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.
I love the small towns bricked-fronted buildings. We stopped in some by the lakes. Cumberland Falls was awesome, on the other side. Lots to do.
And I found KY to be the most dog-friendly state. Cooper went with me on our 8500 mile trip, passing through 21 states. Kentucky won hands down! He even got to go up the Jefferson Davis monument and through their gift shop ;)
I was driving a Prius, carrying a yorkie, had CA plates - and people were still very warm and friendly. ;)
Blue people?