I'm splitting the blogging of the last day (plus a bit) of the Memorial Day weekend vacation into two because I feel like the morning deserves its own little spotlight.
I won't claim to know a lot about Covington, Kentucky. We spent only two nights there, and although we gleaned some things about its history and present, there is so much more we could have uncovered. Starting with our hotel itself.
I commented in a previous post about how much I liked our suite and the bars, but there were art installations
and wall art and more that I would have been curious to explore as well as the histories of the buildings themselves.
Covington, it was clear to us, once had a very lively downtown and was probably at least somewhat important. And, like so many cities in that part of the US, it had gone through a down period. It seemed, however, that Covington was coming back. The hotel itself was one indication. That there were some interesting eating establishments and bars and stores
in the area also spoke to some rejuvenation. That was heartening. We saw just a little bit of that after Van got up, wandering over to Point Perk Coffee a block from the hotel. A nice little coffee shop on a corner
that felt perfect for relaxing and perhaps watching the world.
I also like that the coffee shop is part of an organization that supports people with intellectual and developmental differences by employing them in the shop. The coffee was good, too! I couldn't resist buying a tshirt.
We didn't venture too far from the hotel, but we did head south from it for several blocks. After a few blocks, we came upon area that was, well, less gentrified. Not so bad that we needed to turn around, no, but not as cool or refreshed as other parts of town. We had a destination, though: Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption.
Rick and Dave had driven us past the cathedral the night before, pointing it out to us. It wasn't as though we badly wanted to see a cathedral, mind you, but it made for a good point to walk to that morning. So we did. And it was a handsome building. Wonderful craftsmanship on the outside.
And what a size. A proper cathedral. But why oh why does a town of 40,000 or so in Kentucky need a cathedral. The answers were inside. We went in, and one of the nicest, friendliest docents I've ever had the pleasure of meeting greeted us. There was only one other couple in the building at that time, and so he was able to show us around and explain to us the history of the building.
Friends, if you had told me that a cathedral in Kentucky would be a trip highlight, I would have scoffed. Loudly. But come on. No matter your faith, I think you would be able to appreciate the beauty within. We surely did. Wow.
An unexpected jewel to spend some time in, and we were very very glad we did. Our morning in Covington gave us only a meager taste of the town, but we liked the town even more for what we saw!
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