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Borrego Springs, CA

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Country Music Highway adventure

US Highway 23 in eastern Kentucky is considered the Country Music Highway because so many famous country music singers came from the small towns along this road.  After breakfast and getting the dogs comfortable in the rigs, Stan, Pam, and I headed out to find the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum near Paintsville, KY.  That doesn’t sound like much of an adventure, but along the way we saw a sign pointing to the childhood home of Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle.  So, off the highway we turned and that’s when the day’s adventure began.  We had a little booklet that said to follow the signs and look for a rock with Butcher Holler painted on it.

Sounds simple, but along the way we got lost for quite a few miles.  After about an hour, we finally gave up.  I had earlier commented on the seeming lack of road signs in Kentucky. 

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It was just by a stroke of luck after several backtrackings and U-turns that we eventually happened upon the museum that we had originally set out to find.  ($4.00 entrance fee)  We figured that after visiting the museum, we could ask for better directions to Butcher Holler.

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There was a neat map in the museum where you could hit the button of the singer you were interested in to see where they had lived along this highway.  The red arrow in the middle of the map is for Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle.  (I didn’t know before that they were sisters)

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Besides Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle, many other country western stars came from this area such as Tom T. Hall, The Judds, Hylo Brown, Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, Keith Whitley, Ricky Scaggs, and more.  There are quite a few displays of artifacts from each of the stars.  A sign says no pictures are allowed, but after talking to the lady working the museum, I was given permission to take these pictures.  I told her I wrote a travel blog, that I wouldn’t use a flash, and that I had no intention of selling these pictures.

She played a very interesting video for us of an interview with Loretta Lynn about the movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter” which depicted her life.  Perhaps you remember that movie starring Cissy Spacek?  I know I remembered it well.  We also asked this most exuberant museum worker about how to get to Loretta’s childhood home.  She went on and on with specific directions, and also supplied printed directions.  Cool beans, I thought.

Well, we followed those directions to a ‘T’, until we got to a little historical society building where we should stop for further help.  That building was closed, so we kept on driving.  The little back road got skinnier and skinnier, and after several miles, we decided we had better turn around.  This couldn’t possibly be right.  (no signs, of course)

Turning around wasn’t easy to do in these back hills, but I managed it as a car slowed to allow me to turn around.  The lady in the car rolled down her window, and shouted at me, “Just follow me!”  Alrighty then!  I turned around once again to follow an unknown women down a curvy, increasingly skinny road to who knows where.  Yep, all kinds of scenarios went through our heads as we got further and further into the back woods.  Then she stomped on her brakes, got out of the car, and came towards me.  She pointed off into the woods and said, “Do you see that hole?  It’s the entrance to the coal mine where the coal miner’s worked.”   She then hopped back into her car, and we headed off again.  Pam and I looked at each other in wonder as we figured out we had our own personal tour guide to Butcher Holler.  I couldn’t believe my luck!

She also stopped to show us the old schoolhouse/church that was used back in the days when there wasn’t this skinny little road, but only a railroad track to ship out the coal. 

_MG_9291Eventually we drove past the much looked for rock with Butcher Holler painted on it.  I found out there used to be signs, but people stole them.  They even stole the first rock.  That’s when they moved this bigger rock in.

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This is the woman that came to our rescue and led us off that road right up a very steep gravel driveway to the childhood home. 

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We would never have found it without her.  It turned out that she was a cousin of Loretta’s, and when she saw people that looked like they were lost, she guided them to their destination.  What a wonderful person.

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Once we mounted the steps to the home, we were given a personal tour by Loretta Lynn’s brother!  ($5.00 fee)  Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle were two of eight children raised in this home.  Talking to both the brother and the cousin of these famous people was such a wonderful experience.  They are really down home folks, and made our day.  It brought me a real awareness of the hardships and perseverance of these back woods coal miners and their families.  What a history lesson it was.

I’m not a big country music fan, but today’s adventure made me appreciate the roots that go so deep and helped produce such classic’s as “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”  A truly memorable day.

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                                                                               THE END

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy

31 comments:

  1. What a neat adventure you had and personal tours no less. Sounded like a great day.

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  2. I really loved your post today. I almost felt like I was there with you.

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  3. How cool...I am a big country music fan so I love all this kind of stuff!!

