After a full 5 days exploring the US West Coast, I was looking forward to reuniting with my extended family in Camblesville Kentucky. Leaving San Francisco proved harder to do than first thought though, not only for the great food, sights and people I had met, but for the simple fact that I had slept through my preset 4am alarm.So jumping out of bed at around 6am and feverishly packing & re booking a later flight, it wasn't long before I was airport bound & looking back on the skyline of SF.
The Southwest Airline tyres skidded onto the Louisville runway at a little over 10pm, the flight was delayed and with a 2.5hr layover in Chicago made the time from door to door just under 10 hrs. My cousin Gene was waiting patiently for me and after collecting the bags I was experiencing the Kentucky nightlife (& heat)with his good buddy Marshall.
In the morning (Thursday) Gene and I headed back to the Louisville airport to greet my sister and fiance' Craig and commenced our 1.5hr drive to Campbellsville, Kentucky a dry (no alcohol) county and the destination for the long anticipated family reunion.
As we arrived and made our way down the driveway, family members came out of the hand built (Gene & Jordan's father is a builder) Cedar style home and welcomed us all with open arms and it wasn't long before the alcohol (yes even though it is a dry county) flowed freely.
Partying well into the night left me quite sleep deprived as Friday saw the whole family (approximately 40-50 of us) headed off to Green River Marina to collect our hired 4 boats to do some skiing, picnics and general sight seeing. The temperature pushed towards 100 degrees Fahrenheit and jumping off the 2 storey boat for a quick cool off seemed the easiest way to deal with the dry heat.As we all headed back to the house around 6pm, I quickly realised how hot it had been as my shoulders, back and neck had succumb to the glowing sun - thankfully I wasn't the worse one! After a recharge in the way of a 2 hr sleep, it wasn't long before we were all enjoying a well cooked dinner and beer(s).
Again, with little sleep, I woke early on Saturday morning - the day of the Trans Pacific International, a golf tournament (were any more than 2 Americans & 2 Australians come together to play a round of golf) to decide who holds the crystal bowl (yes there is actually a trophy) & of course bragging rights.The layout of the course was long and lush and one of the highly acclaimed courses for Kentucky, that was until the 15 strong family arrived and promptly took over the club. With the team flags attached to the carts and battle lines drawn we all headed out.
Thankfully, after 5 years the trophy will be heading back to Australia after the team ran away to secure a 5 stroke win! Oi! ;0)
When we returned to the house, those that hadn't been golfing had been busily preparing half a bison (deer) and other dishes, after the formalities and speeches, the hidden supply of silly string, water balloons and fireworks were unleashed and chaos commenced.
After heading to a party on the nearby lake with Jordan (Gene's younger brother), and my cousins from Chicago, Indiana and Virgina Beach it was well after 3am before we all returned to the comfort of our blowup mattresses ready for the final day of Fam Fest 09.As everyone slowly packed up and exchanged numbers, email address and recipes, it quickly started to dawn on me as to just how fantastic it had been to see all the family and record this great event - and wonder how long it will be before we will all see each other again.
The last car rolled out of the driveway around 2pm reducing the house's occupants from 35 to 15. And the remaining family members headed to Green River to enjoy the slowly setting sun with some canoeing, picnic and general relaxing.
Given that I have spent the last 4 days in the heart of American Gun Country, what else could I do today (Monday) but visit a shooting range - where can I say anything goes - $5 US will hire you a sub-automatic machine gun or even an Uzi as I promptly found out! God Bless America. On the way back we drove along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail where Makers Mark and Jim Beam are made and stopped in on several of the historic building along the way.
It's now Monday evening and I'll be heading off to New York with my 24yo cousin Jordan for some sightseeing and overall shee-nanigans for the next 5 days straight! Jordan and I will hope to visit the Statue of Liberty (you are now able to walk again up to the crown), Ground Zero, Empire State Building, jog through Central Park as well as experience some of the many local haunts told to me by some of my newly found friends.
I'll look to post more regularly from here on in.
James.
Virgina Beach? Is that a typo? :P
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