As a teacher, nothing excites me more than helping fellow teachers!

A former coworker from Texas had a project for her kids. She works with Deaf Ed kids and wants to start a Flat Stanley project. Since I’m new to the Louisville area, this is a perfect opportunity to get out and help someone else!

Transylvania University

I started with Transylvania University. This idea came to me for two different reasons: 1) I have a presentation for KCTE/LA coming up in March. I wanted to know where it was and hotels nearby. 2) I thought, “How cute! Hotel Transylvania, but this is a University!” I know — how nerdy of me! But these are young kids, so I thought it would be perfect.

I’ll be honest, I was incredibly nervous driving around there. I wasn’t sure where to park because of all the “Zone” parking, which I assumed was for students. I didn’t want to get a ticket. I knew I was only going to be there for a few minutes, but anything can happen!

I found a spot and walked to the main part of the university. I wanted to put Stanley right in front of the sign, but I wasn’t sure about the rules about walking on the grass, so we kept Stanley at a distance.

I then found a decorative corner with the name on it and decided to prop Stanley on it. We didn’t get the best pictures, but I did what I could!

I can’t wait to come back in March to present for English teachers in Kentucky! I’ll have a better idea of what’s allowed and what’s offered, and more insight into the actual buildings!

The Kentucky Castle

I’ve driven by this miraculous beauty several times, and I’ve always wondered what The Kentucky Castle looks like inside and out (up close). It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I learned you can do tours. Visiting was the perfect opportunity for Stanley.

The tour was $25. I do recommend purchasing it a few days before you plan to go. I didn’t think it was so popular, so I kept putting off the purchase. When I checked on Friday, there was one slot left. I made sure to grab it!

I was thrilled to see it, but was soon disappointed. I didn’t realize how small it was. From the outside, it looks incredibly massive. They said it was 19,000+ square feet, but it felt about the size of a small, normal home. In fact, on my way out, one guest commented that it was like a “Temu Castle.” I had to giggle.

The castle has a sad history and a lot of bad luck. The gentleman who began building it started it for his wife. After they married, they spent 6 months in Europe at castles for their honeymoon. His wife fell in love, so he began to model it after one of the Castles in Europe. As he was building it, they filed for divorce. It caused so much strife in their relationship that she requested to have nothing to do with it. She is alive today and still wants nothing to do with it. That relationship must have been atrocious for her to decline a castle!

After being purchased repeatedly by several people, Wes Henderson bought it. He has expanded the land and territory to include farm-to-fresh foods for the restaurant.

We did get to tour a room, but it was the one you could see in any of the online photos. Most of the area we toured was open to the public, except for one room. I was quite disappointed to pay $25 for a tour I could have completed myself, but you pay for the history speech.

I did expect “more” from a castle, but it just was. There was nothing incredibly moving about it. I’m glad I visited it, as it’s now marked on my “I’ve done this!” list. I heard it’s much better during the holidays! Our tour guide, Vicki, was great, though!