Imagine a place where the rolling hills are alive with the sound of bluegrass music, where the aroma of world-class bourbon fills the air, and where every corner tells a story of rich history and vibrant culture.Welcome to Kentucky—the Bluegrass State, a hidden gem that promises adventure, relaxation, and unforgettable memories. The Kentucky Travel Guide 2024: Discover the Soul of the Bluegrass is your ultimate companion for exploring this captivating state. Whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff, or a culinary enthusiast, this guide is designed to immerse you in the best that Kentucky has to offer.What Awaits You Inside the Guide:1. Memorable Experiences in Kentucky: Kick off your journey with inspiring stories and personal anecdotes that will spark your excitement and set the tone for an incredible adventure.2. Overview of Kentucky's History and Culture: Delve deep into Kentucky’s rich history, from its Native American roots to its role in the Civil War, and discover how its cultural heritage shapes the state today.3. Getting to Know Kentucky: Navigate the Bluegrass State like a local with practical tips on geography, climate, transportation, and money matters, ensuring you feel right at home.4. Best Time to Visit Kentucky and Major Events: Maximize your experience by learning about the best times to visit and the must-see festivals and events that celebrate Kentucky’s unique spirit.5. Recommended Accommodation Options: Find the perfect place to stay, whether you prefer luxurious hotels, charming inns, or budget-friendly hostels, all carefully selected to ensure your comfort.6. Exploring Kentucky's Top Attractions: Journey through Kentucky’s iconic sites, from the breathtaking Mammoth Cave to the historic Bourbon Trail and the vibrant streets of Louisville, each offering a unique glimpse into the state’s charm.7. Cultural and Culinary Delights: Savor Kentucky’s culinary treasures with insider recommendations for the best local restaurants, food festivals, and must-try dishes that will tantalize your taste buds.8. Day Trips and Excursions: Expand your adventure with day trips to stunning natural parks, quaint towns, and historical landmarks that showcase the diverse beauty of Kentucky.9. Sample Itineraries for Different Travel Styles: Whether you’re on a tight schedule or looking to explore at a leisurely pace, our tailored itineraries cater to every travel style, ensuring you don’t miss a thing.10. Additional Resources and Useful Contacts: Stay informed with essential safety tips, local etiquette, and emergency contacts to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey.Why Wait? Your Kentucky Adventure Awaits!Don’t miss the chance to uncover the hidden treasures of Kentucky and create memories that will last a lifetime. With the Kentucky Travel Guide 2024 in hand, you’ll be equipped with everything you need to explore this enchanting state with confidence and ease.Click the "Buy Now" button and embark on your unforgettable Kentucky adventure today! Read more

Lexington has dozens of well-restored landmarks, but unfortunately so many more are lost forever.The famous Phoenix Hotel, a longtime stop for weary travelers and politicians alike, has risen from its own ashes numerous times over the past centuries. The works of renowned architect John McMurtry were once numerous around town, but some of the finest examples are gone. The Centrepointe block has been made and unmade so many times that its original tenants are unknown to natives now. Join local blogger, attorney and preservationist Peter Brackney as he explores the intriguing back stories of these hidden Bluegrass treasures. Read more

This guide is the ultimate resource for true fans of the Cardinals. Whether you cheered along for the 1980 and 1986 March Madness victories, or whether you're a more recent supporter in the Rick Pitino era, these are the 100 things every fan needs to know and do in their lifetime. Experienced sportswriter Mike Rutherford has collected every essential piece of Louisville knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom. Read more

Pull up a chair to the kitchen table and enjoy a delicious adventure through the Bluegrass State’s food history. Kentucky’s cuisine can be traced back to Cherokee, Irish, Scottish, English and German roots, among others. A typical Kentucky meal might have the standard meat and three, but there are many dishes that can’t be found anywhere else. Poke sallet, despite its toxic roots and berries, is such a favorite in parts of eastern Kentucky that an annual festival celebrates it. Find recipes for dishes from burgoo to hog to moonshine and frogs. Join author Fiona Young-Brown as she details all the delectable delights sure to make the mouth water. Read more

