Kentucky

We are going to explore Kentucky, the Bluegrass State. It's the home of the Kentucky Derby, the birthplace of both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, and history galore. For those interested in big money, it is the location of Fort Knox which holds more than $6 billion dollars in gold. Money never meant much to me which is probably why I'm sitting here with my feet in the creek trying to cool off. So, slip off your boots and wet your feet.


I'll grab us both a cold one and we can plan this adventure. The travel brochure is there and all the computer links (with towels to dry feet) are ready. A quick word about the vacation guides from each state. There are always computer sites listed for most of the places that are in the guide. That way you can do more research on a place that interests you.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is the 15th state of The United States. The state wild animal is the gray squirrel and the state musical instrument is the dulcimer.

Kentucky is known all over the world for breeding horses. For instance, Shelby County is "The Saddlebred Capitol of the World". In almost any part of the state you will find facilities that sponsor horseback tours. Many of them teach you how to ride. And there are trails everywhere that are meant for riders. Museums dedicated to horses, tack, and horse drawn machinery. You can take a horse-drawn carriage ride to tour Paducah. Or visit Old Friends Farm for Retired Thoroughbreds. Horses are retired and pampered on farms like this.

The world's longest cave system is Mammoth Caves National Park. More than 367 miles of the caves have been explored and mapped. They say the caves were discovered in the late 1700's by a hunter who chased a bear into the large mouth of the cave. During the War of 1812, saltpeter was mined from the caves but mining ceased soon after the war was over. Attractions in the caves include Frozen Niagara and Grand Central Station. Above the caves the more than 53,000 acres within the national park are designated as a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. So you get guided and self-guided tours in the caves. And trails of all kinds, bungee jumping (Lord help us all), climbing, water sports, and camping above. A great place for exploring.

Believe it or not, Kentucky has the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous states. And the largest two man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River. Water sports for everybody! Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has a 125 foot curtain of water that falls 60 feet to a gorge below. It is called the Niagara Falls of the South. On nights with a full moon and the right weather conditions you will see the moonbow. This phenomenon is not seen anywhere else in the western hemisphere.

Kentucky is heaven for nature lovers. Almost any outdoor activity you can imagine is available in abundance here. Nature trails, gardens, bird sanctuaries... I am ecstatic. Check the links below. Find some of your own. Plan an adventure and then go. Let me know how much fun you have.

Copas

Tour Guide
Kentucky Official Site
Kentucky Department of Parks
National Parks
Offbeat Tourist Attractions