A near table setting in Franklin, Kentucky

When you come to a fork in the road, take it ---Yogi Berra

The fork in the road - where road trip adventures sometimes begin...or end. A decision point, a local landmark, and in Simpson County, Kentucky - a 21-foot piece of art.

Designed, built, and installed by welding students at Franklin-Simpson High School in 2018 - the literal "fork in the road" stands at the intersection of Uhls and Bunch Road outside of Franklin in South Central Kentucky. The piece of art instantly became a hit - attracting visitors from Kentucky, nearby Tennessee, and all over the country.

Simpson County Bicentennial Commemorative Coins that feature the Fork in the Road.

The Fork in the Road is celebrated throughout Simpson County. During the county's bicentennial in 2019, commemorative coins featured the fork. When I was visiting here in May 2022, I was fortunate to receive two of the Simpson County Bicentennial Coins from a passerby.

Three years later - the students at Franklin-Simpson High School were at it again. This time, the welding students created a 24-foot butter knife sculpture. Called "The Cutting Edge of Simpson County," it is located at the Blackjack Sculpture Park along Blackjack Road - only a few miles from the "fork." The sculpture is considered the world's largest butter knife.

The latest addition to FSHS' public art portfolio is a working weathervane that features a glider airplane with a 48' wingspan.

The sculpture park is home to other FSHS welding class creations, including a glider weathervane and the Captain Wildcat Space Shutter. Franklin-Simpson's welding classes have also created additional public art within Franklin.

There's no word yet on when FSHS students will complete the table setting with a giant spoon.

All photos taken by post author - May 3, 2022.

Comments

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley. To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker. Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa. The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language. The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246. CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County. CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward. South of CA 127 ...

May 2023 Ontario Trip (Part 3 of 3)

Over the years, I have made plenty of trips to Ontario, crisscrossing the southern, central and eastern parts of the province. Living in Upstate New York, it's pretty easy to visit our neighbor to the north, or is that our neighbor to the west? Ottawa is one of my favorite cities to visit anywhere in the world, plus I've discovered the charm of Kingston, the waterfalls of Hamilton (which is on the same Niagara Escarpment that brings us Niagara Falls), the sheer beauty of the Bruce Peninsula, and more. But I hadn't explored much of Cottage Country. So I decided to change that, and what better time to go than over Memorial Day weekend, when the daylight is long and I have an extra day to explore. On the third and final day of my trip, I started in Huntsville and made my way through Muskoka District and Haliburton County, passing by many lakes along the way. I stopped in towns such as Dorset, Haliburton and Bancroft before making a beeline down to Belleville and then over th...

Gribblenation

Search This Blog