It was a simple day. We slept in a little and made a leisurely drive. Kentucky is such a lovely state -- green and rolling.
There were some rough roads between Louisville and Fort Knox that slowed us down, so we didn't end up going to the museum we planned. We did drive past the gold bullion repository, though. (Below is a quick shot past Brian in the driver's seat. I can only imagine they frown upon folks stopping by the roadside with cameras!)
According the US Mint website, the present gold holdings are 143.7 million ounces with a book value of $42.22 per ounce. Materials used in the building included 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, 750 tons of reinforcing steel, and 670 tons of structural steel. In the past, the Depository has stored the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, Lincoln's Gettysburg address, three volumes of the Gutenberg Bible, and the Magna Carta as well as the crown, sword, scepter, orb, and cape of St. Stephen, King of Hungary. Who knew?!
A nap at the Army hotel and a couple of playgrounds was excitement enough...
My big smile of the day was supper at an O'Charley's steakhouse. I know it is a chain place, but for four years I've been missing my favorite salad. The funny part is that it is called "California Chicken Salad," so I don't know why I had to pine away for it during the time I lived in the Gold Rush state!
Here's the description: Grilled and spiced chicken breast strips atop spring mix lettuce with bleu cheese crumbles, sliced strawberries, mandarin orange slices, candied pecan halves, and dried cranberries with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I always ask them to skip the bleu cheese because it overwhelms the other flavors. Mmmm. Never get tired of this salad. I can make a yummy surrogate, but I've never been able to pin down the seasonings atop the chicken and there's a nice sweetness to the dressing I haven't been able to figure out. If you don't live anywhere near an O'Charley's, keep it in mind for travel. It is one of the restaurants that sometimes pops up in airports. (And, no, you don't need two servings of dressing.)
Tonight we're in our last hotel! Two nights with dear friends and then a weekend with family, then we'll be in our rental house at last!
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