Midwestern Traveler: Kentucky

Midwestern Traveler

A Kentucky Adventure THE BLUEGRASS STATE IS PACKED WITH OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IDEAL FOR ALL AGES AND SKILLS LEVELS

By Corinne Minard

WINTER

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THE SIGHTS & SOUNDS OF GEORGETOWN.

PURE SMALL TOWN CHARM. – Family Fun – • International Kite & Cultural Fest - April • Horsey Hundred Bicycling Event - May

– Equine Activities –

a SPRING a SUMMER a FALL

365

Always in season

No matter the time of year, there is always something for you on Lake Cumberland in Somerset-Pulaski County.

Watersports, fishing, car shows, music, arts, history, local foods and nightlife — you name it! Come have fun with us in and out of the water.

• Minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park -

Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event - April • Old Friends Retired Thoroughbred Farm • Whispering Woods Riding Stables

– Picturesque Downtown – • Specialty Shops • Antiques • Scott County Arts and Cultural Center • Cafes and One-of-a-kind Restaurants • Georgetown and Scott County Museum

– Unbridled Fun – • Toyota Motor Manufacturing, KY, Inc. Tour • Country Boy Brewing • Bourbon 30 Spirits • Golf • Elkhorn Creek • Geocaching Trails • Three Horses Winery • Ward Hall

Socialize with us all year!

#LC365

• Close proximity to the Ark Encounter INTERSTATE

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SOMERSET-PULASKI COUNTY CVB LAKE CUMBERLAND TOURISM

www.GeorgetownKy.com • 888.863.8600 40

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utdoor adventures, from hiking and camping to rock climbing and kayaking, are a great way to celebrate spring. Luckily, you can find these types of activities and more throughout the state of Kentucky.

“We’ve got 50 tremendous state parks with some of the neatest natural features of anywhere in the country,” says Seth Wheat, director of tourism development for the Kentucky Department of Tourism.

For those looking for time on the water Lake Cumberland, a 100-square-mile reservoir, is open all year.

“It is a year-round playground,” says Carolyn Mounce, executive director of Lake Cumberland Tourism. In the summer she says many people visit the lake for house and speed boating. In the fall she says more pontoon boats and kayaks can be found on the lake because people are taking in the fall colors. And no matter what the season people can be found fishing on the lake.

“It would be easy to say that at any given time there’s probably a fishing tournament out on our lake,” says Mounce. “Our lake is a deep, beautiful, clear lake that has all

Fishing is a popular activity at Lake Cumberland. kinds of fish for people to fish for.”

Lake Cumberland also has the only state park that is a true island. General Burnside

Island State Park features a Brian Aultdesigned golf course and a campground with 94 campsites.

Willett Distillery

Historic Distilleries. Legendary Bourbons.

ENDLESS SOUTHERN CHARM. Spring is the perfect season to raise a glass in the Bourbon Capital of the World®.

Shop, dine, relax and tour ten world-renowned distilleries in Bardstown, KY— just a two-hour, scenic drive from the Ohio/Kentucky state line.

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Midwestern Traveler

Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system.

EXPERIENCE THE BOURBON CAPITAL’S

OLDEST OPERATING

DISTILLERY A day along the bourbon trail isn’t complete without a visit to Bardstown’s only downtown distillery, established in 1879.

Complimentary Distillery Tours Monday - Saturday Explore pristine grounds, featuring 29 warehouses, a towering column still, and the legendary Tom Moore Spring Receive a complimentary tasting of our famous 1792 Small Batch Bourbon Convenient location in the heart of “The Bourbon Capital of the World” @Barton1792 Barton 1792 Distillery @barton1792

300 Barton Road, Bardstown, KY 40004 (866) 239-4690

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www.1792distillery.com

Spots like Red River Gorge continue to be great places for rock climbers. “Anybody that climbs in this part of the world has more than likely been to the Red at some point,” says Wheat. However, Red River Gorge has been developing more activities to make the park even more of a mustvisit destination. “There’s an effort there under way to build a new mountain bike trail, which will complement the climbing routes,” he says.

