Kentucky by Heart: Road trip to Owensboro offered a full serving of food, fun, friendship

By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist

When friend Doug Alexander heard that I’d be traveling to Owensboro recently to speak at an elementary school, he graciously offered to drive me there in his newly purchased SUV. He wanted, both, to test the vehicle on an extended trip, plus to make a long overdue visit to the town where he was raised. I agreed, and we decided to get there early in the day, see his old neighborhood and take in some other sights around town. Just as importantly, we figured we’d indulge in some of that good Western Kentucky barbecue so often noted about the region.

That evening, at 6, I thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories from my Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes book series to kids in levels K-5, plus their parents, at a literacy night at the Deer Park Elementary School, a well-kept, attractive place of learning on New Hartford Road. I was received by the staff and students there hospitably.

The time we spent during the day taking a look at the city of Owensboro was also delightful, and so we accomplished all our goals for the trip.

First, Doug showed me around the neighborhood where he grew up in the 1950s and ’60s. His elementary school, Newton Parrish, on Byers Avenue near Veach Road, was smallish when compared to today’s large buildings housing 500-plus students. The school sits smack dab on the edge of the subdivision. Showing me a house adjacent to the school, Doug mentioned his personal history.

“I can say that I was taught in a two-room school, because they put the first- and second-graders in that building while they were finishing work on Newton Parrish.” Doug and his buddies were also part of frequent neighborhood ballgames not far from the school.

We drove downtown near Owensboro High School, a short distance away from where iconic Sen. Wendell Ford, now deceased, lived. The residential area was largely older, well-kept homes, with most having an air of distinctness — definitely not of the cookie-cutter sameness so prevalent today. A nice place to live, I thought, as Doug named off many others living (or who once lived there) in the neighborhood.

And what is one of the major reasons a person might want to visit Owensboro or, for that matter, to visit anywhere in the western region of the state? It’s the barbecue, of course. And so, my anticipation grew as we pulled into Old Hickory Bar-B-Q on Washington Avenue. I had visited Moonlite Bar-B-Q, on Parrish, years ago, but have been told many times since that Old Hickory is also splendid.

Doug and I were seated promptly, and I chose the pork barbecue plate, with potato salad as my side, along with some sliced bread. Doug chose the pork and coleslaw. My iced tea was typical Southern style, quite sweet. Thirty minutes later and numerous stories from my friend about barbeque, plus a carryout order for Doug’s family, the two of us walked—or, more accurately, waddled, back out to the SUV and continued our sightseeing trip. Good service, good food, and another checkmark on my Kentucky travel bucket list. Let’s put a check on my smile list, also.

We headed north on Frederica Street as far as we could go, directly to Smothers Park, on the Ohio River. On this day, the time at Deer Park School was terrific, the barbecue wonderful, wheeling around town enjoyable, but it seems I’ve shared most frequently with others our visit at this waterfront place of beauty.

On this beautiful fall day, I was amazed at the sites at the park, built only a few years ago to reinvigorate the city. Owensboro was originally called Yellow Banks when it was founded in about 1790. Doug pointed out that an island, directly across the river from the park, is commonly called Yellow Banks Island, and is actually part of Kentucky.

Smothers Park has three sparkling fountains, a modern and inviting playground and includes the Charles Shelton Memorial for American military veterans. Adjacent to the park is a huge Hampton Inn and Suites hotel and the majestic Convention Center. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the visual art displays inside the lobby of the center. On this Monday, the crowd was rather sparse, but I am told that festivals there draw giant crowds, and I hope to be part one of these gatherings sometime in the future…the not-too-distant one.

An enjoyable day at this remarkable Kentucky city on the Ohio River started with a phone call to come and speak to some students at a local school. It was all the best of that, and more.

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Jason Byerly, who serves as a children’s minister at Southland Christian Church, in Lexington, has published a family help book for studying the Bible, called God’s Big Adventure, Volume I (3DMpublishing).

“Kids and parents,” explained Byerly, “will discover the big story of the Bible, a story about a King who’s on a mission to save the world. It’s the greatest love story and adventure story of all time.” The minister/author has also written the Kairos Quest children’s curriculum.

The book is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com, and Byerly will be signing copies of the book at Daily Offerings Coffee Roastery, 529 W. Main, Lexington, on Oct. 24 from 2-4 p.m. Also, see jasonbyerly.com for more information about his work, including his blog.

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Steve Flairty is a teacher, public speaker and an author of six books: a biography of Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer and five in the Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes series, including a kids’ version. His new book, “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #4,” has recently been released and is available for purchase here. Flairty is a senior correspondent for Kentucky Monthly, as well as a weekly KyForward and NKyTribune columnist and a member of the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Read his past columns for excerpts from all his books. him at sflairty2001@yahoo.com or friend him on Facebook. (Steve’s photo by Connie McDonald)

To read more of Flairty’s Kentucky by Heart series on NKyTribune, click here.