Kentucky Culture
Gary P. West
W
www.kentuckytourism.com
hen Dr. Thomas Walker discovered a small gap in the
Cumberland Mountains back
in 1750, he and his associates
unknowingly became the state’s first
tourists. They liked what they saw,
went back home, and told others.
And guess what? They came, too.
Walker and all of the other early
adventurers never gave up in their
quest to discover what was out there.
When some thought they had gone
far enough, Walker wanted to know
what was just ahead.
Today, in true Kentucky tradition,
we find ourselves pressing on, to see
what’s over the next hill or around
the curve. I do it, and so do you.
In my progression of writing
books about fun places in Kentucky, a
“bucket list” type guide made sense.
After writing books on 101 must
places to eat, followed by 101 places
to shop, a book on places to visit
seemed logical.
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It’s difficult deciding on only 101
places to include, and exclusion in
no way means a place isn’t worthy.
If I were listing 201 must-see
places, I would still have to leave
something out.
In an effort to stir your curiosity, here are a few examples from my
newest book, 101 Must Places to Visit in
Kentucky Before You Die.
Covered Bridges of Kentucky
Years ago, Kentucky boasted more
than 400 covered bridges. Records
reveal that the first were built in
the 1790s, but floods, fire, Mother
Nature, and modernization have
taken their toll. The 13 that have survived are well worth seeing.
Fleming County lays claim to
being the State Covered Bridge
Capital of Kentucky with three of the
bridges. Other counties with covered bridges are Greenup, Lewis,
Robertson, Bracken, Bourbon,
Franklin, Washington, and Mason.
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train
This is the only train in Kentucky
where you can ride and also dine in
style. Based in Bardstown, it’s been
around since 1988, and it’s definitely one of those things you want to
experience at least once. What I really
enjoy, other than the five-course
dinner, is the closeness of the tables,
which allows for friendly conversation with other travelers.
The dinner train is open yearround and also serves lunch.
The Grange City covered bridge is one of
three in Fleming County. The sign indicates
it has an “86 ft. span—built 1865-1870.”
K e n t u ck y L i v i ng J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0
about
theauthor
Worth the trip
John James Audubon
State Park
of Columbus. His recommendation
failed in the Senate by one vote!
This small town of less than 300
residents played a role in the Civil
War because of its location by the
Mississippi River. Forces blocked
river travel by stretching a milelong chain across the Mississippi,
You don’t have to be a nature lover to
appreciate this 700-acre park, named
after one of America’s most recognizable wildlife artists. The park’s
Museum and Nature Center interprets Audubon’s love of the outdoors
through his paintings, sketches, and
personal memorabilia.
Audubon lived in Henderson from
1810 to 1819 with very little success
as a businessman. However, his farreaching accomplishments as an artist
of wildlife and birds are what he’s
remembered for, even in Kentucky.
Columbus-Belmont State Park
During the presidency of Thomas
Jefferson, a fire in Washington,
D.C., caused him to propose that
the U.S. Capitol be moved to the
centrally located Kentucky town
My Old Kentucky Dinner Train has been
providing fine dining while on a train ride
since 1988. The excursion begins at the
renovated 1860 freight depot in Bardstown,
offering lunch as well as dinner.
John James Audubon State Park in
Henderson offers a Museum and Nature
Center with year-round interpretive programs,
a wildlife observation room, discovery room
with hands-on learning, and learning room
with park naturalist and arts education.
Gary P. West readily admits that
he has never had an original idea
in his life. “Why would I want to
start now,” he says in reference
to his Kentucky travel books.
“I just localized what Duncan
Hines did nationally back in the
’40s, ’50s, and ’60s,” West says.
“Hines wrote travel books long
before the days of interstate
highways, and chain restaurants
and hotels.”
West’s first book, back in
2005, was about basketball
legend King Kelly Coleman.
“I try to write about what I
think Kentuckians like to read,”
West says. “Basketball was a
given, and food was a close
second.”
After Eating Your Way Across
Kentucky: 101 Must Places to
Eat, he followed it with a recipe
book from the restaurants in the
earlier book.
After those came Shopping
Your Way Across Kentucky: 101
Must Places to Shop, and his
recently released 101 Must Places
to Visit in Kentucky Before You
Die, $24.95, Acclaim Press.
www.kentuckytourism.com
Kentucky’s
“must places
to visit”
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Worth the trip
World Chicken
Festival
London, (800) 348-0095
www.chickenfestival.com
Last full weekend in September
Covered Bridges of
Kentucky
secured by a 6-ton anchor on the
Columbus side. Today, that anchor
and a 7,545-pound cannon are displayed in the park.
Yew Dell Gardens
The locals around Louisville and
LaGrange know about this Crestwood
paradise, but it’s a good bet most
Kentuckians don’t.
This 33-acre botanical garden’s
beginnings date back to 1941, when
the Klein family set out to establish a collection of some of the most
unusual plants found anywhere in the
United States. They did. And more
than 20 years after Theodore Klein’s
death, local and national garden
groups have stepped up to make sure
this Oldham County treasure lives on.
World Chicken Festival
The last weekend in September,
London is overrun with thousands of
visitors to the World Chicken Festival.
What really attracted me is that skillet. It is the world’s largest, weighing 700 pounds. It’s more than 10
feet in diameter, 8 inches deep, and
has an 8-foot handle. It’s easy to see
how it has cooked more than 40,000
chicken dinners in the last few years.
This event is all about food. Not
just eating it, mind you. There’s also
a cooking contest. Laurel County
residents relish the fact that Colonel
Harland Sanders sold his first fried
chicken in nearby Corbin. And if
that’s not enough, another fried
chicken pioneer got started here. Lee
Cummings, along with his uncle,
opened Lee’s Famous Recipe back in
1952. KL
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K e n t u ck y L i v i ng J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0
Flemingsburg, (606) 845-1223
Maysville/Mason County Tourism
(606) 564-9419
My Old Kentucky
Dinner Train
602 N. 3rd Street
Bardstown, (866) 801-3463
Reservations only, no children
under 5 years old
Open year-round
John James Audubon
State Park
3100 U.S. 41 North, Henderson
(270) 826-2247
Open year-round
Columbus-Belmont
State Park
350 Park Road, Columbus
(270) 677-2327
Open year-round
Yew Dell Gardens
6220 Old LaGrange Road
Crestwood, (502) 241-4788
Winter hours: November-March
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through
Friday
MORE MUST
PLACES TO VISIT
Russellville
Logan County Tourism
(270) 726-2206
Jesse James robbed a bank
here more than 140 years ago,
but this little town is much more
than that. It has a charming town
square that sets the stage for
a tour of some 200 beautiful,
historic homes.
Bernheim Forest
Exit 112 I-65, KY 245
Clermont, (502) 955-8512
Open: 7 a.m.-sunset
Closed: Christmas & New Year’s
Free on weekdays; $5 per vehicle,
weekends. Beautiful year-round,
this 14,000-acre park offers
hiking and biking trails, fishing
lake, and picnic facilities.
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