#Wigwam Village Inn 2

[rabbitcruiser]

Kentucky is admitted as the 15th state of the United States on June 1, 1792. 

Statehood Day in Kentucky

Kentucky lights up with pride on June 1st each year as it celebrates Statehood Day, marking the day it became the 15th state in 1792.

It’s a special day that invites Kentuckians to honor their state’s entry into the Union. People across the state revel in this annual observance, showcasing their state flags and indulging in local history and culture.

This day isn’t just about honoring the past—it also strengthens community ties. Kentuckians come together to appreciate their shared heritage and learn more about their state’s fascinating journey from territory to full statehood.

Events like historical reenactments, museum exhibits, and live music performances make the day lively and educational.

Statehood Day is celebrated with enthusiasm, reflecting the spirit of independence and bravery that led to Kentucky’s statehood.

It’s a day that unites everyone, offering a chance to celebrate freedom and the values that make Kentucky unique.

The day serves as a reminder of the importance of civic involvement and the role it plays in maintaining the vibrant community spirit that defines Kentucky.​

History of Statehood Day in Kentucky

Kentucky’s journey to statehood began as part of Virginia’s far-off territory, with early settlers expressing the need for their governance by the late 1700s.

The difficulty of traveling to Virginia’s state capital and the inability to address local needs effectively fueled the desire for separation.

As the population grew, Kentuckians felt more disconnected from Virginia, primarily due to long-distance governance issues and neglected defense needs against Native American raids​​.

The push for statehood gained momentum through a series of conventions held in Danville starting in 1784.

These meetings were pivotal, as they gathered locals to discuss and plan the route to becoming an independent state.

However, the process was complex and drawn out, marked by political disagreements and external influences, including a controversial proposal to align with Spain.

Despite these challenges, by 1792, Kentucky had drafted its constitution and was ready to join the Union as the 15th state​​.

Finally, on June 1, 1792, Kentucky was officially admitted to the United States. The new state’s admission represented not just a geographic expansion but also the culmination of local leaders’ efforts to secure autonomy and better manage their affairs.

This date is now commemorated annually as Statehood Day, celebrating Kentucky’s identity and history as part of the broader tapestry of American states​.

How to Celebrate Statehood Day in Kentucky

Celebrating Statehood Day in Kentucky can be a blast with these playful suggestions:

Explore Kentucky’s Historical Gems

They could kick off their day with a time-travel adventure by visiting iconic landmarks like the Kentucky State Capitol or the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.

It’s like stepping right into the pages of a history book but way cooler because it’s real life!

Catch Some Local Tunes

How about grooving to some live music? Kentucky’s rich musical heritage, including bluegrass and country, comes alive during Statehood Day.

They might find themselves tapping their toes or even shaking a leg!

Join the Parade

Everyone loves a parade, right? They could watch or even join in on the Statehood Day Parade in Frankfort. Picture this: floats, bands, and a whole community coming together—pure magic!

Enjoy a Festival

From arts and crafts to delicious local eats, Statehood Day festivals are where it’s at. It’s a party in the park (or street) with something fun for everyone in the family.

Support Local Makers

They could round out the day by shopping locally. Kentucky is chock-full of amazing artisans and craftsmakers.

Whether it’s handcrafted jewelry, quirky prints, or homemade jams, they’re sure to find something that tickles their fancy.

Source

[fromthedust]

John Margolies (American, 1940-2016)

John Samuel Margolies was an architectural critic, photographer, and author who was noted for celebrating vernacular and novelty architecture in the United States, particularly those designed as roadside attractions. For almost forty years, he documented the most remarkable examples he found, publishing some of his discoveries in books and consigning the rest to an archive, which has now been purchased by the Library of Congress who, in a wonderfully gracious move, have lifted all copyright restrictions on the photographs. (see link below)

Gatorland Zoo alligator statue - Route 1, St. Augustine, Florida - 1979

Deschwanden's Shoe Repair (The Big Shoe) - 10th & Chester, Bakersfield, California - 1977

Wigwam Village #2 - office teepee and several teepee cabins - Route 31W, Cave City, Kentucky - 1979

Wigwam Village #6 - Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona - 1979

Jantzen sign - Stamie's Beachwear - Ocean Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida - 1990

7-Up Bottling Company (two views) - NE 14 & Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Oregon - 1980

Coca Cola Bottling Company (two views) - 14th & Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California - 1977

Coca Cola Bottling Company (detail view of door) - 14th & Central Avenue, Los Angeles, California - 1977

It'll Do Motel (office) - Jonesborough, Tennessee - 1987

Joy Theater marquee - San Antonio, Texas - 1982

White Castle - Reading Road, Cincinnati, Ohio - 1980

Mammy's Cupboard (two views) - Route 61, Natchez, Mississippi - 1979

Dependable Used Cars sign - Division Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan - 1982

