Visiting western Kentucky (Henderson, Paducah, Madisonville: to rent, hotel, home)

[EscAlaMike]

I'll be passing through western Kentucky this spring and will spend a day or two in the area.

Can anyone tell me about Land Between the Lakes and/or Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park? What's to do and see at each, and which would you choose to visit if you could only do one? I'll have some of my boys with me ranging in age from 8-13. I see that Pennyrile has paddleboats, and I know my boys would love that.

Thanks!

[kygman]

Pennyrile is a nice park. Used to go there some when I lived closer. One thing about it is it's out in the middle of nowhere. I hated driving the road out of the park to the highway after dark. My son and his family live in Madisonville and would take their kids there to go swimming a couple times a summer. Don't know how late "this spring" you're planning on going, but most canoes and everything else aren't put out to rent until Labor Day weekend.
https://parks.ky.gov/parks/find-a-pa...sort-park-7798

With the LBL you almost need a couple days to try to see everything. The Woodlands Nature Center is something I think the boys might enjoy. Kind of a small zoo containing animals you'd see in the wild in the LBL. There is a fee to go through it. There's also the elk and bison range where you can drive a loop, seeing the animals free range. Something funny I saw there once was one of the huge bison crossing the road behind a little S-10 pick up and decided to scratch his shoulder by rubbing against the corner of the pick up bed. Talk about a truck shaking! lol
The Golden Pond welcome center has a display set up showing how people lived in that area before they were all forced off their farms. Just across the Tennessee state line is a working farm you can walk through showing how people did things back in the 1850s. The one thing your boys may not enjoy is there's a long drive between all these places. And, once you pass the Canal and Northern welcome center, until you leave the LBL in Tennessee you won't see another house, no stores, farms, nothing. But like I said about Pennyrile, you might want to check before going to see what's going to be open before Labor Day. https://experiencekylake.com/?gclid=...hoCTigQAvD_BwE
https://landbetweenthelakes.us/
Now if you don't mind driving a little further, I can think of something else they might like to see. After you cross the Ohio River to Metropolis, Illinois, you could take them to see the huge Superman statue in the middle of town. Quite a few years ago city officials did a little checking and found out this is the only town of "Metropolis" in the US. So they laid claim to being the home to Superman. They have a Superman Festival every year with one of the stars from the Superman movies and TV shows. A few blocks down is a bronze statue of Lois Lane. There's also a Superman museum by the big statue. Building looks run down but it has some interesting things about Superman, the actors, the town, etc.
https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2090
While you're traveling I-24, you could also get off at exit 86 and let them see the museum on the Fort Campbell Army base.
https://history.army.mil/museums/fie...ell/index.html

Hope you have a good trip no matter where you go. I'm in Mayfield, about 25 miles west of Ky. Lake.

[GWoodle]

Across the Ohio river in Hendersonville KY find the Audubon State Park. Nice museum & his home. Audubon spent a few years there painting birds & other wildlife. Free admission. If you do hiking trails can spend a couple hours there. Follow completed section of I-69 into western Ky. A great place to stop is the Ky Welcome Center just off I-24 in Paducah. Get your KY state map & info about the area. Welcome Center is in old restored home from 1860's.

In the LBL borders into TN. At Dover TN visit Fort Donelson civil war park Free admission.

In West TN visit Reelfoot Lake. In the winter find plenty of eagles from the North.

You can check to see if KY has a state resort park where you can get lodging. Check park website for details & see what is open.

[kygman]

Originally Posted by GWoodle

Across the Ohio river in Hendersonville KY find the Audubon State Park

GWoodle, that's just Henderson. Used to live up there. And, OP, just across the river in Evansville, Ind., they have a zoo that's pretty interesting.

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by kygman

GWoodle, that's just Henderson. Used to live up there. And, OP, just across the river in Evansville, Ind., they have a zoo that's pretty interesting.

Yes. Both are well worth visiting.

On April 8 the area will be prime site for the Solar Eclipse. From near Paducah to Henderson will be 100% coverage.

For the OP the Land Between the Lakes was formed by 2 dams. Kentucky Dam near Paducah dams the Tennessee River for some 184 miles, forming Kentucky Lake. The Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River for some 118 miles forming Lake Barkley. You can search for many attractions near & around the area.

The Pennyrile Forest State park has cabins you can reserve. Not sure if one of the 24 units will be open when you come. You may have to stay at a nearby hotel near I-24. There are other State Resort parks with lodes & dining facilities. You can search for other attractions but may find they don't open until May for the summer.

[kygman]

Don't mean to contradict everything you post, but Paducah and areas along the Ohio will barely see any of the eclipse. They were total darkness in 2017.

https://nationaleclipse.com/states/2...otality%20line.

[kygman]

OP, it's really out of the way but, maybe on another trip, there's Columbus Belmont State Park, overlooking the Mississippi River. This was a Civil War battlefield and you can still walk through the trails made by the soldiers. There is a huge chain and anchor kids like to climb on. The Confederates were going to stretch the chain across the river to stop the Union supply boats then fire their mortars at them. Only problem was the chain was too heavy to be held up. They have an awesome museum with all kinds of Civil War artifacts that have been found.
https://parks.ky.gov/explore/columbu...tate-park-7809
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columb...ont_State_Park This one shows the anchor.

The problem is, the closest place to get a place to stay would probably be in Fulton, Ky., about 30 miles south.