What's in Kentucky?
 

Our family is going to be visiting relatives in or near Knoxville, TN, Louisville KY, and possibly Chillicothe in August 2004. What are some family oriented places of interest? We are also driving to Asheville/Balck Mountain (Ridgecrest). My kids are 10 & 12.

There are horses in Kentucky. Horse farms.

Horse farms are beautiful and some have tours.
What about the original KFC location in Corbin where Col. Sanders started it all? Berea, Kentucky is a pretty area with a religious college and a wonderful restaurant there.
Mammoth Cave is great! Cumberland Falls is scenic. You can ride an old paddlewheel in Louisville on the Ohio River.

You need to join AAA if not already and pick up the Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky tour books. They are filled with ideas.

Kentucky Derby, Appalacian trail, Fort Knox, home of the American Cheese burger, Daniel Boone National Forest, Abraham Lincoln's birthplace and childhood home, loads of civil war museums, sights, Largest cave in the world, Mammouth Cave, Robeling Suspension Bridge which is the model for both the San Francisco and Brooklyn Bridge.

You question got me interested I would go for good old southern cooking but you can find out more at http://www.kytourism.com

ps I did nor read the Message part of your post befor I answered, still the link should help you.

I travel frequently from Michigan to Tennessee and always plan a night's stopover at The Cumberland Inn, just south of Corbin at the Williamsburg exit. The rooms at the hotel/motel are spotless, the restaurant is excellent and is very affordable, and I enjoy their glassed-in swimming pool overlooking the mountains. If you are a runner, across the street is Cumberland College's running track. The rooms are quite reasonably priced, and discount tickets are usually available in travel books that you pick up from the TN state border welcoming center. (note: This is a dry county.)

Happy Trails,
Paul

Meant to leave the website address for the Cumberland Inn:

www.cumberlandinn.com

We always liked to stop in Berea and eat at the Boone Tavern (reservations might be needed, as is a coat) hotel and look through the shops at the handmade crafts and furniture that the area is famous for.

If your family has any interest in baseball, go to the Louisville Slugger Museum. Lots of interactive exhibits, all about the famous bats and much more.

Kentucky's Mammoth Cave is not be missed. Louisville's Derby Museum is really nice. Knoxville's aquarium is great.

Correction, Chattanooga has the aquarium, not Knoxville.

If you have children with you, the Kentucky Horse Park is a MUST in the Lexington area. There are horses to pet, ride, and see for kids of all ages! http://www.kyhorsepark.com/

Just a FYI: young children are not welcome at most Thoroughbred horse farms.

Pleasant Hill, a restored Shaker village, is on the road from Lexington to Harrodsburg. It is interesting to visit and has a wonderful restaurant.

If you like old houses, Louisville has Locust Grove, where George Rogers Clark lived out his last days at the home of his sister; Farmington, visited by a young Abraham Lincoln and similar in style to Monticello; and the Thomas Edison Museum where he boarded while working in town.

Meant to say Harrodsburg has a restored pioneer fort, as does Boonesborough. Frankfort, the state capital, has a number of interesting sights. There are several distillery tours if that interests you.

Try Labrot & Graham Distillery between Frankfort & Versailles. The Basketball Museum at Rupp Arena in Lexington is fun for sports lovers. Whitehall State Shrine outside Richmond is fun --- Cassius Clay was a fascinating character! Old Kentucky Dinner Train in Bardstown, Wakefield Scearce Gallery in Science Hill, Louisville Stoneware in Louisville, Louisville Slugger factory, and many more. Have fun!

KY is a very diverse state with different attractions wherever you are. The eastern mountain area has lots of state parks and is very pretty...however it is also the most economically depressed.

The bluegrass region around Lexington is also very pretty with the aforemetntioned horse farms...all very manicured...lots of history in this area....might want to check out our state capital, Frankfort, it's beautiful with lots of history.

Louisville has lots of attractions by itself.

The central KY region has the bourbon country w/ lots of distrilleries you can tour.