Zip lines have been added to the area and one of the newest attractions involves kayaking and paddle boarding in an old rock quarry. “You go underground to these caverns while you’re floating on the water.

It’s a really unique experience,” says Wheat.

For those who love both horses and nature horseback riding is available throughout Kentucky. Whispering Woods Riding Stables in Georgetown offers rides through the woods with several different trails that

Kayaking is becoming increasingly popular at Lake Cumberland. range from 50 minutes to 2 hours. “You’re getting to see Kentucky in its most natural form when you go and do that,” says Bailey Gilkerson, marketing director for Georgtown/Scott County Tourism.

Georgetown is also great when you’re looking for a different type of ride. The Horsey Hundred, set for May 25-27 this year, invites cyclists from all over the

Civil War Museum of the Western Theatre In Historic Bardstown, Kentucky

The finest collection of Western Theatre Civil War artifacts in the United States!

Plus!

• Women’s Civil War Museum • General Hal Moore Military Museum • Historic Pioneer Village

310 E. Broadway • Bardstown, KY (502) 349-0291 www.civil-war-museum.org Email: museumrow@bardstowncable.net w w w.

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Midwestern Traveler

Crappie are a popular fish to pursue at Lake Cumberland.

country to explore Kentucky. The 100-mile Saturday route will showcase historic sites, beautiful scenery and even bourbon distilleries. There are also shorter routes for those looking for a less intense experience.

“Right now we have about 2,500 cyclists that come in and they ride the country scenic roads,” says Gilkerson.

Lovers of caves can also find plenty to do in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave is the world’s longest known cave system, with more than 400 miles of it explored. Visitors can take several different tours of the cave system, covering different regions of the cave; take guided hikes of the land above the caves; canoe or kayak on nearby rivers; and more.

“The paddling around Mammoth Cave is neat because you can kind of sneak back into some of the caves at certain times of the year if the water is right,” says Wheat.

If you’re looking for a location more off the beaten path Wheat suggests visiting the far east or far west corners of the state.

“In western Kentucky it’s a completely

Come Back To The Sandlot Dust off your PF Flyers and return to the game, where the boys of summer are still running bases! Our new mini-exhibit, “Legends Never Die!” The Sandlot Celebrates 25 Years, features original props from the beloved film, including that sacred Babe Ruth ball, behind-the-scenes images, and more.

Then watch wood chips fly as we create bats for baseball’s best, and take home your own souvenir mini-bat for free.

Plan Your Visit | sluggermuseum.com © 1993 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved. © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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The Red River Gorge is a great place to go for a hike.

The natural sandstone arch known as Sky Bridge is located in the Red River Gorge.

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Midwestern Traveler

Cumberland Falls offers visitors beautiful views from land and from the water. says the area is ideal for water adventures or explorations.

Wheat says that two of the best fishing lakes in the country, Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, are in the area. “And right in between those two is 170,000 acres of

different landscape,” says Wheat. “We have these Mississippi River swamps and oxbows and this world that looks like you’re down in the middle of Louisiana or Mississippi or somewhere that’s totally foreign to the rest of the country, but it’s here.” He

recreation in Land Between the Lakes,” he says. “You can hunt there, you can camp, and there’s a 60-some odd mile backpacking trail that cuts through the middle of it.

ATVs, horseback riding, you can see bison and elk and there’s literally something for everyone there.”

On the eastern side of the state Wheat suggests making a visit to Breaks Interstate Park, one of two shared state parks in the country. “It’s earned the nickname of the Grand Canyon of the South because the river cuts this very deep winding gorge through the state line there. It’s got some of the best white water anywhere in the Southeast,” he says.

Depending on the season, visitors can find white water runs that range from Class 2 to Class 5. Rock climbing has recently been added to the park. There are also about 20 miles of hiking trails and 10 miles of mountain biking trails.