Stan The Tire Man statue - Broadway, Mount Vernon, Illinois - 1988

Bomber gas station - Route 99 E., Milwaukie, Oregon - 1980

World's Largest Redwood Tree Service Station (1936) - Route 101, Ukiah, California - 1991

Peach water tower - Frontage Road, Gaffney, South Carolina - 1988

Christie's Restaurant sign (cowboy shrimp) - Houston, Texas - 1983

Roadside flamingo statue - Frog City, Route 41, Florida - 1980

www.publicdomainreview.org/collection/john-margolies-photographs-of-roadside-america/

addendum: seen (not photographed) in a 2007 trip to Garibaldi/Nehalem/Manzanita Oregon — The Wheeler Inn with a wheelbarrow on the roof with a clothed female mannequin loaded into it . . .

[mikemcdougal-photo]

Cave City - Part Two

After wrapping it up at the Wigwam Village and photographing other motel signs like Cave Land Motel and Star Motel I found a motel called the Travel Inn with a beautiful, oversized sign. I stopped along the side of the road to photograph and heard a voice talking to me.

“Want me to pose for ya?”

“I’m just passing through documenting old motel signs and such”

“You should talk to the owner. You should ask him before you take pictures”

This has happened to me literally three times. Out of those three times, one couple were completely shitty and threatening over a “no trespassing” sign that wasn’t visible from the road. The second was at a local dive motel where the owner ran me off because he just didn’t want me there and now this. Any other encounter has been met with curiosity and usually an exchange of information so photos can be shared. I went into the motel office and waited for the owner to come out. The office had warped linoleum flooring with a small refrigerator with canned soda for guests. Beside that was a small rack with generic convenience store snacks and lots of houseplants scattered around.

The owner made his way out from the back, so I introduced myself and while I was initially met with some hostility, I think I finally got it across that I just wanted to take a picture of a sign. That was it. I’m not here for human interaction, I’m just here to take photos of the cool, old shit your city still has around. I finished taking my photos and finally made it to the motel.

The Horse Cave Motel is a $60 stay ($66) with taxes directly off the main highway. A mile or so outside of Cave City, not more than a 5-10 minute drive to be back in the center. Mid Century without the luxuries of a normal stay. A fridge, bed, small TV, microwave, desk and folding chair. Considering I was initially going to sleep in my car in either the park or nearest Walmart parking lot until the heat was going to be nearing 100 degrees, this was a welcomed substitute.

The owners were an older Indian couple. The wife was handling the desk in the evening and the husband was working the morning shift. They were both extremely hospitable and welcoming, checking to make sure I had everything I needed any time they saw me.

After checking in I decided to check out downtown Horse Cave and photograph their downtown area. I had initially planned on visiting the Hidden River Cave and American Cave Museum as it was only a 2-3 minute drive from my motel but I made it there just as they were closing and knew I wasn’t going to have time the next day before heading back home. I walked around and took some photos before leaving to find food. was hoping to find something to eat between Cave City and Horse Cave but the only restaurant I saw was closed.

My original intention was to pack food and bring with me, but the weather permitted me to make this trip with a little less planning than I hoped so I ended up driving 30 minutes to get Taco Bell and bringing it back to my room. I ate, showered and spent some time sitting on the 2x4 bench positioned outside of my 2nd story room. Even though it was still extremely hot and humid, the air felt nice after my shower. I sat outside and waited for the sun to set so I could go take my final photos for the night, the Wigwam Village neon sign at night.

I packed up one last time, drove a few miles down the road and got the photos I set out for. On the way back I struggled to light a small joint I brought with me. Hoping to have it smoked by the time I got back to the motel but having to relight it every few hits, I ended up driving back to downtown Horse Cave and finishing all but half it in a laundromat parking lot with a great molded lit sign.

I drove back to the motel and decided to sit outside for a bit before laying down for the night. On my right side there was a larger man, a trucker sleeping for the night. He’s on the phone with someone, pacing back and forth. I can’t hear too much at first but the longer the conversation goes on, the louder he’s getting. He’s pissed at someone at he’s going to beat their fucking ass if they’d show their face. Meanwhile, there is a long-term motel resident on my left working on his car. His bass keeps getting louder as he’s working. He might just be trying to drown out the angry trucker, but the owner was much more concerned about his bass being turned off.  I sat there for too long, being too high just waiting for what was going to happen next. For the record, I never felt unsafe at this motel and enjoyed my stay.

I got an early start the next morning. I packed the few things I brought with me the night before and loaded the car before taking a few photos across the street. I checked out of the motel, turned the keys in and headed back to Mammoth Cave. I was driving around waiting for my next steps to open when I found a beautiful overlook. I parked and sat for a bit. No one was around for miles it seemed, so I finished the rest of the joint in the car before getting out to photograph the overlook for a bit. Mammoth Cave has a lot of beautiful features above ground that I would love to travel back and explore when it’s not as miserable outside.

