671. Annual Accounting of Counties Visited

Each year about this time I take down a map of Kentucky hanging in my office and put up a new one. And on that new map, as I have done with a map every year since 1979, I will mark the counties I drive through, visit, spend time in, set foot upon, or as in the case of Jefferson, live in. For thirty-two years I've kept track of this, sparked by by visit in 1979 to all 120 of Kentucky's county, a feat only repeated in 1987.

The high number in recent years is 71 in 2004. Despite being ill for a third of 2005 I somehow made it to 59 counties that year, the highest since that time; last year was 45.

The number of counties visited in 2010 reached to 57. Making the list all 32 years are, logically, where I live and my home county's immediate neighbors, and from there up to where my grandparents are buried in Woodford. Besides Jefferson and Woodford, these are Bullitt, Franklin, Hardin, Oldham, and Shelby. Meade is the next most visited at 29 of the 32 years, followed by Nelson at 26.

At the bottom of the list, unchanged from last year, and in fact unchanged since 1987, are Elliott and Lawrence counties. I just can't seem to get there. Other than those two, Martin remains unvisited since 1990, the longest period unvisited of any counties other than Elliott and Lawrence. Lawrence borders these other two; all are off the beaten path, meaning away from I-64. For several years I've wanted to do a US23 run from Ashland south to Prestonsburg, which would at least take me through Louisa in Lawrence County. As a note, the Lawrence County Courthouse, obviously one of the newer ones in the state, is pictured below. I've, frankly, never seen it. With a little creativity, that US23 path could be amended to get into both Elliott and Martin. Given this is a statewide election year, as were 1979 and 1987 - the only other years I've been there, maybe this is the year all three will get revisited.

I'll be driving back up to Washington once or twice this year so I will get close as I trek across I-64 on the way. Also, I hope to make it to the Hillbilly Days event this year in Pike, as well as the traditional visit to Fancy Farm in August. As of today, other than my drive back from Lexington during the early morning hours of January 1st, I haven't left the county yet this year. With a long weekend coming up, that is very likely to change.

Happy Trails in the New Year.