The next agenda item on our vacation itinerary was a trip to Frankfort and the Kentucky State Capitol. We made a goal to see at least a dozen capitols before Calvin graduates, and we are now halfway there!
We arrived shortly after noon, and this unique clock confirmed the time for us.
The Governor's mansion across the street looked very stately, don't you think?
Making our way up the capitol steps. . .
Once inside, we were greeted by Honest Abe, who was born in this state. . .
. . . and my girls admired all of the First Lady dolls.
The architecture of this capitol reminded us a lot of the marble-filled Arkansas capitol we visited last summer.
Definitely beautiful, but Kansas is still our favorite.
Since we were in Kentucky and all, the boys insisted that we eat at least one meal at KFC. We found a really cool restaurant and we definitely filled up our bellies with the "$20 Fill Up" bucket!
Sometimes it amazes me how much food my boys can already put away. Mmmm, gravy.
Our next big stop in Kentucky was Louisville, Home of the Louisville Slugger!
This HUMONGOUS bat is 120 feet tall and weighs 68,000 pounds -- it was quite a sight to behold!
Without further ado, we found our way into the museum and factory.
The boys (all 3 of them) were super-excited to learn that they could swing an actual MLB bat that had hit a home run in an actual MLB game! It was a big decision figuring out just which player's bat they wanted to swing.
Oliver decided on Alex Gordon and Calvin swung Bryce Harper's bat. How cool is that?!?
Before we knew it, they were calling our tour time. While we weren't allowed to take pictures during the factory tour, believe me when I say it was WAY cool. We saw how they custom make every aspect of the bat, including the cutting, sanding, branding, and painting.
They also explained how they make custom bats for players who have signed with them. George Brett was one such player from years past.
But the best part of all for MY kids? Definitely the 'free' bat everyone received at the end of the tour! Yes, we came home with 6 (more) mini-bats to play paper-ball with. They really were great souvenirs with the 'Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory' branded into them.
After our tour, we checked out more of the museum, which was pretty awesome.
We got to see what it feels like to stare down a 90 mph fast ball (kind of scary, in case you were wondering).
And the boys both had the opportunity to practice their pitching skills with some of the best pitchers in the game looking on. Oliver pitched 43 mpg and Calvin reached the 52 mph mark with his strike-out. They really enjoyed this!
The kids posed with some of the game's greatest. . .
. . . and we marveled at the amazing detail of the Lego work at the Little Bricks Ballpark.
We checked out Babe Ruth's actual bat and the kids posed on the big glove (though not nearly as big as the big bat). . .
. . . and then it was closing time. We had time for one family picture in the dugout before we left!
A trip to Louisville wouldn't be complete without a visit to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. They were preparing for a race, so we actually saw some horses on the big screen warming up.
I can only imagine the fanfare surrounding this site at the time of the Derby!
And no trip to Louisville would be complete without a trip to the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. Okay, so some may not agree with this, but my dear husband certainly does.
Turns out, it was a really pretty military cemetery.
We'd had a very full day, and the best way to relax after all of that exploring and site-seeing was definitely at the Embassy Suite's Manager Reception. Russ did the planning for this trip and Oliver convinced him that we NEEDED to stay at the Embassy in Louisville.
Once again, we took advantage of the fun pool and hot tub at the hotel well into the evening.
It was a beautiful Embassy and we had a fantastic time in Louisville!
