Wow, lots of information. I think I will cut and paste it into a Word file for future reference.
We liked both states a lot, and found a lot of similarities in the kind and polite people. I had to pick up my husband from the Nashville airport at two o’clock and would be kicked out of our hotel an hour away at eleven. I didn’t want to have to wait at the airport in the heat and sense I brought my yorkie with me on the trip, our options were limited. So I just drove very very slow on the freeway. I didn’t get one single finger, wasn’t tailgated at all, wasn’t even honked at. Here in California, I would’ve gotten all that and probably run off road as well.
We went to near Harrodsburg, but missed the Shakers. Looks like that will call for a return trip ;)
yard sales needing a license? That’s absurd! Even here in the socialist state of California they don’t do that. I wonder if they do in Tennessee?
I do worry about a bunch of liberals moving in, since East Tennessee in East Kentucky are so beautiful. But we specifically chose the Tri-Cities area since it is somewhat a low income area. Thought that would keep out those who have to have granite and McMansions.
Thanks for all the valuable information!
Shakertown has rooms to let and they are as they were in the day. Only thing I didn’t like was the damned memory foam mattress, hard to roll over.
They serve all three meals during the day and the include things like pickled watermelon rind, an acquired taste. They grow most of the things they serve. Supper is by candlelight and the servers wear period clothes. Nice place.
The village is basically a living museum and you will learn that these people led a simple lifestyle but were anything but simple. One thing I like is the separate entrances, men on one side women on the other, and never shall they meet but of course they did. Very inventive folks, at one time they were the largest producer of seed in the US. During the War of Northern Aggression they fed and cared for the soldiers on both sides.
Forgot to mention the Derby, Mammoth Cave, festivals in every small town, Knob Creek Shooting Range, bring your own machine gun or they will rent you one, underground coal mines you can tour, below the Falls of the Cumberland you can white water raft or canoe, and the Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge, if you are crazy enough to try it rock climbing is available in the Gorge.
Tons of uncontrolled airfields in Ky., skydiving is offered at some. I guess they still offer tours of the old Capitol Building in Frankfort, worth the time. Civil war reenactments and Indian reenactments abound and the good guys most time win.
If you like music there is Renfro Valley just off I 75 when you enter the mountains for country and bluegrass. Elvis used to play there, doesn’t now but still drops by occasionally. Loretta Lynn still plays there though she has to sing while seated, her son and granddaughters or great grands sing with her. Loretta might should retire she still sounds good but not as good as in ‘70 when I first saw her.
Blues and jazz in Lewavulle and Lexington. Lexington also has Keenland for racing and The Red Mile for harness racing. If you like to watch the blue headed women lose their money, 15 minutes from Lewavulle in Indiana there are casinos. If you like serious gambling about any small mountain town will have a high stakes poker game and guards with shotguns stationed at the windows and doors provide the ambiance. The beer is free.
Churches are everywhere and some even have a few Christians that attend. Snake handling is allowed even encouraged in some but be sure and sit close to a window, just in case.
Almost forgot Thunder over Lewavulle everything from steamboat racing to a huge airshow. There is a Nascar track in Trimble county where they run real fast and can only make left hand turns, I have never understood that sport. Part of Thunder is the balloon race pretty to look at, I prefer wings and a prop myself.
Henry Clay’s house, Ashland is available for tours in Lexington, and his brother or uncle’s place, I forget which is just outside of Richmond. His name was Cassius Clay and he didn’t hold with paying property taxes, when the accessor would come by the old boy had a swivel cannon mounted on a balcony and would take a few shots at him.
Almost forgot court days in Mt. Sterling. You can buy anything from a good coon dog to your very own antique cannon. Everybody should have one of those.
If you run out of things to do you can always try and track down the Blue People of Eastern Ky.
Tenn. is a nice place too.