Berea, KY is a cool
and artsy little college town. It was started by Cassius Clay and Reverend Fee
in the 1850's, both ardent abolitionists. They built two churches and a tiny
town in the midst of scattered farms, with the intent of building a community that
would fight against slavery. From its inception, it has been a liberal bastion
in a state mired in right winged closed minded politics. From opposing slavery
in a slave state before the Civil War, to a thriving hippie college town in the
middle of Bible belt Republican-or-die Kentucky. Berea is a free thinking
breath of fresh air in a state with too many uneducated fundamentalists. In
Berea, people actually know what Kombucha is and that Jesus was a Palestinian,
not a blonde haired blue eyed Aryan.
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| Berea Coffee and Tea |
This is the only
place I have ever encountered where all the college students get a full
scholarship in exchange for work. Every single one of them. The students work
in the town and get full tuition, room and board, and a little bit of spending
money. We talked to several college students. They are upbeat, optimistic about
the future, and eager to learn, eager to be thorough and conscientious in their
responsibilities. Berea College is a beautiful campus. It has a wide range of
degree options. It is a well respected and fully certified institution of
higher learning.
When we booked a
room at
Boone Tavern, I pictured the hotel staff in coonskin hats, a bartender
in denim and leather with his foot on a stool, resting his arm on his knee,
chatting with a settler drinking beer out of an elk horn. I was really
disappointed to arrive at an opulent hotel that looked like it was designed by
the Astors, and managers in suits. Boone
Tavern has a rich feel of genuineness and history and offers the best imaginable service. It started as a
guest house for the college president in 1909. The hotel is owned by the
college, and mostly run by students. You cannot find friendlier service in a
hotel. All of the services are modern and efficient, and the restaurant serves
impeccable cuisine. They have complimentary bicycles and reserved parking for
all-electric vehicles, with free charging.
There are shops all around the hotel, and you could easily spend a
pleasant day never leaving the block it inhabits.
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| Boone Tavern |
The town is adorable
with tea shops, cafes, and gift shops that begged for perusing. Everywhere
there was an atmosphere of hope and future. During summer, Berea has
"First Friday" celebrations. First Friday is a lot of fun. We were
fortunate to be there during a First Friday. During the first Friday of a
summer month, you will sway and jive to live music performed by high quality
local bands. You will find food trucks and entertainers, crafts and fun-loving
crowds across several blocked off blocks and the park in the town square. The
music was fantastic. It was hard to sit
still, and not just from my hemorrhoids; I couldn’t help but dance. It was so good, I kept dancing for half an
hour after they were done. Then in the morning, you can go to the farmer's
market for home grown vegetables, local honey and handcrafted Kentucky country
home goods, and home brewed Kombucha.
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| Festival |
Finally, Berea is
where we discovered
Ale81. Ale81 (pronounces "a late one"… Hey, don't
ask me. It's Kentucky.) is a locally produced soda pop, a family owned
business. You will find Ale81 pervasively in shops throughout Kentucky.
Personally, I stopped drinking soda pop years ago when I discovered Kombucha. I
decided to substitute probiotics and my own brew for chemicals and global
corporations. But being local and quirky, I had to try it. It was incredible.
It is like a mix of Vernors (the best Ginger Ale in the world, says the
Michigan Native about the pop that was once a local Detroit only Ginger Ale),
and Mountain Dew. I quickly developed an addiction and was buying a six pack
every other day, and smuggling two liters into work.
Berea is a fun,
cute, intelligent little hippie city. It is on my list of places I must return
to, especially on Friday nights. With or without Ale81, and in spite of Boone
Tavern management not wearing leather chaps
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