Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hey everyone. I've posted a broader E. KY vacation post in the KY state forum, but I want to get some Lexington specific ideas so I've decide to post a more focused question here. We are going to be heading out soon to the area, likely staying in Berea and plan on driving to different places of interest. I've driven through/past Lexington many times, stopped off for gas once. Was trying to get some ideas on places to visit and things to do? Any decent museums, shopping districts, etc.? Also, any recommendations for places to grab good American fare such as pizza, burgers, and grilled chicken (blackened/cajun especially). Many of the restaurants posts I found during a search are dated. Any festivals or fairs going on in the area that are worth checking out? Also, if you have other suggestions for E. KY in general, you can share those as well or post them over on my other thread. Thanks everyone.
Not sure when you're traveling, but the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen's annual fall fair (not just crafts, but traditional music and dance plus "fair food") will be underway this weekend in the woods at beautiful Indian Fort Theater, just east of Berea. There are many, many craft shops in Berea proper, and the college offers an interesting tour of their campus which includes the Berea College Crafts. Check out the Log House and the Kentucky arts and crafts center (not the precise name) out by the northernmost I-75 exchange. There are lots of antique shops in Berea as well.
In Lexington, don't miss Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, the Kentucky Horse Park, and the Mary Todd Lincoln girlhood home on Main Street. You might also enjoy Hopemont in historic Gratz Park in downtown Lexington - it's the family home of General John Hunt Morgan. There are also tours of the horse farms which are just north and east of town, and a big exhibit on the Titanic has just opened in the Lexington Center in downtown Lexington.
Within an hour of Lexington, you'll find Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, a restored Shaker village which also offers excellent regional food. Harrodsburg is quite close to Shakertown, and includes Old Fort Harrod State Park, with a convincing recreation of a pioneer fort (the first permanent settlement in Kentucky). Frankfort is also within 45 minutes or less of Lexington, and includes the imposing state capitol building, the Kentucky History Museum, an interesting downtown with lots of interesting shops, historic homes, and other attractions.
Midway is halfway between Lexington and Frankfort, as its name indicates - reach it via Old Frankfort Pike and a short turn-off for spectacular rolling Bluegrass scenery through the horse country. Midway also offers interesting shopping and dining along Railroad Street.
Back in Berea, you can't go wrong at Boone Tavern's dining room, or for less formal fare, Papaleno's Pizza, just around the corner from the Tavern (really a historic hotel). There are nice small coffee shops nearby as well on The Square, where the Tavern is located - traditional live music is sometimes offered in the evenings. The Dinner Bell restaurant, near the southern I-75 exit, offers quick and friendly service and homestyle cooking with reasonable prices.
In Lexington, try Joe Bologna's on Maxwell Street for great pizza, and Billy's Barbecue on High Street in Chevy Chase Shopping Center for excellent barbecue plus other good local delights like burgoo, blackberry cobbler a la mode, and locally grown vegetables.
I tell ya, CraigCreek, if you're not, you should be a tour and vacation planner for the Bluegrass area!! You are an incredible wealth of "must see and do" knowledge for Central KY!!
I tell ya, CraigCreek, if you're not, you should be a tour and vacation planner for the Bluegrass area!! You are an incredible wealth of "must see and do" knowledge for Central KY!!
Thank you! I do love me my Kentucky....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
