Frankfort is a neat little place with a charming downtown -- and they're pretty smart in Frankfort, too: it wasn't only Book Fair weekend, it was also the 31st Annual Candlelight Tour, which meant music and carriage rides and hot chocolate and Rudolph!
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| Pat & Rudolph |
We ate supper at Gibby's (spaghetti & meatball special), then browsed the shops. Our favorite was Wilma's Linens & Lace. (Pat and I are quilters, remember?) We were thrilled to meet Wilma herself, who refashions old quilts pieces into new things of beauty, like Christmas stockings and table runners. Here she is with a piece I completely fell in love with:
Friday was Children's Day at the Book Fair, and it was so much fun to meet kids and teachers. What a great field trip! The best part was meeting the teenage volunteers. Hi Emily & Harper & Madison & Rachel, and all you others too!
And here's me & Pat keeping the booth warm:
Friday afternoon we visited the again History Center (We enjoyed Civil War music and dancing there the night before) and the Capital City Museum. We loved how everything was in walking distance of Capital Plaza Hotel, where we stayed. We also drank ourselves a little gulp of heaven when we sampled Bourbon Ball Hot Chocolate at Rebecca Ruth Candy Shop.
Y'all: BEST HOT CHOCOLATE EVER. We loved it so much we went back later for another shot!
We also took a little trip up the mountain to Daniel Boone's gravesite, which overlooks the river. I mean, if you've got to be buried, I don't think there's a better spot:
For supper we enjoyed some pizza and salad at Buddy's, popped inside Poor Richard's Bookstore and some other shops, then settled in at the old theater to view THE FEUDS OF BLOODY BREATHITT: KENTUCKY'S UNTOLD STORY, as told by life-long Breathitt County resident Jerry Deaton.
What an interesting history -- and oh how we Alabamians can relate to the way our sometimes awful history can create images and stereotypes of we, the people, that are so very difficult to overcome.
For the record: everyone we met was WONDERFUL. Southern hospitality and grace is alive and well in Frankfort, and everyone we met was wearing shoes and could speak perfectly good English. So much strength and creativity of kindness in this state! Thanks for making us feel so very welcome.
Most of all, thank you, READERS and organizers of Kentucky Book Fair. You put on an excellent show. I was so pleased to participate.
Finally, you gotta meet three lovely authors with whom I had the pleasure of sharing the day: Bethany Griffin, author of MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (a re-imagining of Poe's story by the same name!), Julie Cross, author of TEMPEST (an international bestseller that has been optioned for film and doesn't that cover remind you of Becca Fitzpatrick's HUSH, HUSH?) and Katie L. McGarry, author of PUSHING THE LIMITS (recently nominated for GoodReads Choice award -- winners to be announced very soon!!!):
And MOST OF ALL: thank you, Pat, for being a really excellent friend. I enjoyed so much spending the time with you and appreciate your endless support and cheer and all around goodness. In my next life I hope to be more like you. xo
ahhhh, how sweet but of course without you I wouldn't have been able to attend this event. I really enjoyed everything.... but .... all good things have to come to an end... back to work today.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the perfect weekend, Irene, a book fair plus all those good shops to see! Glad it was a good one!
ReplyDeleteSounds fantastic. I had a similar weekend. Back to normal now.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great trip! Wish I'd known about the hot chocolate. I would've put in a request!
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