 2 inches high with their famous sauce and their pie, well, lets just say it was amazing. So much for my rules on me eating only organic…that went right down the drain.

We stopped at Elizabeth town for coffee. A charming coffee shop was along the way. My husband didn’t get to enjoy it because he “thought” he had lost his credit card so he totally freaked out and was outside on the phone the entire time…it was in his wallet.

 

Our favorite town along the way was Bardstown. The boys found a few bourbon places to spend time and my daughter and I found some darling little shops. We also visited My Old Kentucky Home…it was not busy due to the holiday approaching, so the workers were getting all of the lights ready for the next day. I can say we will return to this charming town indeed.

 The guys  sampling the bourbon

 No wonder the guys loved this place.

We made it to my mothers home town. Stanford Kentucky. I spent many summers here as a child.

 I love this home. Kentucky architecture is beautiful.

My mother was raised on a tobacco farm. I have some of my grandfathers tools from the place today. Its changed a lot, so it was sad to see its not the way it use to be. We went into the small quaint town. I had found a photo of my mom from the 50’s and my daughter and I found the exact spot where it was taken and had our photo taken there too.

my mom in the 50’s…and my daughter and I today in front of the same building!!!!!

We also found the old building where the department store was located that my mother sold my dad a “belt” and it was love at first sight from that day forward.

 The old storefront that my mom worked and met daddy.

Stanford is a cute little town…not many shops there, but a darling restaurant, a cute soda fountain with original pharmacy, and a lovely shop where they make soap in the basement. Charming, quaint, and to know my mom walked the same steps as my daughter and I were walking made us feel like she would be proud we were there in her “shoes”. The Stanford courthouse is beautiful. I remember climbing the steps as a child.

We met a lot of my moms family in front of the courthouse and then walked across the street to the original soda fountain for lunch!

Here is the creek that my cousin Tammy and I use to play in when we were little..we would spend hours in this creek. I would take Barbie dolls and pretend that the “moss” was their carpet!

Here is the small church my mother attended growing up.  My mothers family name is Berry…its where we got the name for her gift shop that she owned for so many years was called..”The Berry Patch.”

We then headed off to Williamsburg Kentucky to see my mothers favorite nephew and his wife. We ate a lovely thanksgiving dinner with him and his family. His home is beautiful right in the hills of the Cumberland Falls area, which we of course stopped and hiked but it got too dark…thats another story for another day!  His house is one that my mother was always proud to say was her nephews and it is filled with love and joy in the hills of Kentucky. His new barn is a lovely addition that makes it seem like something in a Norman Rockwell Painting.

 My mothers nephews land/barn Cumberland Falls.

 

 My cousin Tammy that I haven’t seen in years!

 My cousin Tonya that I haven’t seen in years!

It was a great trip with my daughter and her new husband, our new son in law and many laughs were had by us all in the “road trip”. Sitting in the back seat with my daughter made me feel like a child again…except it was laughing with my daughter and not my brother like I did as a child.

 

Momma, we went back home….just for you..

Hoping all of you had a great Thanksgiving just like we did in our family.