“It’s just such a scenic place that I think the views there rival any anywhere in the country,” says Wheat. n

Berea Craft Festival, July 13-15 • Festival of Learnshops, July 13-29

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The Great Outdoors LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES IN GOLDEN POND, KY., OFFERS A WIDE ARRAY OF BOTH OUTDOOR AND INDOOR OPTIONS FOR ANYONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS SPRING

By Haley Jena

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he beginning of the spring season awakens a lifest yle previously buried by the winter in all of us.

We pack up our snow boots and don our favorite warm-weather apparel. We cheer on the Reds as baseball season officially

begins. And this spring, we can plan a getaway to Land Between the Lakes.

Land Between the Lakes is a familyfriendly national recreation area consisting of over 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands, hiking trails and more in Golden Pond, Ky. Since 1963, Land Between the Lakes has offered one of the largest blocks of undeveloped forest in the eastern United States.

“We have all the outdoor activities folks can do,” says Emily Cleaver, the communications resource assistant at Land Between the Lakes. “Hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, boating—all those good things.”

In addition to plenty of lively nature activities, Land Between the Lakes also enjoys plenty of indoor activities and

Land Between the Lakes offers plenty of outdoor activities, such as camping. programs, like its Woodlands Nature Station, Elk and Bison Prairie, Homeplace 1850s Working Farm and Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory.

“The nature center and the homeplace and the planetarium are all really easy for places to go for families,” Cleaver says.

USAT Sanctioned Triathlo

Sprint: swim 750 Olympic: swim 150

Triathlon & Kids Duathlo

Inaugural event - Soon to be a premier regional event in N. Ky. & Cincy area

Grant County is:

• 35 min. south of Cincinnati • Home of the Ark Encounter, Lake Williamstown, winery, specialty & antique shops, splash park, dinner theatre, rolling hills and friendly people!

www.visitgrantky.com Make Grant County your next weekend getaway!

located on I-75, 35 miles sou Beautiful lake with bike and

www.stelizabethtriathlon.com

USAT Sanctioned Triathlon - July 21, 2018 Sprint: swim 500m/bikeFriday kicks off with an Exp 20k/run 5k Duathlon, and a party in do Olympic: swim 1500m/bike 40k/run 10

More info:

re Expo - July 20 - Downtown Williamstown Triathlon & Kids Duathlon - July 21 followed by Finish Line Festival on Main Street with food, vendors and live music w w w.

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Land Between the Lakes gets 1.5 million visitors each year.

“You’re not really getting off road; you’re going to get to visit and have a good time…We see a lot of families getting out and enjoying the area and recreation.”

For those who can’t make it down to Kentucky this spring for a day or week trip, Cleaver says the area is a pleasant travel destination year-round, especially for its

many special programs.

“We have a lot of special events throughout the year,” Cleaver says. “There’s a children’s day, a free astronomy day, Cool Critters Day in the nature center, the Hummingbird Fest in August when hundreds of hummingbirds come [through] while they’re migrating back…There’s a lot of things to do.”

With 1.5 million visitors each year—including at least one person visiting from each of the 50 states and at least one person visiting from 50 different countries last year alone—Land Between the Lakes continues to draw people to the area.

“We get a lot of return visitors,” Cleaver says. “Some folks come back and bring their families every single year. They enjoy their experience, and they return to come back and visit us.”

While Land Between the Lakes indeed enjoys hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, plenty of quintessential boating lakes and picnic spots, 1,400 campsites, four surrounding state parks and cities, and more, perhaps what keeps visitors coming back is its genuinely friendly atmosphere.

“It’s very welcoming... We try to keep things safe for everyone and make sure everyone has a good time,” Cleaver says.

“We have something for everyone. From one extreme to the next, there’s a little bit of something for everyone to do here.” n

Inspiration. Creativity. Heritage.

Paducah inspires creativity as a UNESCO Creative City.

Home of the National Quilt Museum, Paducah’s rich American heritage and engaging attractions create the foundation for authentic cultural experiences.

Travel to Paducah and find your inspiration!

Plan your next getaway at Paducah.travel—and be creative!

1-800-PADUCAH

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