This peaceful scene is a location you can experience, at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. It is in the state of Kentucky, and the county of McCracken. Now do you know where it is???
The city is called Paducah, Kentucky,(
www.Paducah.travel ) population around 25,000 in 2010. I was reminded of my visit there, when I was trying to find photos I had taken of a place that has a "famous" wall.
The Paducah Wall, not only provides portraits of the city's distant past, but also its more recent past that includes visits by hoards of motorcyclists, enjoying the scenic beauty of traveling its back roads.
The Paducah Wall has a utilitarian purpose, as well as an artistic, historic purpose. Locals remember the winter day in 1937 when the earthen levee beside the downtown was ineffective against flood waters.
As a result, the U.S. Congress authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to build the flood wall that now protects the city. The flood wall also helps provide a more predictable agricultural environment for crops to grow along the river deltas.
Because of its location where two navigable rivers came together, it was necessary for trains to have access to the river port, to carry goods to locations where the river did not go.
This section of the mural shows the importance of steam boats in the history of Paducah, especially before the advent of rail transportation.
This section of the Paducah wall illustrates not only the historic churches located within the city, but is also a nod to the significance of faith in God as a reason for the resilience of the residents of Paducah. It is this faith in God, and respect for His Word, that motivates me to post these photos. I am trying to create a visual aid to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health (
www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says "In the day that your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide." (Micah 7:11 ) The verse is in reference to a Bible study that teaches the importance of healthy boundaries.
This painting of how Paducah was laid out in the 1800's helps explain why twenty blocks of downtown Paducah are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On the day of my visit, the REAL reason I came to town, however, was to visit The National Quilt Museum (
www.quiltmuseum.org ). I grew up in a family of quilters, and have been blessed with several quilts made by my mother and grandmothers.
The National Quilt Museum opened in Paducah in 1991, and since then, has attracted thousands of quilters and art enthusiasts from all over the world.
The museum is Paducah's biggest tourist attraction, and is home to the largest quilt show in North America.
One of the items on display at the museum looks like a quilt, but it is actually carved out of wood! Since touching the actual carving is forbidden, this "demonstration" section of the display lets visitors see what the back of the pretend quilt looks like, and touch it for themselves, to prove that it really is a piece of wood, and not a cloth quilt!
As you would expect, there is a lovely gift shop at the museum, full of all items related to quilting, as well as every possible book a quilt aficionado could dream of!
When you first get to the Paducah area, highway signs will direct you to the official state of Kentucky welcome center.
I have visited welcome centers in many states, but this historic Southern mansion, is definitely one of the most unique and picturesque!
Although photography was not allowed within the three galleries of The Quilt Museum, there was a display of a student quilting competition in the lobby, where photography was allowed. I see a "sew-sew" future for the young person that came up with this intricate design on the quilt they fashioned!
In an effort to encourage artists to move to Paducah, tax incentives are provided for new residents who will set up their studios and galleries within the Art District. The plan is apparently working, because UNESCO has designated Paducah as the world's seventh "City of Crafts and Folk Art"! If you would like to be like the young quilter who made this ship applique quilt, just "set sail" (aka, "surf the web") for
www.kentuckytourism.com . A visit to this popular site will give you "MILES OF SMILES"! Tricia
This peaceful scene is a location you can experience, at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers. It is in the state of Kentucky, and the county of McCracken. Now do you know where it is??? 
The city is called Paducah, Kentucky,(www.Paducah.travel ) population around 25,000 in 2010. I was reminded of my visit there, when I was trying to find photos I had taken of a place that has a "famous" wall. 
The Paducah Wall, not only provides portraits of the city's distant past, but also its more recent past that includes visits by hoards of motorcyclists, enjoying the scenic beauty of traveling its back roads. 
The Paducah Wall has a utilitarian purpose, as well as an artistic, historic purpose. Locals remember the winter day in 1937 when the earthen levee beside the downtown was ineffective against flood waters. 
As a result, the U.S. Congress authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to build the flood wall that now protects the city. The flood wall also helps provide a more predictable agricultural environment for crops to grow along the river deltas. 
Because of its location where two navigable rivers came together, it was necessary for trains to have access to the river port, to carry goods to locations where the river did not go. 
This section of the mural shows the importance of steam boats in the history of Paducah, especially before the advent of rail transportation.
This section of the Paducah wall illustrates not only the historic churches located within the city, but is also a nod to the significance of faith in God as a reason for the resilience of the residents of Paducah. It is this faith in God, and respect for His Word, that motivates me to post these photos. I am trying to create a visual aid to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says "In the day that your walls are to be built, In that day the decree shall go far and wide." (Micah 7:11 ) The verse is in reference to a Bible study that teaches the importance of healthy boundaries.
This painting of how Paducah was laid out in the 1800's helps explain why twenty blocks of downtown Paducah are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 
On the day of my visit, the REAL reason I came to town, however, was to visit The National Quilt Museum ( www.quiltmuseum.org ). I grew up in a family of quilters, and have been blessed with several quilts made by my mother and grandmothers. 
The National Quilt Museum opened in Paducah in 1991, and since then, has attracted thousands of quilters and art enthusiasts from all over the world.
The museum is Paducah's biggest tourist attraction, and is home to the largest quilt show in North America. 
One of the items on display at the museum looks like a quilt, but it is actually carved out of wood! Since touching the actual carving is forbidden, this "demonstration" section of the display lets visitors see what the back of the pretend quilt looks like, and touch it for themselves, to prove that it really is a piece of wood, and not a cloth quilt!
As you would expect, there is a lovely gift shop at the museum, full of all items related to quilting, as well as every possible book a quilt aficionado could dream of!
When you first get to the Paducah area, highway signs will direct you to the official state of Kentucky welcome center.
I have visited welcome centers in many states, but this historic Southern mansion, is definitely one of the most unique and picturesque!
Although photography was not allowed within the three galleries of The Quilt Museum, there was a display of a student quilting competition in the lobby, where photography was allowed. I see a "sew-sew" future for the young person that came up with this intricate design on the quilt they fashioned!
In an effort to encourage artists to move to Paducah, tax incentives are provided for new residents who will set up their studios and galleries within the Art District. The plan is apparently working, because UNESCO has designated Paducah as the world's seventh "City of Crafts and Folk Art"! If you would like to be like the young quilter who made this ship applique quilt, just "set sail" (aka, "surf the web") for www.kentuckytourism.com . A visit to this popular site will give you "MILES OF SMILES"! Tricia
