One thing we've noticed that fascinates our visitors is our knack for "Southern hospitality." So... after reading a column by Katie's sister in the Allen County paper called "Fried Things and Turnip Greens" we thought we'd pass along some of her tips to help northerners and mid-westerns decipher Southern culture. We welcome your comments on all things Southern!
The Finger Wave
(And not the California howdy!)
The Finger Wave is typically seen in small towns on back roads. You acknowledge passing cars by lifting your pointer finger from the wheel and add a small nod of your head. If it is foggy or dark, lift your whole hand. This small gesture lets the other driver know that you are "one of their own."
This whole finger/hand wave and head bob/nod is a cultural art. I suspect that there are entire doctoral dissertations written on this subject. I have seen my Dad in full conversation in his truck and still manage to flip his fingers, nod his nose, bob his head and shake an ear, depending on how well he liked the person he was seeing.
We'll explore the Corvette 'Wave' next time!
June 8, 2009
101 Things to do in South Central Kentucky - Fort Webb
The following blog is re-posted with permission from Galen Smith, a Bowling Green resident who loves exploring the area and writing about his adventures.
101 Things To Do In Southcentral Kentucky: Visit Fort Webb In Bowling Green
By Galen A. Smith Sr.Friday, January 18, 2008 2:59 PM CST
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Because I work a lot of crazy hours at my job like a lot of us do, I have to figure a way to get out of the house every now and then and find something to do in a recreational fashion. Because if I don’t, especially during the winter months, I’ll go stir crazy! And because I tend to be a home body, I have to be creative in my thinking about what I want to do when I get out of the house on a limited budget.
Like a lot of middle class Americans these days, money is tight and traveling across the country by plane or train is not always easily attainable for me. Even to drive somewhere regionally like Nashville or Memphis can be rather expensive in gas money alone these days.
But on a recent Saturday morning with the temperature in the 40's and a gray overcast sky, I zipped up my light blue jacket and jumped into my little 1988 Maza pickup truck. I reached for a brochure called “The Civil War in Bowing Green” that I had picked up in the lobby of one our local hotels and decided to drive over to Fort Webb Park just off Beech Bend Road and Country Club Drive near the Barren River.
I turned left on Country Club Drive and then up the hill past some rolling wood fences that are painted black. I saw the Fort Webb Historical Marker and I pulled into a parking spot and got out of my truck. I noticed I was alone and I was glad of this because I like my solitude when visiting historical places. I like for my imagination to run wild. I try to realize what it was like to live “back in the day” as our young people say these days about what it was like to live during a certain time period or when some sort of historical event was taking place such as the Civil War.
In order to get to Fort Webb which is probably about 50 to 100 yards from the parking lot, you have to walk up a small trail and over some rocks. Then, you have to walk up a set of steps made out of railroad ties to get to the top of the fort. Once you get to the top, you realize it’s just a big, impacted mound of dirt that’s obviously been there for more than 100 years. However, I was impressed of what’s left of the fort which has pretty much maintained its original shape. The fort has a deep trench that was dug around it probably by some soldier with no more than hand shovels. The historical marker explains its unusual earthworks calling it a “lunette fort with embankments” that had three mounted cannons.
According to the brochure, Fort Webb is now considered to be a city park and it has retained its original configuration since the time it was constructed by the Confederate army. It is one of six forts that were in our area where guns were placed to fortify the hills because Bowling Green and Warren County had productive farms and ample qualities of fresh water. In other words, Bowling Green and Warren County offered a lot of cool supplies for an army and we were the center of a reliable and defensible transportation network that made us one of state’s most strategic cities. The L&N Railroad, a system of halfway decent roads (for that time period, I’m sure) and the Barren River could be used to move troops and supplies easily and fast. That’s why both the Confederate and Union armies wanted to occupy Bowling Green badly. Originally, the Confederates had Bowling Green and then they lost it to the Union Army. You know . . . kind like a fumble in a football game.
After my brief visit and reflection time at Fort Webb, I realized that this was enough Civil War history for me on this day. I went away from there feeling like there is really a lot more to learn about Bowling Green’s Civil War history and that this site had been an untapped source of history for me.Perhaps, I am just scratching at the tip of an iceberg as far as Civil War history goes in Southcentral Kentucky. But seeing Fort Webb for the first time, I feel that I may be onto something big and that I need to try to visit more Civil War sites in the area in the near future. It was nice to get out of the house on a Saturday morning and take a quick look into our fertile, historical past. And best of all, it didn’t even cost me a dime, accept for the gas that I used in my little pickup truck to drive across town and back.
