I really like that the county takes pride its courthouse grounds. I especially liked the Mountain Gateway sign, as well as the Joshua Fry Bell one which was immaculate. The grounds were landscaped, there was absolutely no litter anywhere, and the building itself seemed very well looked after. Although I didn’t see any law enforcement while visiting Pineville, the community seemed extremely safe to me. I walked pretty much the entire downtown area without incident. All the people I came across were very nice, and you could tell they took great pride in where they lived.

I saw a great many U.S. flags all throughout town, but I didn’t see one at the post office. I’ll admit that kind of threw me off since every USPS branch I’ve come across in the United States has Old Glory flying proud. As I said on the video, though, it’s very possible their flag was either old, faded, or torn, and they had ordered a new flag. I do plan on returning to Pineville and hope to see the stars and stripes flying.

Pineville’s city hall is a rock’s throw from the county courthouse and is a beautiful building. It seems like a a great example of fiscally-responsible spending. They have a few offices in a small building and seemingly take care of business. The United Methodist Church, across the street, looks very beautiful. Interestingly, the Bell County Detention Center looks several times bigger than city hall and almost as big as the courthouse. Why does a county with a population of under 2,000 people have such a large corrections facility? Could be it be that only a portion of the building is used for housing inmates? Perhaps it shares a floor with another agency or two? I don’t really know, but I’m clearly intrigued.

One last note, which may seem a little trivial, but there are A LOT of birds in Pineville. I filmed in three or four parts of downtown and there seemed to be different birds wherever I went. Between the fog, the mountains, and the birds, Pineville seems to be embraced by Mother Nature. All in all it’s an absolutely beautiful city and county seat with plenty of life. If you’re ever in the area, by all means check it out. And especially look into the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, and all the great eateries and shops.

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When most Kentuckians hear or read Grayson I’m sure most would be inclined to think of Grayson County. A great number of Kentuckians don’t ask what city someone’s from, rather, they ask what county. Grayson County is probably far more well known than Grayson the city. Leitchfield, it’s county seat, is only an hour from Louisville and two hours from Lexington. As a result the city of Grayson probably gets confused with the county bearing its name all the time. Well, I’m here to tell you that the city of Grayson is a city YOU should check out!

Saving the best for last, I would be remiss as a history buff if I didn’t focus extensively on the veterans mural and park. This might be why I chose a shot of the mural to be the cover of this post. The fact is that it’s absolutely beautiful. The appreciation of art is entirely in the eye of the beholder, but in addition to the fact that I find it beautiful, the amount of history is endless. I also like the fact that visitors can learn visually about the Great War, World War 2, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Gulf wars and even the War On Terror. There is so much to learn here. I can honestly say I spent a solid ten minutes (or more) checking out the fine details of the mural. There’s also subtle details that speak directly the state of the times during each war’s historical period. If this was the one and only reason you got off the highway and went to Grayson, KY, you would feel incredibly satisfied by your decision.

In closing, I’d like to strongly recommend this beautiful city as a place to visit. My only regret is that I didn’t take more time to explore the rest of the county. I will definitely be back to do just that!!

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