South Central Ky has the caves and corvettes.

Western KY has BBQ, bluegrass music, and the land between the lakes rec area.

Tell me what areas you'll be in and I'll give more spcific advice. I've lived here all my life.

Thanks! I'll know more where we're going as time gets closer. Did you say corvette???

Yes, the only place in the world that Corvettes are made is in Bowling Green, KY. There is also the National Corvette Museum across the road from the plant.

When you say Chillicothe, I assume you mean Ohio? If so, don't miss the outdoor drama Tecumseh. It's wonderful! Check out their website for more information.
http://www.tecumsehdrama.com/

Is the Corvette plant still open for tours? Dad wanted to visit Mammoth Cave which we all enjoyed but the corvette plant tour was a surprise extra birthday present for our son.

Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge (about 45 minutes from Knoxville) is a great place to go. They have shopping, a beautiful aquarium, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and tons more. It's a great day trip up into the Mountains. Dollywood is a nice themepark. I think they have a website (check it out if they do).. They have a waterpark and a themepark.

The Dixie Stamepede is a great show to see in Pigeon Forge too. Great fun and excitement for the kiddies...

Also, you can go into Cades Cove in the Smoky Mtns and drive your car on an about 11 mile road and see wildlife in the mtns...

Knoxville doesnt have much for young kiddies.. (If you need any more info, send me a msg cause I live in Knoxville currently)

For a nice quiet place to visit, try the Abe Lincoln Birthplace. Hardly anybody was visiting (poor Abe) but I thought it was a pretty area. If you enjoy history, it's worth checking out.

http://www.nps.gov/abli/

Yes, the Corvette Museum is open.

Our kids really enjoyed Mammoth caves. The tours are well done. One is especially for kids who get on their bellies and wriggle through tight spots. I, too, love Pleasant Hill. If you get to Lexington, do get a map and drive by the horse farms--wonderful scenery. If you are interested, there is a Talbot's outlet in downtown Lexington.
KY is filled with great places to visit. You will love it.
If you are in Asheville on a Fri. or Sat. night (only one night, not sure which) make sure you spend some time downtown listening to all sorts of musical performances, some staged and a lot of jammin'. It is all free and a real delight.

You've received lots of good advice so far. Personally, I would not choose the Cumberland Inn. It may be nice but it is RIGHT on the highway which wouldn't be my choice - just fyi.

Berea is nice - the inn is lovely and there is good hiking in the area. Northern KY is just across the river from Cincinnati so there are lots of museums & things to do in the area: Newport on the Levee w/restaurants, aquarium & entertainment; Union terminal in Cincinnati has multiple museums & omnimax; Cincinnati Reds Baseball. If you are traveling up North through Ohio there is also Kings Island amusement park & The Beach waterpark.

We went on a tour of a great horse farm in Kentucky - Claiborne Farms outside of Lexington - many of the top thoroughbreads were bread here. They gave us a great personalized tour - very interesting.

I live in Ohio but just adore Kentucky. It's probably the most underated state for traveling - so much to do!

I live in western Kentucky and have traveled in most areas of our state. My favorite spots are Kentucky and Barkley lakes,get on I 24 and get off at Cadiz then travel to Barkley Lake and rent a pontoon boat. The children would love to go tubing, ask the state marina about sandy beach, have a meal at the lodge. You can also travel further up I24 and go to Kentucky Lake.I also love Fort Harrod's live drama The Legend of Daniel Boone which is not too far from Lexington and very close to Shaker Village. These are my very favorite Kentucky places to visit.

When we were in Kentucky about 5 years ago with kids of that age, we really enjoyed Kentucky Down Under. It's an Australian-themed animal park. There are also caverns there. The website is http://www.kdu.com/. We also liked the Louisville Slugger Museum and the Louisville Science Center, especially the climbing wall.

Thanks. I failed to mention that we also want to get some good old BBQ while in the area--between Knoxville & Asheville. Anybody know of a hole-in-the-wall place where the locals hang out?