Monday, March 12, 2007

a quaint little town

This is Main Street in Berea, Kentucky and not much has changed since I moved here in 1972.
The buildings are still the same, lined with trees & bushes. The large pilars that you see in the distance...well, that's Boone Tavern Inn. Some visitors are disappointed when they stop in at Boone Tavern because they don't serve any alcoholic spirits...The town is dry and the strongest thing you can buy here is rootbeer.
A small grocery store closed down and made way for a little sandwich shoppe, although my favorite place to eat is just around the corner at a restaurant called PapaLeno's. These pictures were taken last September and that's why it's so green. Right now the town is still green but the rest of us are waiting for spring to make it's appearance.
The streets are always lined with flower boxes and just as soon as something stops blooming or looks a little stressed, it is replaced quickly by another beautiful plant.
The college students who work in the college nurseries take care of the maintenance and care of the plants in town...And I must say that they do a great job of it too. They are the students who major in horticulture...at least I think that's what you call it. I guess I should have looked that up before I put it on my blog. I seldom compose any posts ahead of time (as you can tell) and just write as I type.
Aren't these flower boxes beautiful?

And of course, if you are one of my long time blog readers you will remember all the hands we have in town.
This is a wonderful little college town, full of arts & crafts...not junk, but bowl makers, pottery makers, furniture makers, quilters, glass blowers, artists...the list goes on & on and I'm sure that I've missed some other craftsmen. Oh, yes and they also make dulcimers and other stringed musical instruments. I can't think of anything else at the moment...my brain ain't what it used to be. *LOL*
Have a nice day...
I'm hoping for 70ยบ weather today and I hope that you also have nice weather wherever you are.








14 comments:

Granny said...

It's a lovely little place.

I lived in a dry county in Arkansas. The bootleggers loved it as did the liquor stores right on the county line.

Susan Tidwell said...

It is supposed to be in the 70s here today also, isn't it time for you to take a ride? I guess we better enjoy the weather for a few days, as it is supposed to get cooler by the weekend. Have fun!

~susan
~patchwork reflections
~memories in a jar

tomlaureld@yahoo.com said...

We have liquor at the county lines too. But in only one direction. Sandy is right Berea has not changed much since I have been visiting. The exceptions are the communities surrounding the exits off the expressway; that portion of town has given way to the type of quick stores available in most communities across the nation.

Carole Burant said...

Oh Sandy, such a delightful place and how I would love to be waking around that area!! Rootbeer is fine with me...I always say I don't make a good Canadian cuz I don't like beer! lol Yup, I do remember the hands and how fascinated I was with them:-) Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful pictures! xox

Val said...

What an inviting looking town you live in.

We live in a dry area of Melbourne, one of the remaining areas from the 1920s (they also had prohibition then here too). However, here it means that you can buy alcohol in a shop, bring your own drink to a restaurant, but there are no pubs (bars) and restaurants are not allowed to sell you alcohol. We like the BYO concept because it's much cheaper and you can bring a wine you've been cellaring for a while. And I'd hate to live near a pub as the rowdies would be noisy in the small hours of the morning. I don't know if things will stay like that forever though.

Nice that your town has maintained its loveliness over the years you've been there.

Gary said...

You are right. It really is a quaint little town. And I'll bet it is a really fun place to live.

TUFFENUF said...

Beautiful little town. I guess a lot of places have their "hands" now. Here it is "manatees" and when I was up in Virginia last week I saw "mermaids" decorated and placed all over the city. Sarasota Florida has "clowns" because they are the winter home of the circus. I wonder if there is a book or web site listing all the decorated icons(?)

Susie said...

I don't believe there's even one area of California that's "dry" Quite the concept, but I suppose it wouldn't do much the wine industry here!!
Your town looks so charming. Love the flower planters and esp. the hands!!
xo

R.Powers said...

Beautiful little town.

Peter said...

Hi Sandy, thanks for the tour of your lovely little town, if "dry" means no bottle sales as well as no bars I can imagine the nearest supply point doing a good trade.
I'm doing a bit of catch up while I have a spare few hours so I'll be back!!

Rachel said...

Thanks for the walk down memory lane!! It's been years since I've been to Boone Tavern!

The crafts from the college are great! Churchill Weavers is still going strong I presume?!!

Berea is a pretty little town. I always liked it. I also like the fact that it is dry. That makes it look better too!! None of those neon signs saying, "Cold Beer"

Love all the flowers. They sure do pretty the place up!!

Naturegirl said...

What a quaint clean looking picture perfect little town!Love all the window boxes!Thank you for sharing! The only 70 degree weather I experienced recently is when I was in Florida!!Hope you had time to view some of my beach walks.
We are still covered with a blanket of snow here but I have brought home the sunshine..no grey skies!hugs NG

Anonymous said...

Well my brain aint what it used to be either, but I'm almost certain it's horticulture, too!

That's a cute little town, one I'd like to visit! Thanks for showing us the tour! It beats living in a strip mall zone any day!

Kerri said...

It really is a quaint little town Sandy. Just beautiful! I love the flower boxes everywhere. The students do a wonderful job. I do remember those clever hands!
Thanks for sharing these lovely pics.