A drive straight across the Bluegrass State takes nearly eight hours. But that would bypass all the worthwhile distractions between Paw Paw in Pike County and the Kentucky Bend of the Mississippi River in Fulton County. Treasures like Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home that rests inside a Greek-style temple. Or the Jefferson Davis monument rising from a field in Fairview. From rip-roaring barn dances in Rabbit Hash to the silent reverence of the monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani, the Commonwealth is chock-full of timeless landmarks. Join native Kentuckians Cameron M. Ludwick and Blair Thomas Hess as they explore all the amazing and irreplaceable things that make the state one of a kind. Read more

“This book is an education in all things Kentucky barbecue” and the ideal guide for “a lip-smacking trip through the best BBQ in the Bluegrass State” (Maggie Green, author of The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook).  The Kentucky Barbecue Book is a feast for readers who are eager to sample the finest fare in the state. From the banks of the Mississippi to the hidden hollows of the Appalachian Mountains, author and barbecue enthusiast Wes Berry hits the trail in search of the best smoke, the best flavor, and the best pitmasters he can find. This handy guide presents the most succulent menus and colorful personalities in Kentucky.   Kentucky style barbecue is distinct because of its use of mutton and traditional cooking methods. Many of the establishments featured in this book are dedicated to the time-honored craft of cooking over hot hardwood coals inside cinderblock pits. These traditions are disappearing as methods requiring less manpower, less wood, and less skill gain ground. Read more

From one of America's greatest environmentalists, here is the adventure that started John Muir on a lifetime of discovery.Taken from his earliest journals, this book records Muir's walk in 1867 from Indiana across Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida to the Gulf Coast. In his distinct and wonderful style, Muir shows us the wilderness, as well as the towns and people, of the South immediately after the Civil War.This book makes the perfect gift for an aspiring naturalist, hiking enthusiast, or lover of southeastern terrain. Read more

None

None

“A remarkable historical and geographical study” of a road linking Lexington and Maysville, Kentucky, and its influence on America (West Virginia History).Eighteenth-century Kentucky beckoned to hunters, surveyors, and settlers from the mid-Atlantic coast colonies as a source of game, land, and new trade opportunities. Unfortunately, the Appalachian Mountains formed a daunting barrier that left only two primary roads to this fertile Eden. The steep grades and dense forests of the Cumberland Gap rendered the Wilderness Road impassable to wagons, and the northern route extending from southeastern Pennsylvania became the first main thoroughfare to the rugged West, winding along the Ohio River and linking Maysville to Lexington in the heart of the Bluegrass.Kentucky’s Frontier Highway reveals the astounding history of the Maysville Road, a route that served as a theater of local settlement, an engine of economic development, a symbol of the national political process, and an essential part of the Underground Railroad. Authors Karl Raitz and Nancy O’Malley chart its transformation from an ancient footpath used by Native Americans and early settlers to a central highway, examining the effect that its development had on the evolution of transportation technology as well as the usage and abandonment of other thoroughfares, and illustrating how this historic road shaped the wider American landscape.“The authors demonstrate quite convincingly that rich local history lies along our roads. They unearthed an abundance of behind-the-scenes information that is invisible to us as we barrel down the highway. It should give all readers pause to consider how much more they could know about the places they travel through.” —Craig E. Colten, author of Perilous Place, Powerful Storms: Hurricane Protection in Coastal Louisiana“A very well researched and well-written book that makes a significant contribution to the study of American roads, U.S. settlement history, and Kentucky history in particular. The authors’ approach is broad and multifaceted, well organized, and keenly focused on the myriad aspects of an important path, the land and time it transits. This is a fine holistic study of an important and complex road and its many geographical and historical components.” —Drake Hokanson, author of Lincoln Highway: Main Street across America“This notable and ably-illustrated volume . . . captures the rigors of frontier Appalachian geography and the utter ingenuity of diverse peoples bent on moving west. The road is perhaps the greatest of American themes?it encapsulates freedom, mobility, possibility, escape, commerce, crime and calumny, adventure, and romance. Thank goodness we have these two able storytellers to give us the narrative of the Maysville Road.” —Paul F. Starrs, Regents & Foundation Professor of Geography (University of Nevada), and recipient, J.B. Jackson Prize, Association of American Geographers Read more

