Our Summer Staycation Day 2

Happy Tuesday!

It is Day 2 of our Summer Staycation.  To read about Day 1 and hear why we turned our summer vacation into a staycation, click here.

We had heavy rain today as we drove 45 minutes to spend the day in Owensboro, KY, but it didn't dampen our spirits...just my son's cell phone which (of course) fell out of his pocket as he exited the car, and landed in a small river gurgling beside the curb.  Dry rice to the rescue, once we got home.

But backing up a bit, we started our morning at home with coffee and Jesus.  Something new that has been pumping up my prayer life, is to write my prayers in a journal each day.  I get major ADD when praying, but writing my prayers has helped me focus and feel so much more in tune with God.  I'm looking forward to seeing in print, how God moves in our hearts and lives over the months.  Give it a try if you also have trouble focusing.

After breakfast and tidying up, we hit the road in the rain for the Kentucky border.  Owensboro is a beautiful town on the Ohio River.  We've enjoyed the gorgeous riverfront park in the past, but this was our first time to explore alittle deeper.  We started out at the city's museum.  $3 a person, or $10 per family is a reasonable entrance rate, and we enjoyed it very much.  Lots of hands-on exhibits for kids, plus things for adults.

One of the first things we saw was a tiny little door in the wall by the floor.  No sign..but we had to peek and see what it was.

 Awww, a little mouse house.  A delightful tiny surprise.  :)  I always enjoyed reading little mouse stories to my kids, and used to make up stories about mice families living in our backyard.  

And yes, we did enjoy most of the kid exhibits.  :)  This was a combination window/mirror.  Tanner was on one side unseen, and we were on the other.  But when you turn the light on to the right brightness, his face appeared as if looking through a mirror at us.  

Ladies, can you IMAGINE wearing a corset sooo tight that your waist was the size of a 5 year old's?  Oh my word.

John had a Go Kart simliar to this 1970s model as a boy.  He eventually sold it when he was older.  I'm now wearing it on my ring finger.  :)

This exhibit let you feel wind up to 78 mph so you'd know what a tornado might feel like.  The video I took of them is hilarious.  :)

Lunch time.  Moonlite BBQ is pretty famous around these parts.  The place was packed for their lunch time buffet.

Round 1

Next up we did a bit of fun browsing.  The Preservation Station is a well loved antique/vendor place located in an old elementary school.  It was so cute!  Every room hosted a different antique or handmade vendor's shop.  It was my first visit here, and I will be back!

This coal miner's lunch box captured my heart.

I didn't buy it...but loved thinking of the stories it could tell.

Kentucky is coal and tobacco country.  I don't like what tobacco does to people, but the farms were pretty.

Darling old churches are my favorite.  Dear husband pulled over so I could capture this one.  My goal is to make my own calendar of darling old churches one day.  Maybe for my birthday in December...sounds like a good goal.

As my and my son's energy was flagging, (my husband's energy does not fail him til 9pm...how does he do it?) we stopped at one last flea market.  Aqua is one of the happiest, most peaceful colors ever.  I would have loved buying just one of these cups and saucers, but they were sold in a set.  I always come home from antique shops with a great desire to drink coffee from one of my vintage cups and saucers.  Maybe tonight.

This made-in-England tea set was darling and inviting too.  I have no room for anymore pretties, so I satisfy myself by just taking photos of the eye candy instead.

But there is ALWAYS room for a few more old Golden Books for my collection.  These were all pretty old and will be fun to read to my granddarlings.  I'm calling them my souvenirs.  :)

We are home now, and recovering from our big day.  I don't have to cook supper since we all ate more than our share at the BBQ buffet.  I'm hoping we'll get out the old record player and vinyl albums we had as children, to enjoy this evening, plus a Christmas Hallmark movie and maybe some old family photos.  This damp, rainy-ish evening will be cozily spent at the BEST hotel in town...home.

Thank you for reading!

Blessings,

Donna