From the park I began heading toward the tourist strip but stopped in downtown Cave City first. “Downtown” isn’t the best descriptor and I only use it because they did have a small post office there. A small strip with a restaurant and bar and a couple of antique/junk stores. From there I attempted to visit Guntown Mountain. A favorite sight that can be seen driving along I-65. A roadside attraction from the 60’s featuring a Wild West town with gun fights and interactive shows. This place has gone in and out of business countless times and I couldn’t get a definitive answer on whether it was open at all before my trip. On my way to MMNP on Sunday they were open, and people were visiting but Monday when I was there, they were closed. Knowing that they are open at least on weekends now is enough to make me plan a second trip up to further study and document the remaining businesses along this strip.

Dinosaur World is across the street and my next stop. Opening in 2003, Dinosaur World was built by Christer Svensson with two other parks: one in Texas and the other in Florida. This attraction features 150 life size foam and fiberglass dinosaurs which are strategically placed along trails and staged with native vegetation. The scenes are very well put together which made it fun to photograph, especially since it’s out of my normal realm. There is a museum which has lots of dinosaur facts and trivia and a large gift shop with tons of real and replica fossils, teeth and more.

After leaving Dinosaur World I had a few more stops to make. I wanted to head back toward Big Mike’s Rock Shop, a rock and mineral shop a few miles away. They had a great yellow sign and if the opportunity presented itself, I wanted to photograph it again. On my way there I made multiple stops at random gift shops like Tom’s Tee Pee’s and Wild & Wonderful Gifts. I passed the KY Action Park which appeared to be abandoned but shared a parking lot with the Jesse James Riding Stables. My initial intention was to get a photograph of the derelict bumper boats but as I walked around, I found broken down bumper cars and more. The woman working the counter at Jesse James was more than accommodating in allowing me to park my car there and walk around.

From here I started driving toward Bowling Green and my last series of planned stops along the way. A note about Cave City and other cities like it. I adore the towns that once were and still strive to hang on and remain relevant. I also understand my surroundings and the areas that I currently explore, but it’s extremely disheartening to walk into a gift shop looking for a kitschy gift and be met with walls and counters and display cases full of racist and/or political merchandise. There are plenty of cheesy gifts to stock in a gift shop that don’t revolve around backwoods mindsets but some of these places make it apparent that “Trump 2024” and “owning the libs” aren’t personality traits.

By the time I made it to Bowling Green the temperature was nearing 100 degrees. I found some free street parking downtown and walked a few blocks before finding a Starbucks (my first cup of coffee in 2 days) and planning the rest of my drive home. There were only a couple of stops along the way that I was trying to make, and the weather seemed to be holding up nicely. My two remaining stops in Bowling Green were the National Corvette Museum and the Aviation Heritage Museum. I had little to no desire to pay entry to the Corvette Museum and the photos I wanted to take were located all on the exterior of the building. I circled until I found my angles and then quickly headed toward the aviation museum. The aviation museum was kind of lackluster. 8 decommissioned military aircraft circled around a park in a neighborhood. I would be upset if I paid to visit, or it was far out of my way, but neither were the case and I continued driving back home.

My last stop was past the Tennessee border in Whites Creek, a gas station/firework store aptly named “Sad Sam’s”. Sad Sam is emblazoned on the front of the building as a weeping neon clown. Inside, coolers of beer, fireworks and the Gadsden and Confederate flags ironically plastered on foreign made trinkets. I briefly parked and photographed the sign and some curiosities across the street before finally making my way home.

I don’t to the best job at listening to my body and do an even worse job of taking care of it most of the time. The timing of this trip coupled with the heat wave made way for a touch of heat exhaustion which took a few days to recover from. After rehydration and some rest, I was able to fully recover just in time to test positive for Covid.

[robertkstone]

2018 Dodge Durango 4 R/T Long Term Update 4: Whiskey, Wigwams & Wi-Fi

Just 80 miles from home I heard a loud bang, after which power stopped flowing to the wheels. That’s how a transmission failure ended my vacation trip to Nashville for a classic car meet in my 1967 Sunbeam Alpine. Fortunately, the trusty Durango’s calendar was clear, so it collected several more stamps in its Bourbon Trail passport and enjoyed spending the night in a wigwam village.

The night before our visit to Mammoth Cave National Park, we bivouacked in Cave City, KY at one of two remaining Wigwam Village Inns. The other is on Route 66 in San Bernardino, CA. Once there were ten locations sprinkled across the nation.

