Day 5 - Fun Day!

Today was a bright and sunny day in Kentucky. We commenced the day’s activities with an informational tour of Harlan’s historic coal mining museum. Next, we visited one of the sites where coal mining actually took place, following with a quaint luncheon at a local, converted bed & breakfast (originally a school).  Lastly, we concluded the day with a hike on Pine Mountain.

           

            We enjoyed a late start, waking up to the radiant sunlight and cool breeze. After our breakfast we took a thirty-minute drive to the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum, which gave us an introduction to the town’s deep-rooted history. Tour guide, Mike, narrated his personal account of working in the coal mining industry. He showcased the equipment that coal miners have to wear while completing their duties. The equipment consisted of a helmet with attachable lanterns, methane detectors, mallets, etc. He also gave us a simulated tour of a coalmine. We literally had to hunch and walk or sometimes crawl to navigate these pathways. I wasn’t ever carrying anything, but it was hard to keep my back hunched the whole time. We subsequently traveled to a real coal mine in the nearby town of Lynch.  Since it has recently experienced flooding issues, we were given a superficial glance of the coalmine.  Nonetheless, Mike’s wealth of knowledge of the town’s industry filled in the gap.  What was most endearing was Mike’s account of the individuals lost to the dangerous career, evidenced by a memorial dedicated to them (some of which he knew).  If you’re ever in Harlan County, KY, check out this tour!

           

Next on our journey we traveled to the local bed and breakfast, Benham School-Inn, for lunch. The Benham Inn was originally a high school, now it has been transformed into a fully functioning, rustic inn. We were treated to pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, baked beans, and sweet banana pudding dessert—a traditional southern meal.  We then took a tour of the old school, discovering the rooms from transformed classrooms and offices. Again, please come to this place!

            Then we visited to the local community college.  A professor gave us a tour of the school’s growing archival collection, primarily concentrated with local artwork and Harlan’s historic treasures.  One specific display is focused on the work of residential artist, Jeff Chapman-Crane.  His paintings encapsulated Harlan’s simple lifestyle in the perspective of an interested observer, like us. Beautiful! One particular piece that captured my interested was a sculpture of the mountain that was made to look like a women’s body that was being mutilated. It was haunting but strangely beautiful.  I could feel his soul screaming from this work of art, it evoked such passion.  I would definitely be interested in seeing more of his artwork.

Our trip concluded at the Kingdom Come State Park. We traveled along the Pine Mountain trail, one of the largest mountain ranges in the region. The park’s naturalist gave us a tour of one of the trails and gave us information on how the mountain was formed. He also told us that the park is home to a lot of wildlife including black bears, different species of snakes, frogs, turkey vultures, and other various species of fauna and flora.  I was particularly interested in snakes so I asked his more about them. I did not know that poisonous snakes did not have as much strength as non-poisonous snakes.  They also cannot jump too far and avoid people when they can. They only attack people when they feel threatened. So if you come across a snake remember just step back and they will leave you alone. Overall today was a great day. We learned a lot, and it was super fun.

Thank you all for the consistent support throughout our full immersion into the Harlan AB experience! Until next time!

-Ashley and Emilio!