34th State: Kentucky - Fredericks Landing (Aug. 18, 2011)

I drove from Springfield, OH where I was visiting friends, to Cincinnati, OH where my great great great grandparents (Sarah Ann Palmer Mason and husband Aurelius Mason) were buried.  I wanted to find and visit their graves.
Sarah Ann Palmer and Aurelius Mason

The young girl is Ethel May Mason, their granddaughter, my great grandmother.

It is one of the biggest cemeteries I have ever seen and I got lost several times.  A caretaker met me in the “section’ with his little computerized locator… and helped me find the spots… but there were no stones.  They are not even buried next to each other, but a couple rows apart.  Disappointing.

I then drove across the Ohio River to Covington, KY where they had lived and found the intersection and took photos.  I don’t know exactly which house or lot they might have lived with… my records only say Banklick at 11th Street.   This is 11th Street… and the Church of God is on Banklick at 11th Street. That’s it at the end of this street.


Interesting little neighborhood which is very upscale and being re-vitalized.  I liked it there.
I studied the maps and waterways looking for a kayaking location and found Fredericks Landing, Wilder, KY Boat Launch, put in, kayaked several hours, and then hauled out and spend the night in the lot. Very nice facility, with shelters, picnic tables, nice lawns… very nice and well kept, which began about 8am next morning…waking me out of a very sound sleep.  I paid $2 to park there, asked what time I had to be out… lady said… people fish there all night. Get there before business closing hours, City building is two building north of the entrance to landing.  Vandwellers, this is a good spot, clean and safe.

I can’t say it was an exciting paddle, but peaceful and smooth… only saw three other boats… not a lot of wildlife, except this snake and a pair of cardinals and some turtles.  It was hot and humid and all I could think was to get out of KY, get done with IN and head west.  So, I headed toward IN to visit a high school classmate, a first cousin, and other folk in Central IN before heading to IL.