To learn more about author Galen Smith, visit www.myspace.com/galensmithsr or http://www.galenasmithsr.blogspot.com/.
101 Things To Do In Southcentral Kentucky: Visit Fort Webb In Bowling Green
By Galen A. Smith Sr.Friday, January 18, 2008 2:59 PM CST
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..
Because I work a lot of crazy hours at my job like a lot of us do, I have to figure a way to get out of the house every now and then and find something to do in a recreational fashion. Because if I don’t, especially during the winter months, I’ll go stir crazy! And because I tend to be a home body, I have to be creative in my thinking about what I want to do when I get out of the house on a limited budget.
Like a lot of middle class Americans these days, money is tight and traveling across the country by plane or train is not always easily attainable for me. Even to drive somewhere regionally like Nashville or Memphis can be rather expensive in gas money alone these days.
But on a recent Saturday morning with the temperature in the 40's and a gray overcast sky, I zipped up my light blue jacket and jumped into my little 1988 Maza pickup truck. I reached for a brochure called “The Civil War in Bowing Green” that I had picked up in the lobby of one our local hotels and decided to drive over to Fort Webb Park just off Beech Bend Road and Country Club Drive near the Barren River.
I turned left on Country Club Drive and then up the hill past some rolling wood fences that are painted black. I saw the Fort Webb Historical Marker and I pulled into a parking spot and got out of my truck. I noticed I was alone and I was glad of this because I like my solitude when visiting historical places. I like for my imagination to run wild. I try to realize what it was like to live “back in the day” as our young people say these days about what it was like to live during a certain time period or when some sort of historical event was taking place such as the Civil War.
In order to get to Fort Webb which is probably about 50 to 100 yards from the parking lot, you have to walk up a small trail and over some rocks. Then, you have to walk up a set of steps made out of railroad ties to get to the top of the fort. Once you get to the top, you realize it’s just a big, impacted mound of dirt that’s obviously been there for more than 100 years. However, I was impressed of what’s left of the fort which has pretty much maintained its original shape. The fort has a deep trench that was dug around it probably by some soldier with no more than hand shovels. The historical marker explains its unusual earthworks calling it a “lunette fort with embankments” that had three mounted cannons.
According to the brochure, Fort Webb is now considered to be a city park and it has retained its original configuration since the time it was constructed by the Confederate army. It is one of six forts that were in our area where guns were placed to fortify the hills because Bowling Green and Warren County had productive farms and ample qualities of fresh water. In other words, Bowling Green and Warren County offered a lot of cool supplies for an army and we were the center of a reliable and defensible transportation network that made us one of state’s most strategic cities. The L&N Railroad, a system of halfway decent roads (for that time period, I’m sure) and the Barren River could be used to move troops and supplies easily and fast. That’s why both the Confederate and Union armies wanted to occupy Bowling Green badly. Originally, the Confederates had Bowling Green and then they lost it to the Union Army. You know . . . kind like a fumble in a football game.
After my brief visit and reflection time at Fort Webb, I realized that this was enough Civil War history for me on this day. I went away from there feeling like there is really a lot more to learn about Bowling Green’s Civil War history and that this site had been an untapped source of history for me.Perhaps, I am just scratching at the tip of an iceberg as far as Civil War history goes in Southcentral Kentucky. But seeing Fort Webb for the first time, I feel that I may be onto something big and that I need to try to visit more Civil War sites in the area in the near future. It was nice to get out of the house on a Saturday morning and take a quick look into our fertile, historical past. And best of all, it didn’t even cost me a dime, accept for the gas that I used in my little pickup truck to drive across town and back.
To learn more about author Galen Smith, visit www.myspace.com/galensmithsr or http://www.galenasmithsr.blogspot.com/.
101 Things to do in South Central Kentucky - Historic Railpark
The following blog is re-posted with permission from Galen Smith, a Bowling Green resident who loves exploring the area and writing about his adventures.