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  4. What a neat day, I'm not a big country fan either, but it would still be a fun day to see what you saw and meet the folks you talked with.

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  5. That is such a great area, we were there a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed the museum and Loretta Lynn's home. Thanks for the memories.

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  6. How very serendipitous to be "found" by that wonderful 'tour guide'. I'm sure meeting part of the family added a lot to the day. Great pictures and loved the entire post.

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  7. now this was a day to remember!..has to be one of the best posts I have read in a while!..love country music!..thanks so much for sharing your day and all the photos!...what an amazing day!

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  8. My parents were missionaries in that area in the late 50's/early 60's (before I drifted in). Once they were known, my mom was asked to teach school. She told them she didn't have a degree, and they said "You can read, can'tcha?" True story, as handed down by my mom.

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  9. That is great. It goes on our list. I grew up listening to country music and was a big Loretta Lynn fan.

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  10. This is a day trip that you will not forget for a very long time. Good things come to those who persevere. Great story.

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  11. What a great day you guys had and lucky!!

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  12. I sure do remember that movie and Sissy Spacek was incredible in it. I would have loved that tour. Sounds like such a fun day.

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  13. Man, ooh Man..how lucky you were!! I loved the movie Coal Miner's daughter..My Mom had an Aunt Fanny and Uncle Fred, who lived in the hills of W.Virginia..He was a school teacher and taught at a one room school house...They lived in a house similar to the one you visited, and churned their own apple butter...Lots of history in them thar hills..

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  14. Now that was an adventure. Nice cousin to lead the way.

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  15. What a great adventure. How coincidental that black lung disease is on the rise. Stay out of those coal mines :).

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  16. As a country music fan I can not believe ANYONE didn't know Loretta and Crystal are sisters! Shame!

    I've seen Loretta in concert a couple of times. Crystal once. Also Tom T Hall a few times. My kids loved him as he sings lots of songs that children love such as Sneaky Snake. We would take him to see him when he was in the area. My Daughter bought a CD of his kids songs which the granddaughters can't get enough of.

    What a shame that people steal those signs. I can understand not having them replaced just to be stolen again.

    How lucky to get your own personal tour guides.

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  17. We have been there and just loved it. We spent hours in the museum. I liked the replica of her house best. There were tornado watches the day we were there, and it poured down rain, but we still had a great time. :0)

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  18. Your blog was so good I read it again. This time I looked at the enlarged versions of the photos and in the picture of the old barn I can see a child's head in the upper window. Any ghosts there?

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  19. That old plow brought back memories. My dad had one when I was little. I can't imagine putting in a garden with one of those (unless the old nag pulled it.)

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  20. Great Story Judy. What a wonderful day. I too grew up with Country Music and live half way between the homes of the Carter Family and of Patsy Cline. Love Loretta and Crystal. Great pictures. So glad you kept going. What fun!! Thanks for tkaing me.

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  21. Wow! You cain't hardly get better tour guides than fambly! You done good, girl.

    (Are my roots showing?)

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  22. Thanks for the tour. Sounds like an eventful day.

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  23. We love country music. I have never heard of Country Music Highway Museum.
    What a stroke of luck to meet that lady, and what a wonderful person she is to help those lost.
    I would have loved to be with you to meet Loretta Lynn’s brother. What an adventure you two had!

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  24. What a great story! How fortunate that woman found you looking lost :)

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  25. I would have enjoyed going on that tour with you, especially the "Coal Miner's Daughter" part of the tour.

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  26. Judy, thanks so much for the pictures. The ones of Loretta Lynn's house were deeply moving. Okay, I cried when I saw the kitchen.

    Amazing how they were able to escape that poverty with ambition and talent.

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  27. Wow, I loved this story and the pics. It will surely be one of our stops when we get in the area. Love CM and especially from that era. They just don't sing it like they useta.
    Country girl at heart here :)

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  28. My mother was a real fan and have enjoyed that trip very much:)

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  29. Sometimes "getting lost" ends up being the best way to see any area. What a great day you had!

    Susan
    travelbug-susan.blogspot.com

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  30. You have some of the best adventures ever

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  31. Playing catch up!! What a great blog and adventure for you & everything turned out great!!! Would love to go there. Hill folk, i hale from 'hill folk'

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