Daniel and Rebecca Boone

I mentioned a while ago that James and I spontaneously decided to tour Frankfort, our great state's capital. While we were both somewhat familiar with the city, having been a few times and driven through many, we had never actually been able to take the time to walk around and smell the bourbon, so to speak.

When we were at the Rebecca Ruth candy factory we ran into another couple touring. They were actually there to pick up boatloads of bourbon balls for their upcoming wedding! Side note: stealing that idea. Mine! They had mentioned that they had just visited the grave site of Daniel Boone. Say what? That sounds a little weird...

Not at all, they claimed. It was in a very nice cemetery and his site overlooks the Kentucky River and you can even see the capital building! It's actually just right up there! They pointed straight up at a ridge across the river. Not much could be seen except for trees, but, hey! We were feeling spontaneous, remember?

So off we went... for a date in the cemetery.

We googled the address and upon googling I found some interesting information...

Let me back up... I am assuming most of you have heard of Daniel Boone, but seeing as my blog is *ahem* kind of a big deal in Germany, I'll give a little background. Daniel Boone is known for exploring and settling the state now known as Kentucky. He blazed a trail through the Appalachian Mountains through Cumberland Gap, despite resistance from local Native Americans. He settled one of the first towns in America west of the Appalachians. So there you have it, your history lesson in a nutshell.
Daniel died in 1820 in Missouri, at his son's home, after leaving Kentucky because it was "too crowded". It was back in the day when getting a bad case of the "bubble guts" would kill you. Terrible. So, seeing that he died there and transporting a rotting body was not something a lot of people opted for, he was buried there.

But wait! We're not in Missouri! We're in Frankfort, Kentucky! Wha? According to the google Daniel was originally interred in Missouri, however, when Kentucky caught wind of this they wouldn't have it. So they dug him up and drug him back (kicking and screaming, I am sure) to the capital to be buried with a large monument erected in his honor.

Ever since this happened there has been serious debate over whether or not he was actually moved. However, official documents released in 2010 reveal that only "most" of him made the transport. Missouri still claims that his brain and his heart remained there, while only the larger pieces were sent to Kentucky. Another side note: please no.

So, flash back to where James and I stood, on a crest overlooking the capital of our state, under our feet pieces of it's first explorer. The monument is huge, grand, and intricate. There are reliefs carved into the four sides depicting moments from Daniel's life, and on the back, one of Rebecca, his wife, milking a cow. She's there too... all of her, I assume.

The side trip was absolutely worth it. The views were amazing. Although somewhat ironic that Daniel decided to leave the state due to overcrowding, he now has to share his final resting place with other dead people, many of which are generals, governors, etc. At least he is in good company.

While we were there, we weren't alone- not counting the dead people, there were plenty of other tourists, all who seemed to be waiting for the last couple to view and pay their respects independently before getting out of their cars to do the same. We were able to take our time, ponder over the reliefs, admire the expansive view, and take pictures, of course.