101 Things To Do In Southcentral Kentucky: Visit The Historic Railpark
By Galen A. Smith Sr.Friday, June 27, 2008 5:04 PM CDT
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I remember as a young child growing up in East Memphis, Tenn., hearing the trains whistling as they traveled past our part of the city on quiet early Saturday mornings. Usually I was just waking up getting ready to go watch cartoons, bowl of cereal in hand. Nowadays as an adult and as a resident of Bowling Green, I can still hear trains whistle all hours of the day and night, as I just live right down the street from the CSX railroad tracks. The train whistles have become a part of my life so I hardly even notice them anymore. But on a recent Saturday afternoon, I decided to pay a visit to The Historic Railpark and Train Museum and L&N Depot located at 401 Kentucky Street.
By Galen A. Smith Sr.Friday, June 27, 2008 5:04 PM CDT
..
..
I remember as a young child growing up in East Memphis, Tenn., hearing the trains whistling as they traveled past our part of the city on quiet early Saturday mornings. Usually I was just waking up getting ready to go watch cartoons, bowl of cereal in hand. Nowadays as an adult and as a resident of Bowling Green, I can still hear trains whistle all hours of the day and night, as I just live right down the street from the CSX railroad tracks. The train whistles have become a part of my life so I hardly even notice them anymore. But on a recent Saturday afternoon, I decided to pay a visit to The Historic Railpark and Train Museum and L&N Depot located at 401 Kentucky Street.
You can't miss the museum because it is a large, beautiful white limestone building which sits off the street next to the CSX railroad tracks. There's a large parking lot where you can park at no charge. I have been to the L&N Depot many times in the past as this was once a branch of the Bowling Green Library before it moved out on Scottsville Road in the former Iron Skillet Restaurant building. But I knew that this trip would be special because I was going to a real museum to take a step back in time.
When I entered the building from the rear, I was greeted by Depot Coordinator Sharon Tabor. Ms. Tabor explained to me a little about the museum and then I took a tour of some real train passenger cars outside of the building led by a volunteer by the name of Mary Travelstead. I toured the Little Red Caboose, an authentic Pullman Sleeper car, the Famous Diner Car which is named "Duncan Hines" (I wonder why, huh?) and RR Presidential Office Car. Also, there's even a 1921 Railroad Post Office car that is currently being restored on the premise. The museum is also waiting for their streamlined EMD E8 Diesel 796 Engine to arrive.
After walking back inside the Depot, I noticed a gift shop which offered books and coffee mugs among other nice items. Then, Ms. Tabor showed an enormous working model railroad layout which replicates Bowling Green and other parts of Southcentral Kentucky. The little miniature buildings, trees and hills took hundreds of painstaking man hours to produce. Then, it was on to the interactive exhibits. I had the opportunity to see a short video of Alfred Owens, a Pullman Porter who went to work for the railroad in 1926. He talked about "hauling Mrs. Roosevelt." I was able to hear the sounds of different types of train engines and I heard the distinctive sound of the old Pan American speeding down the tracks as recorded by the WSM Radio station in 1934. These are just a few of the "Touch & Listen" exhibits.
My favorite part of the museum tour was was the wide screen L&N Theater located upstairs. Here I was able to take a few minutes and relax in plush, first class seats while watching an assortment of entertaining railroad films and classic news reels. When I arrived back downstairs, I entered the gift shop and purchased a Historic Railpark magnet for my wife, an avid magnet collector. She gladly added the magnet to her myriad collection which is displayed on the family refrigerator.
All in all, I was very impressed with The Historic Railpark, Train Museum and L&N Depot. It is a massive asset to Bowling Green and Southcentral Kentucky. We should be proud of this particular destination and of the people who have worked hard to get the railpark, museum and depot where it is today. I highly recommend a visit there as soon as possible and you won't be disappointed especially if you're a lover of trains.(Directions: If you are traveling from Interstate 65, you take Exit 26 west onto Cemetery Road and follow Cemetery Road three miles as it becomes 8th Avenue and turn right onto Kentucky Street. Then turn left into the museum parking lot. Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Phone: (270) 745-7317 Web-site, http://www.historicrailpark.com/
Learn about author Galen Smith at www.myspace.com/galenasmithsr and http://www.galensmithjr.blogspot.com./
CVB note: The Railpark and Train Museum has a new exhibit, "Lincoln and the Railroads," which will be on display through February of 2010.
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