Can you feel nostalgic for a life you've never known?Suffused with her much-loved warmth and wit, Emma John's memoir follows her moving and memorable journey to master one of the hardest musical styles on earth - and to find her place in an alien world.Emma had fallen out of love with her violin when a chance trip to the American South introduced her to bluegrass music. Classically trained, highly strung and wedded to London life, Emma was about as country as a gin martini. So why did it feel like a homecoming?Answering that question takes Emma deep into the Appalachian mountains, where she uncovers a hidden culture that confounds every expectation - and learns some emotional truths of her own. Read more

Insiders' Guide to Louisville is the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information to this storied Kentucky city. Written by a local (and true insider), this guide offers a personal and practical perspective of Louisville and its surrounding environs. Read more

Take a historical tour through the Bluegrass State, with fascinating facts, photos, and tips for travelers.   As a border state and strategic territory, Kentucky was fiercely contested by the Union and the Confederacy and had ties to both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. This book guides you to the sites of such battles as Perryville, Middle Creek, and Munfordville, and the childhood homes of both Lincoln and Davis as well as Mary Todd. You’ll also learn about Kentucky’s Confederate capital, Civil War governors, and its African American soldiers.   Kentucky natives and adventure aficionados Cameron M. Ludwick and Blair Thomas Hess plot the course for a fun-filled road trip through history and across the Bluegrass State in Presidents, Battles, and Must-See Civil War Destinations. Read more

Bringing to life more than a century's worth of fascinating stories and history of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.Best known for its pivotal role in opening up the western frontier and its association with explorers and pioneers, the legendary Cumberland Gap has long been celebrated in music and literature. To better preserve that history, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was authorized in 1940 and now covers more than 24,000 acres in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. Daniel Boone is remembered here, as well the Native Americans who used the path through the mountains for trade and warfare, the Civil War soldiers who took turns guarding this strategic portal, the geologists and industrialists who saw the potential for development, the businessmen who built one of the nation's first roads for automobile travel and the displaced residents who gave up their homes for the park. The dream of a few dedicated individuals to one day restore the historic Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap came true in 2002 after decades of planning, and visitors can once again walk in the footsteps of the pioneers. Read more

Updated 5th Edition with new sites & museums!Learn Where & How to Dig, Pan and Mine Your Own Gems & Minerals SOUTHEAST Alabama • Arkansas • Florida • Georgia • Kentucky • Louisiana • Mississippi • Missouri • North Carolina • South Carolina • Tennessee • Virginia • West Virginia Whether you’re digging for the first time or are an experienced rockhound or “prospector,” with a simple rock hammer and a little luck, you too can strike it rich ... or at the very least, have fun trying. This guide offers you easy-to-use information on the ins and outs of “fee dig” mining, complete with locations, costs, tips on technique, entertaining legends and important information on everything from safety kits to the location of the nearest restrooms. Included are resources for use in identifying your finds, exploring the lapidary arts, and further pursuing an exciting—and possibly profitable—hobby. Equipment and Clothing: What you need and where to find it (or how to make it yourself). Mining Techniques: Step-by-step instructions on panning for gold, sluicing for gems and other methods. Gem and Mineral Sites: Directions and maps, hours, fees and equipment needed. Also includes info on guide services, local camping facilities and more. Museums and Mine Tours: Where to visit commercial and historical mines, as well as museums with exhibits of gems and minerals (for help in learning what to look for). Special Events and Tourist Information: Listings of regional events involving gems and minerals, and sources of general travel and tourism information for every state. Other Features: Where to find your birthstone ... your anniversary stone ... your zodiac stone; Index by State; Index by Gem/Mineral; U.S. State Gems & Minerals Chart; and more! Read more

