If I’m being perfectly honest, Kentucky was never what I considered a “destination state” but how wrong I was! I’ve recently made friends with a new coworker who is from Kentucky and she has made me see the error of my ways. From the massive cave systems to gorgeous scenery and really cool haunts, I’m so excited to visit!
Haunts
First and foremost – how did I not realize Waverly Hills Sanitorium was in Kentucky!? It is top tier haunted bucket list destination and I almost completely glossed over it. When I’m looking into the whats and whens of visiting a new state, one of the things I always look at is haunted locales (because I love spooky, of course). That was the only reason I made the connection! Obviously, its top of their list. I’ve seen multiple ghost hunting crews visit the place and seen some pretty amazing evidence, and maybe, just maybe I’ll get there and it’ll make me a believer.
If Waverly Hills doesn’t make me a believer, Bobby Mackey’s Music World better finish the job! Touted as one of the most haunted places in the United States with possible portals and demonic entities, if it doesn’t make me a believer, I don’t know anywhere else that will.
That is, except the numerous haunted battlefields of the east.
History
The Battle of Perryville was Kentucky’s most devastating Civil War battle in terms of lives lost. There were over 1400 people who died in this clash between the Union and the Confederate Armies. That means its not only supposedly a very haunted site but a very historically rich site, as it resulted in the Union Army taking control of Kentucky.
Another extremely noteworthy historical site is that of the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears is a National Historic Trail that winds through 9 US states, one of which is Kentucky. The Trail of Tears is a reminder of the brutal forced removal of indigenous Americans off of their land and movement to Oklahoma (Indian Territory). There were over 16000 Cherokee who were rounded up, many of whom perished along the way. This Historic Trail is a way to commemorate those who lost their lives as well as honor the resilience of these people in the face of adversity.
Nature
Unlike all of the western states I’ve written about, Kentucky actually doesn’t have a large number of National Parks. What they do have, however, is Mammoth Cave National Park which more than makes up for it. Mammoth Cave is actually the longest cave system on Earth. That’s right, and it finds its home in Kentucky. The Violet City Lantern/Star Chamber tour is a historic tour guided by lantern light and sounds like a absolute must! There is also a cemetery located on the grounds including what appears to be not only beautiful scenery, but the gravesite of Stephen Bishop as well as tuberculosis patients who were treated in the cave’s hospital. There are so many cave tours here that I doubt I’ll make it to them all, but what a dream!
Of course, Mammoth Cave isn’t the only cave feature in Kentucky. From the looks of it, the entirety of the state is just situated on top of cavern after cavern. You can take a boat tour and go ziplining – all underground! Bowling Green is home to the Lost River Cave, which boasts an underground boat tour. Louisville Mega Cavern has the world’s only fully underground zipline course (and I do love ziplining). There is even their very own state park dedicated to caves – Carter Caves State Park. The 4C’s trail (Carter Caves Cross Country Trail) looks like a great hike and even goes over some suspension bridges. I’m quite excited to explore!
The aboveground scenery is also quite gorgeous. Pennyrile State Park, Land Between the Lakes, Natural Bridge State Park, Blanton Old Growth Forest…there is something for everyone! I’m probably most excited about the giants in Bernheim Forest. I’m a fan of the artwork that makes these such stunning fixtures, but also the whimsy that comes with them.
Food & Fun
Kentucky is the Bluegrass State and I would absolutely remiss not to enjoy some live bluegrass. It’s the one music I can always enjoy even if I’ve never heard the song (or the band) before. Add some Kentucky bourbon which the state is also famous for and you have a recipe for an very fun evening.
Kentucky is also the namesake for Kentucky Fried Chicken so I definitely have to pay homage to the Colonel himself (I might even check out his final resting place). I won’t leave it at just KFC, though. I’m sure there is amazing fried chicken to be had and akin to that is, of course, Kentucky Barbecue.
With any place that I go, I like to get a taste of local cuisine, too. I don’t think anything will ever beat my love of New Mexican food, but I’m happy to give it a run for its money. Spoonbread and Hot Brown are two local dishes that I’m excited to try. Spoonbread seems much more up my alley, but Hot Brown looks amazing. The Mint Julep and Kentucky Burgoo are apparently favorites of the Kentucky Derby. Burgoo is something I will give thought to, but I’m not making any promises!
Speaking of the Kentucky Derby, I doubt I’ll be in Kentucky when its time for the Derby, but I think I’ll check out a horse race while I’m in the area. Seeing the horses amazing feats of athleticism will be a treat. Maybe I’ll even dabble in a bet on the winner. Maybe.
Kitschy Kentucky
As always, I like to include some rather odd attractions in the list of things I want to do. In Bloomfield, KY there is a chalk wall with “Before I die….” scrawled across it. You can finish the sentence or just read what others have written. I hope to do both!
Sleepy Hollow Road also lends its own version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but Kentucky. According to lore, if you find yourself driving here at night, a hearse will come up on you way too close. Your resulting nerves will cause you to miss the curves on this winding road and crash. I have nerves of steal, so I doubt that last part will result, but otherwise it sounds like its right up my spooky alley.
Kentucky is also home to the Ventriloquism Museum and I think its a must for me to check out. Whether its cool to see the construction and hobby that is ventriloquism or the creepiness of ventriloquism dummies, I think it’ll be a win-win regardless.
There is plenty to do, eat, and explore in Kentucky. Did I miss anything? Where do you think I should go? Places to eat? Let me know in the comments!
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