When the ladies hit the road, it’s all about taking our time, meandering back roads, popping into shops and lingering over meals. Efficiency has nothing to do with it.
But we’ve come upon a one-stop-shop that we love: the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.
The Artisan Center, just off I-75 at Exit 77, is like a giant Bluegrass field trip under one elegant slate roof. There’s great shopping, Kentucky comfort food and an easy-going atmosphere that rushes no one out the door. This is the place to zero in on hand-stitched quilts and hand-woven throws, and to examine the pottery, glassware, carving, weaving and stitching that have made Kentucky handwork famous.
In nearby Berea, college students have worked in woodcraft, fireside weaving, ceramics, broomcraft and wrought iron since 1893. The town is the “Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky,” and the natural spot for this Kentucky limestone building. Inside, open rafters soar above the sales areas, demonstration tables and cafe, which serves Kentucky staples, including hot brown (open-faced turkey and bacon) sandwiches, Derby pie and Bourbon bread pudding. We’re always torn between the fried chicken special on Wednesday and the Saturday barbecue.
Weekends are the time to watch artisans weave baskets, throw pottery and sculpt polymer clay dolls. Or catch performances by local musicians and authors. Listening stations offer musical selections from Rosemary Clooney to Ricky Skaggs, and the bookshelves hold volumes by Barbara Kingsolver and Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk known for his spiritual writings and memoirs.
Our sweetest souvenirs may be Mom Blakeman’s Creamed Pull Candy, bourbon fudge from the monks at Gethsemani Abbey, or a candy bar from Mt. Sterling’s Ruth Hunt Candy Company.
Yet no matter how long we linger in our one-stop getaway, some things at the Kentucky Artisan Center remain a mystery. We’re still trying to figure out how Chris Ramsey turns a chunk of wood into a wearable hat, setting it agleam with 20 coats of lacquer.