10 Stress-Free Kentucky Towns For A Weekend Retreat
A stress-free Kentucky weekend rarely looks the same twice. In Paducah the reset means a floodwall of murals and a museum full of quilts. In Bardstown it means a bourbon tasting in a town that has distilled whiskey for two centuries. Farther east the days ease into a mountain overlook or an Appalachian craft fair. These 10 towns each promise a different kind of easy escape.
Paducah
Beginning in Western Kentucky, Paducah is a creative community with a distinct focus on quilting, performing arts, and public art projects. That's why it's earned its title as a UNESCO Creative City, an honor shared by other cities around the world. One reason for this designation lies with its impressive collection of quilts at The National Quilt Museum, which also hosts classes on quilting techniques. Another is the Wall-to-Wall Murals, a series of public artworks that line the entire floodwall that immortalize the town's spirit and history. Paducah maintains multiple art galleries, such as the Yeiser Art Center and the Art Guild of Paducah. For lodging options, Paducah offers the Belle Louise Historic Bed and Breakfast and The Dim Light, a downtown hotel with a rooftop movie theater.
Cadiz
Cadiz sits just to the east of one of Kentucky's most impressive landmarks: the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. This inland peninsula was created by the damming of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, which formed Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. The area offers endless fishing, beaches, and hiking trails. One can find many hints of the settlers who lived here through the many cemeteries spread throughout the area. From Cadiz, one can enjoy a more focused experience at Lake Barkley State Resort Park, with its 18-hole Boots Randolph Golf Course, while staying in a rental cabin such as Blue Cabin at Lake Barkley. In Cadiz proper, one can go searching for antiques at the Cadiz Antique Mall or view local art from the Janice Mason Art Museum.
La Grange
La Grange is just a short drive to the east of Louisville, Kentucky, but it stands out from the big city with its big railroad spirit. It was founded in 1827 and named after the estate of French Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette. In the 1850s, the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad came through the community, giving it a railroad town vibe, which it has maintained to this day with the trains on Main Street. These trains go up and down Main Street up to 30 times a day. One can go for a different railroad experience at the LaGrange Railroad Museum, with its expansive model train sets used to entertain and educate. Families will enjoy the Sauerbeck Family Drive-In or the FRP La Grange Quarry, a popular spot for tubing in clean reservoir waters. La Grange has a farm B&B at the Bluegrass Country Estate.
Bardstown
One of the most popular destinations in central Kentucky is the Bourbon Capital of the World, Bardstown. This town is legendary for distilling whiskey in bourbon barrels. Folks travel from across Kentucky to sample the whiskey or take home a bottle from the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, Boundary Oak Distillery, or others. Bardstown also offers many intriguing historical experiences, such as touring the grounds of the My Old Kentucky Home State Park, the site of an 1818 Federal-style mansion which inspired the Kentucky state anthem, or learning about the western front of the American Civil War at the Old Bardstown Village & Civil War Museum and women's role in the conflict at the Women's Civil War Museum. Guests can stay right next to the oldest tavern in town at the 1913 Talbott Inn, a 15-room boutique hotel that sits next to the Talbott Tavern, which has been in business since 1779.
Versailles
Versailles is the place to go for a royal Kentucky stay. Named after the city in France where French kings lived, Versailles has a palace of its own at the Kentucky Castle. This landmark was first conceived in the 1960s, but didn't officially open until the early 2000s. Designed with an outer wall and keep, it doubles as a boutique hotel, restaurant, and event center. Much like Bardstown, Versailles is a bourbon community, which one can taste at the Woodford Reserve, which offers a guided Path to Flavor Tour. One lesser-known attraction in Versailles is the Nostalgia Station Museum, which houses vintage toys and electric toy trains. It collects toys that date all the way back to the 1890s, including American Flyer and Hafner trains and accessories with more than 100 feet of display cases.
Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg is both the oldest founded town in the state and the center of a historic Shaker community. Harrodsburg was founded in 1774, 18 years before Kentucky became a state. In the center of the community stands the Old Fort Harrod State Park, a recreation of the original frontier fort, featuring reenactors, blockhouses, and artifacts. The park also features a large collection of American Revolutionary War and American Civil War letters, weapons, and artifacts within the Mansion Museum, as well as the Lincoln Marriage Temple, the spot where Abraham Lincoln's parents were wed. One of the most popular spots to stay in Harrodsburg is at the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. This was the former settlement of the Shakers, a religious group that intrigued outsiders with its communal lifestyle, including spiritual dances and vows of celibacy. Visitors can book a stay at The Inn in one of the 13 historic structures in the village.
Hodgenville
Hodgenville is a crucial site to visit for those interested in the life of Abraham Lincoln. He was born here in 1809 and lived in Kentucky until 1816, when his family moved to Indiana. The Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park is a calming place, with a Memorial Unit containing a Symbolic Log Cabin and the Boyhood Home Unit preserving several landmarks that Lincoln would later recall, such as the Sinking Spring, where his family drew water. Hodgenville offers an expanded view of his life at the Lincoln Museum, featuring wax figures and Lincoln-inspired art. Outdoorsy travelers can hike through the national park or enjoy relaxing nature trails at McDougal Lake. For places to stay, one can rent out a room at the Lincoln Lodge located right outside of the national park.
Berea
Berea is an Appalachian community that has always stood out from the crowd. It is the home of Berea College, the first interracial and coeducational college in the South. This college is deeply dedicated to its community, offering free tuition to students in exchange for working in the town, such as maintaining the trails of the Berea College Forest. Here one can hike up to Anglin Falls or The Pinnacles, which is highly ranked for its views of the surrounding mountains. Berea's other big claim to fame is its folk arts and crafts tradition, which has earned it the title of Folk Arts & Crafts Capital of Kentucky. One can see these crafts at the Kentucky Artisan Center or during the Berea Craft Festival each July. Berea offers boutique accommodations at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant and a farm-side retreat at Happiness Hills Farm.
Corbin
Corbin is the closest town to Kentucky's grandest waterfall: Cumberland Falls. At 68 feet tall by 125 feet wide, it's the second largest waterfall by water volume east of the Rockies, behind only Niagara Falls. For this reason, it's been called the Niagara of the South and is accessible from the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Corbin is also well known for its quirky cafe museum: the Harland Sanders Cafe & Museum. Harland Sanders (better known as Colonel Sanders) first debuted his fried chicken recipe at this cafe, and today the museum collects several pieces of KFC-themed memorabilia alongside artifacts from the first cafe. Another cute attraction in town is the Pinball Museum of Corbin, where one can play vintage machines from the 1960s and beyond. The best place to stay in Corbin is the DuPont Lodge, which has grand views of Cumberland Falls.
Cumberland
Cumberland gets its name from the Cumberland River, although before that, it was called Poor Man's Fork due to the poor soil quality. Today, the community offers priceless views atop the 2,700-foot elevation Kingdom Come State Park, sitting on Pine Mountain. It's worth it to hike in this park just for the overlooks alone, especially facing the sun at the 12 O'clock Overlook. One might catch a glimpse of a black bear in this park, as it's called the Black Bear Capital of Kentucky. Coming down off the mountain park, one can grab Appalachian-style gifts from the Hill and Holler gift shop or try out catfish and fried chicken at Emma's Southern Style Cooking. The most beautiful place to stay in Cumberland is a cabin situated on top of the Bullock Overlook in Kingdom Come State Park, or just outside of Cumberland at Lake Cumberland Resort III in Burnside.
Standout Communities
Kentucky's towns have a way of highlighting their diverse strengths to create memorable experiences. Corbin combines fried chicken history with the biggest waterfall in the state, while Harrodsburg provides historical experiences like its Shaker Village. Where all of these towns truly excel is their comfortable accommodations, including lakeside cabins, farmside B&Bs, and even a castle that will ensure one has a royal stay free from stress.
