By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist
While doing my best to be a “good husband,” I accepted my wife, Suzanne’s, recent request to do a kind of, sort of, business trip to Maysville. She had two missions. One was to get a 50-year-old gift watch back in running order; another was to buy a shade for a vintage lamp she possesses and plans to gift to her oldest daughter.
Happily, it turned out to be more than a “business trip.” It was a day of Kentucky by Heart moments. We met nice people, ate good food, saw interesting places along the way, and added to our knowledge of Maysville, a place formerly known as the community of “Limestone.”
The first special moments occurred on Main Street in the town of Paris on our 77-mile excursion. There, we enjoyed driving wide-eyed through an attractive section of well-kept old buildings housing antique stores, restaurants, various shops, and a new, upscale place to bed down, called Hotel Thoroughbred, opening in April 2026 Boutique Hotel/Hotel Thoroughbred/Paris, KY. We both give kudos to Paris for this inviting street of commerce, a truly nice destination location for either a Kentucky day trip or a possible stayover.
After getting through and out of downtown on the way to Maysville, we were reminded by a sign that pointed the way, via State Highway 537, to the historic Cane Ridge Meeting House. That’s where the noted August 1801 “Cane Ridge Revival” occurred, paving the way for the establishment of the Stone-Campbell religious movement (a part of Suzanne and my church heritage). On the grounds, one may see a small cane break, once a huge part of frontier Kentucky’s landscape. Incidentally, I hope to do further research on that subject someday soon.
Exhilarated, we motored on to Maysville via US Route 68, an easy-to-drive highway with close access to the quaint and appealing towns of Millersburg and Carlisle, places we’ve stopped numerous times before and enjoyed.
Some thirty minutes later, we passed Blue Licks State Park, another historical site where in August 1782, one of the last battles of the American Revolution was fought and where Daniel Boone’s son, Israel, reportedly died in his father’s arms. I mentioned to Suzanne that my father brought our family to the park in the 1960s, one of my earliest Kentucky by Heart experiences.
Up the road another fifteen minutes or so, we came upon the small community of Old Washington, established in 1786 before Kentucky became a state in 1792. It’s the location of one of our destinations, Phyllis’ Antiques & Lamp Shop, where we would stop after first spending time in Maysville. We discovered that the Old Washington community was annexed into Maysville in 1990.
Next stop was Maysville, and it posed no problem to find Traxel’s Jewelry Store, for four generations a business mainstay in the town. For a traveling perspective, it sits close to DeSha’s Restaurant, one of our favorite eating places ever. At Traxel’s, we were greeted enthusiastically by four women employees, making us feel rewarded for our hour and a half journey to Mason County.
The manager soon became attuned to Suzanne’s request for her treasured timepiece and explained what they could do for her. And, besides Suzanne leaving the watch for a Traxel employee expert to look at with keen eyes and good judgment, I left the manager one of my Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes books, a business card, and mentioned I’d be interested in a speaking engagement in the area. She told us about a good place downtown to eat, with all the employees chirping away in agreement, plus she suggested a nearby bookstore that sells Kentucky-related books.
We were pumped!
We left with good vibes and headed toward the Ohio River and Main Street, about five minutes away. After taking a couple of blocks walk and admiring the preserved architecture of dozens of old buildings, we found the highly recommended eatery, called Babz Bistro, and by now quite hungry, stepped inside and checked over the menu before ordering at the counter.
First item on our perusal was the raved about appetizer, “pimento cheese wontons.” We usually don’t order an appetizer, but the folks at the jewelry store said they were a wonderful treat, so we ordered it. We also chose chicken salad sandwiches and drank our usual water. The service was friendly and the food was very good. We’d definitely visit Babz Bistro again, such a charming eatery in the middle of downtown Maysville.
Back in the car and driving homeward, we took in a few businesses before we made our last stop at the lamp shop in Old Washington. The Goodwill Store was the first, as I like to shop for used books. Afterward, we shopped at a nearby Kroger where Suzanne perused the aisles for food bargains, definitely a hobby of hers.
From there, another short drive to the aforementioned Phyllis’ Antique & Lamp Shop brought us smack dab middle into the heart of Old Washington. It wasn’t hard to find, and we soon were standing by the counter, where Phyllis Helpenstine, the owner, along with her daughter, Elaine, were posed ready to provide us service.
Suzanne’s lamp, a tall, bright yellow beauty, seemed to call out for a matching hat (shade) to wear to the ball. The lamp appeared to impress both of the merchants. Elaine had been in contact with Suzanne a few days before and was prepared for our visit. She showed Suzanne a solid yellow shade that matched the lamp nearly perfectly, plus another shade with a whitish background featuring a yellowish and greenish flower. Both would have worked, but Suzanne chose the solid yellow one.
After the transaction, the four of us conversed about local sites and shared remembrances of Nick, Rosemary, and George Clooney, well-known folks from the Maysville area. Good business and the opportunity to meet new folks made the stop more than worthwhile.
But there would be one more destination before we left the area. We noticed a shop on the edge of Old Washington called Café Cream & Mylo’s, which, translated, meant something posing as a weakness for both of us—ice cream. Lacking self-discipline on such matters, we visited and were not disappointed. I delighted myself with a scoop of butter pecan while Suzanne chose salted caramel. Decadent, I know. Bellies full and memories to travel with us, we got back on the road to Versailles.
It was a day of Kentucky by Heart experiences, and I can’t wait for Suzanne’s next “business” trip.
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