“A quality tribute to America’s greatest landscape architect, these parks he created, and especially the plants that thrive there.” —Plant Science BulletinFrederick Law Olmsted, popularly known as the “Father of American Landscape Architecture,” is famous for designing New York City’s Central Park, the US Capitol grounds, and the campuses of institutions such as Stanford University and the University of Chicago. His celebrated projects in Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Milwaukee, and other cities led to a commission from the city of Louisville, Kentucky, in 1891. There, he partnered with community leaders to design a network of scenic parks, tree-lined parkways, elegant neighborhoods, and beautifully landscaped estate gardens that thousands of visitors still enjoy today.The Olmsted Parks of Louisville is the first authoritative manual on the 380 species of trees, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and vines populating the nearly 1,900 acres that comprise Cherokee, Seneca, Iroquois, Shawnee, and Chickasaw Parks. Designed for easy reference, this handy field guide includes detailed photos and maps as well as ecological and historical information about each park. Patricia Dalton Haragan also includes sections detailing the many species of invasive plants in the parks and discusses the native flora that they displaced.This guide provides a key to Olmsted’s vision, revealing how various plant species were arranged to emphasize the beauty and grandeur of nature. It’s an essential resource for students, nature enthusiasts, and visitors from near and far. Read more

The University of Kentucky men's basketball program is the winningest in the history of the sport, and this lively guide explores those victories along with the personalities, events, and facts that any and every Wildcats fan should know. Influential players from more than a century of success are highlighted, including Louie Dampier, Jamal Mashburn, John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns. The team's colorful coaches are also profiled, including championship winners Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, and John Calipari. Covering important dates, behind-the-scenes tales, memorable moments, and must-do activities, this is the ultimate resource guide for all Kentucky faithful. Read more

Best Tent Camping: Kentucky by author Johnny Molloy leads you to the best tent camping destinations within the Bluegrass State, describing not only of the campgrounds themselves, but also the fun outdoorsy activities nearby. The book uses a rating system, which includes campground privacy, security, beauty, quiet, and cleanliness, and gives inside tips on how to be enjoy each particular destination from your chosen campground. It also details prices, opening and closing dates, websites, and other information that will help you utilize your precious time to the fullest, enjoying your Kentucky tent camping experience. Read more

There’s more to Louisville, Kentucky, than meets the eye, and certainly more than just bourbon and horses. Louisville is a destination for its diverse culinary scene, not to mention an arts community that rivals big cities and a world-class parks system. So, if you’re planning a trip to the Kentucky Derby or Forecastle, a pair of Louisville staples, 100 Things to Do in Louisville Before You Die will give you the inside track to all the best spots, from popular to obscure, in the Metro area. Discover festivals that garner international attention, ideal places to sip and socialize, historic sites that helped put the city on the map, and plenty of family fun. Written by a home-grown Louisville food and beverage journalist, this guide will help you make the most of a family vacation, romantic getaway, or a weekend with friends. Saddle up, pour yourself a bourbon, and enjoy the ride. Read more

Are you ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the enchanting landscapes of Kentucky?Introducing our Kentucky Travel Guide Book—a meticulously crafted companion designed to immerse you in the heart of the Bluegrass State's beauty and culture.Dive deep into the allure of Kentucky's best-kept secrets, uncover hidden gems, and explore the finest places to visit, from the rolling hills of horse country to the vibrant energy of Louisville's urban scene.Get ready to:🌟 Discover the Best Places to Visit:Experience the breathtaking natural wonders of Red River Gorge and Cumberland Falls.Immerse yourself in history at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.Trace the steps of bourbon legends along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®.🍽️ Savor Culinary Delights:Feast on mouthwatering hot brown sandwiches in Louisville.Sip on handcrafted cocktails at renowned bourbon distilleries.Sample traditional Southern cuisine at charming local eateries.🏨 Find Perfect Places to Stay:Choose from historic inns nestled in the heart of horse country.Relax in upscale resorts with spa amenities and scenic views.Cozy up in cabins surrounded by the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.🎉 Enjoy Thrilling Activities:Embark on thrilling horseback riding adventures through lush pastures.Hike along the scenic trails of Daniel Boone National Forest.Soar through the treetops on adrenaline-pumping zip-line courses.🗺️ Follow Expert Itineraries: This guide offers carefully curated itineraries to make the most of your trip, whether you're here for a weekend getaway or an extended exploration.And many MoreWith insider tips and engaging narratives, this Kentucky Travel Guide Book is your passport to a one-of-a-kind adventure. Start planning your trip today and create lasting memories in the heart of America. Kentucky is calling—answer it now! Your unforgettable adventure awaits. Grab your copy now! Read more