On the Road in Kentucky at the End of March 2023

Noble’s Restaurant counter, ash trays, and menu.
*Digital*

Travis had this place bookmarked because of the sign.

“TRUCK STOP.”

With bright red letters that faced the interstate, it was that simple. Another nostalgic sight worth documenting like so many of the other American relics we’ve photographed over the years together. Something once common along this country’s motorways that’s now rare.

For all my time spent traversing Interstate 75 through Kentucky (including a trip that specifically focused on truck stops), I’d never heard of this one. So, we pulled off at the Owenton/Corinth exit and made a lap around the building.

Then, we found the sign…

…or at least what was left of it.

Which was alright. That wasn’t the main thing we’d come for, anyways. Breakfast was. While the now apparently destroyed advertisement had been correct—this was a place to service both trucks and the folks who drive them—it buried the lede a bit. The “TRUCK STOP” also featured Noble’s Restaurant.

“Sit anywhere ya like,” said the waitress as we each pulled back wooden chairs from under a table cloth and sat upon our seat’s red padding.

Morning light poured through the windows, but it wasn’t bright enough to obscure the “pray more, worry less” message pasted on the glass.

“Ya’ll been in before?”

I explained that we were out on a brief road trip for the day. Headed rom Cincinnati down to Lexington.

The waitress nodded her head and said: “Well, let’s start with coffee.”

She returned with two cups of black and pulled up a seat to introduce herself. I don’t remember how long Sherry said she’d been working at Noble’s, but we happily welcomed her offer to hear some stories.

The dual restaurant and truck stop had apparently been around for decades, the last of its kind at this exit after its former neighbor, the Freeway, was abandoned awhile back. Sherry had seen her share of regulars and visitors over the years, one of her favorites being a quiet customer who drank only ice water and was perplexed by the fact that there were crackers in the salt shakers. When Sherry joked that they were there to “keep the aliens away” rather than absorb moisture, the water guzzling man became concerned and never returned.

Biscuits and Gravy with home fries.
*35mm*

After dropping off Travis’ omelet and my order of biscuits and gravy, Sherry sat back down as we asked what happened to the sign.

“Remember those wind storms a few weeks back?”

I didn’t, but I understood what happened as she got up to attend to a steady flow of customers who’d come in behind us. Despite the growing crowd, she returned to diligently refill our coffee cups and check in on our food.

“How was it?”

Quite good.

Noble’s seemed to have experienced little change over the years. The dining room still featured wood paneled walls and the decor felt reminiscent of a certain era simply because it was. There was no Cracker Barrel bullshit here. A “little free library” lingered in the corner with books such as “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss” and literature for the “Truckers for Christ.” A few odds and ends from the adjoining convince store sat around such as an aged, out of commission pizza oven atop a disused ice cream cooler. The woman working the front counter, ringing up orders of Mountain Dew Code Red and tobacco, occasionally jumped back into the kitchen to help cook.

In this book, Judas is the Grinch.
*Digital*

As we finished eating, an elderly gentleman hobbled over to the television with a cane and took a seat. Leaning up to the screen as close as he could, he effortlessly downloaded the CBS Sports app on the television’s ROKU screen, logged in, and prepared to watch the day’s March Madness games. The University of Kentucky was scheduled to face off against Kansas State in a few hours.

Noble’s did feature one modern intrusion. To the left of a wooden counter lined with knick knacks and stools sat a massive Amazon locker right in the center of the room.

Noble’s Restaurant dining room with Amazon locker.
*35mm*

As the restaurant grew busier, we finished our photographs and said goodbye to Sherry, thanking her for the hospitality, conversation, and stories. The notion of a kind truck stop waitress who never stops filling your coffee cup seems like a nostalgic cliche straight out of movies and television, but down at Noble’s—it’s very much genuine.

Thank you, Sherry.

Another truck stop and diner was our next destination, but The Freeway had suffered a fate that Noble’s had managed to avoid. According to Sherry, Noble’s had new ownership who kept things going, while The Freeway had become what’s seen in the following photographs.

The main thing I was hoping to get out of this trip was the testing of a new (to me) camera. My friends/neighbors had been kind enough to pass on a camera that had once belonged to their father.

I loaded up the Minolta X-700 with Kodak Ultramax 400 35mm film and also carried my phone for digital insurance in case things didn’t quite work out. Halfway through the roll, the “Hell Station” along Route 25 was coming up.

The remains of Fisher’s Travel Camp outside of Corinth, KY.
*35mm*

Upon opening in 1928, Fisher’s Travel Camp featured several cabins and a full service gas station situated about halfway between Lexington and Cincinnati. As far as I can tell from online sources, the camp was once a popular stop for weary motorists, but began to falter when Interstate 75 was opened nearby. There’s a nice little history video about the former travel camp and what’s now become a popular photo spot and landmark (but the ending of the video delves into some nonsense about ghosts).

I’m not sure if the Shell sign was genuine or not. Apparently, the stone building was once a roadside gift shop and the Shell branding could very easily just have been something added in the vein of “American Pickers” or flea market nostalgia. Either way, it’s deteriorated to the point where the “S” has faded and it appears to say “HELL” on one side.

Travis and I then pushed down to Lexington, stopping at the distillery district for a few beers at Ethereal Brewing. The crowd was growing dismayed as UK started losing to Kansas State, but that didn’t seem to damper the spirits of the wedding shower in the back room.

I wrote down a quote from Travis: “Well, to take your joke and make it a serious thought…”

But I don’t remember what my joke was, what I was on a rant about, or what we discussed next. Travis, if you’re reading this: remind me.

We then went to the city’s downtown mall known as “The Square.”

Unlike the downtown shopping centers of other cities, this one had fared much better, although its most successful shops seem to be the ones facing the street. The inside, however, is gorgeous and apparently hard to photograph.

I wasn’t happy with any of the shots I made within this strange, yet captivating, space. There’s something about that little fountain on the first floor, though.

I used up the last of my film on a few signs such as the one for the Parkette Drive In restaurant. A landmark that’s still standing even if the business itself is now gone.

Parkette Drive In remains, Lexington, KY.
*35mm*

Parkette Drive In remains, Lexington, KY.
*Digital*

The last shots were made of a rooster statue in the back of a new Chevy overlooking some abandoned fast food restaurant, as well as, a liquor store:

Sadly, I didn’t have any 35mm shots left for the sights we stumbled upon next…

Historic building finding new life in Lexington, KY.
*Digital*

…a Pizza Hut converted into a Mexican restaurant situated next to a Ponderosa that was converted into a strip club.

Diva’s Gentlemen’s Club, Lexington, KY.
*Digital*

I love Lexington.

Food from Cook Out in Lexington, KY.
*Digital*

We ended the day by getting dinner at Cook Out. A wonderful fast food restaurant where the styrofoam cups come with Bible quotes (probably best to pray before that heart attack kicks in) and the menu features anything you want at any time. Like a chili cheese dog with a side of hush puppies and a corn dog washed down with a chocolate milkshake.

Thank you to Gayle, Sandy, and Joel for the camera!

Thanks to Travis for traveling with me.

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On the Road in Kentucky at the End of March 2023

W. Frank Steely Library

“Bach in the (Cincinnati) Subway”