When you think about planning a road trip I’m not sure if Kentucky is the first place that comes to mind. But wow, did we love road trippin’ through this awesome state. On a recent drive home from visiting family in Nashville, TN we had zero plans and a whole day to get back. So, naturally we made an entire adventure of it. Kentucky is home to rolling hills, beautiful nature, National Parks, history, a World Heritage Site and amazing people (and so much more). I hope that after you read this you will consider a Kentucky road trip…it really is a beautiful place.

Mammoth Cave National Park

The main reason we wanted to take a detour road trip through Kentucky was to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. Hello stamp collection! Mammoth Cave is not only a National Park but also a World Heritage Site. It’s the largest known cave system in the world – right here in beautiful Kentucky.

We learned when we arrived that making reservations ahead of time for tours is the thing to do – especially during the busy summer season. So if you really want to see the cave for all that it is, make a reservation several days before. We were still able to do a self guided tour – which was cool too. The self guided tour just allows you into a small section of the cave though so you miss a lot.

There is a ton to do at Mammoth cave besides just tour the cave. There is a great visitors center with museum, a restaurant, lots of hikes and camping too. Make sure you check out our full guide to Mammoth Cave if you are thinking of planning a trip here! Even though we didn’t get a full cave tour we still thoroughly enjoyed our time here. Because of this, it made time for us to venture on to see some other great spots in Kentucky.

Harland Sanders Cafe & Museum

Ya’ll, we went to a Kentucky Fried Chicken Museum. I mean, how cliche are we? But when you are driving through Kentucky and you see a sign that reads – “Home of KFC”…you stop. No questions. So here we are, at the original site of the very first KFC and home to the secret recipe that Colonel Harland Sanders created in the 1940’s.

This place was so fun! The original kitchen is fully restored, there are Colonel Sanders portraits and statues everywhere and tons of artifacts from the early days of KFC. There is a timeless cafe inside where you can dine and enjoy your finger lickin’ good chicken meal with your favorite people while remembering the good ole days.

Just a note, there is nothing special or fancy about the food here, its just a normal KFC run of the mill menu. But the fact that you are eating in the same place Colonel Sanders stood, cooked and created those recipes is pretty cool.

This location is registered with the National Register of Historical place. It is really like taking a step back in time. It’s just one of those things you have to do if you are driving by. We actually learned a lot about Colonel Sanders and his beginnings and felt like this stop was a win in our books. The Sanders Cafe is located in Corbin, KY. To get there take exit 29 off I-75..we were able to follow the signs off of the HWY. It was marked well and we had no issues finding it. So please, take those random detours when you see those brown signs!

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

This might have been our favorite stop of the day. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is part of the National Park System and is also known as the “gateway to the west”. It is a gap or passage through the Appalachian Mountains right by the area where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet. This was a huge part of pioneer history as Daniel Boone and company used this path to pass through the mountains and explore more western regions of the US.

This park is quite big and has a lot of activities to do. We started the visit by stopping by the visitors center. Its really well done with lots of museum type exhibits. Silas loved the nature and interactive aspects on display here. It also has a film on the history of the area that includes the involvement of Daniel Boone. Get acquainted with the park here, grab your park maps and make a plan. Don’t forget to pick up a Junior Park Ranger program if you have kids!

It’s impossible to do everything this park has to offer in a day with its 24,000 acres. Besides the amazing overlook where you can view 3 states at at time, they have a whopping 80 miles of hiking trails. There is also a cave system you can explore with a tour guide, waterfalls to find and the Historic Hensley Settlement to discover. We didn’t have a lot of time so we opted for the views and taking in the beauty at the Pinnacle Overlook.

Getting to Pinnacle Overlook is easy and its a short and pretty drive from the visitors center. The trail wasn’t long but the views made us linger. This is one of those times where we feel like the pictures don’t do it justice. It truly was a stunning sight. This is a beautiful park and one we would stop by again!

Takeaways

• Kentucky is truly beautiful. From the moment we crossed over into the state it fells like the scenery just changed. Rolling hills everywhere we looked, so many greens and quaint towns. One of the best parts of our trip was just driving through and taking in the scenery.
• You need to plan ahead for Mammoth Cave if you are really wanting to see the vast cave system. Its fun to do a quick visit stop but just know you might not get a tour the day of!
• When you are on a road trip take a random stop and follow the brown signs! We had no plans to stop at Sanders Cafe but we really enjoyed our time there. You never know what you will find and makes for a fun adventure!
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is beautiful and worth a stop! Its huge so don’t feel like you have to do it all. We feel like the couple of hours we had we spent well. We learned a little about the history and took in the nature. But, you could definitely make this a longer stop or even a weekend destination.
• One thing to note, if you are into visiting National Park System spots the Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Site is not a far drive from here. We ran out of time and wished we would have known so we could have made it! Just gives us another reason to visit this awesome state again!

Have you ever taken a Kentucky road trip adventure? What are some of your favorite place to stop?

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PS! If you love road tripping through the Southeast check out our Virginia Day Trip Plan or Complete Guide to visiting Hendersonville, North Carolina.