Prior to this trip we activated the truck’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi service. It worked flawlessly, though reflashing our Uconnect system to activate it wiped our Bluetooth connections and may have inserted a minor bug that plunged the infotainment system into a deep funk just as we started the trip home. The clock stopped at 8:35 am (initially 20 minutes early) and could not be altered, the outside temperature read a laughable 54 degrees in the Nashville swelter, and the climate control temperature readings and compass heading were all blank. After several miles of fiddling, we pitted for a “cold reboot” (ignition off, climb out, lock, unlock, restart). Still funky. Unsure of how to disconnect the battery for a hard reboot, I started pulling and reinserting fuses (none of which is obviously marked Radio or Infotainment System. This did the trick.

A couple of filling-station pumps on this trip clicked off repeatedly at any flow rate above a trickle—an annoyance that occasionally afflicts vehicles with capless filling, but we still appreciate the feature. We averaged 19.0 mpg over the 1,600-mile/32-hour journey (our eternally optimistic trip computer reported 23.1 mpg).

I towed a wood chipper to the lake house and was disappointed to find that the Durango’s rear collision-prevention nanny slammed the brakes on, thinking I was about to crash into the attached trailer until I switched off the park-distance controller. The system should know better when trailer lighting is connected. On the plus side, the dotted center line on the rear-view camera enabled perfect alignment of hitch and ball on the first try.

One final observation: I never liked black wheels until I accidentally nicked one of these and discovered that generic gloss black touch-up paint makes them look as good as new!

Read more about our 2018 Dodge Durango R/T long-termer:

Long-Term Arrival

Update 1: Road/Tripper

Update 2: Hot and Cold

Update 3: Cheese and Beats

Building on last fall’s Wild Turkey stop, our Durango has now visited Town Branch, Limestone Branch, Maker’s Mark, Willett, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Boundary Oak, and Corsair (plus a bonus visit to Tennessee whiskey distiller Jack Daniel’s).

[papertulip]

I woke up thinking about this place. Turns out I woke up there almost seven years ago to the day. Life is weird and cool. (at Wigwam Village Inn#2)

[profitomega]

Date: 2018-02-12 23:13:34

The Wigwam Village Inn #2 began as a dream of Frank A. Redford in the early 1900s. Frank’s inspirations in this dream were a popular ice cream shop shaped like an upside down cone and authentic teepees he’d seen on a Sioux reservation in South Dakota. His dream became reality in 1935 when construction on Wigwam Village #1 was completed in Horse Cave, Kentucky. Realizing he’d hit upon a popular idea, Frank patented the design with the US patent office in 1936. Wigwam Village Inn #2 was completed in 1937 in Cave City, and five more were built over time in Alabama, Florida, New Orleans, California, and Arizona. From the beginning, the Wigwam Villages were gathering places with an atmosphere of old-time neighborliness. The community area at the center of the circle of wigwams seemed to invite people to come and talk. Nowadays, our playground at the center of the teepees invites young folks to play and our new 16'x16' "Misting Deck" is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day - regardless of your age! Of the seven original Wigwam Villages, only three remain: #2 in Cave City, Kentucky, #6 in Holbrook, Arizona. and #7 in Riallto, California. Matt's Blues 2:46 Kevin MacLeod Jazz & Blues | Funky You're free to use this song and monetise your video, but you must include the following in your video description: Matt's Blues by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100165 Artist: http://incompetech.com/

[sumoflam]

Giving Grandkidz a retro experience #kravetzfamilyreunion2017 #quirkymotels #roadtrip #travel #kytourism #grandkidzrawk @insearchofquirk @roadside_america (at Wigwam Village Inn#2)

[4-astral-traveling]

Someone venture here with me someday.

[rabbitcruiser]

Frank A. Redford developed the Village after adding tipi-shaped motel units around a museum-shop he had built to house his collection of Native American artifacts. He was granted Design Patent 98,617 on February 18, 1936.

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The Confederate States of America accepted a rival state government’s pronouncement that declared Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy on December 10, 1861.  

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality on May 20, 1861, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state.

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The Confederate States of America accepted a rival state government’s pronouncement that declared Kentucky to be the 13th state of the Confederacy on December 10, 1861.  

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: Confederate General Leonidas Polk invaded neutral Kentucky on September 3, 1861, prompting the state legislature to ask for Union assistance.

[rabbitcruiser]

American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaimed its neutrality on May 20, 1861, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces entered the state.

[rabbitcruiser]

Coca-Cola was bottled and sold for the first time in Vicksburg, Mississippi, by local soda fountain operator Joseph A. Biedenharn on March 12, 1894.

[rabbitcruiser]

Frank A. Redford developed the Village after adding tipi-shaped motel units around a museum-shop he had built to house his collection of Native American artifacts. He applied for a patent on the ornamental design of the buildings on December 17, 1935, and was granted Design Patent 98,617 on February 18, 1936.