9 Secluded Towns In Kentucky
For fans of Kentucky Fried Chicken, you can enjoy bucketloads of the delicious meal when traveling through the secluded towns in Kentucky. Though far or tucked away from the major metropolises of Kentucky, these secluded small towns will not shun you away as you go traipsing through the verdant woods and historic landmarks each town promotes. From the heights of the Appalachian Mountains all the way to the rivers and waterways crisscrossing the state, you will find bourbon-fulfilling towns like Bardstown, creative communities like Paducah, and towns where some of the first events and inventions came to be such as Danville. Savor your KFC meal as you begin to fall in love with the secluded towns in Kentucky.
Hodgenville
Hodgenville, approximately 12 miles away from Elizabethtown, is renowned for being the birthplace and childhood home of President Abraham Lincoln. From Salem Lake and the Pearman Forest, where Lincoln and his family used to trollop about, to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site situated along the North Fork of the Nolin River, you can find all sorts of memorabilia from before Lincoln became one of the best-known presidents in America. Learn about his youth at the Old Sinking Spring Farm and the Knob Creek Farm from when his parents were but humble farmers in Hodgenville. And last but not least, consider spending your evenings in Lincoln-themed establishments like the Lincoln Lodge.
Berea
Do you enjoy the outdoors and folk arts and crafts? Then head over to Berea, “the Folk Art & Crafts Capital of Kentucky,” where dozens of studios and galleries of local artisans are on full display along Berea’s streets. Berea happens to be one of the many secluded towns beside the Boone Trace, a historic pathway that pioneer Daniel Boone used when going through the Cumberland Gap. Even before Daniel Boone, the Boone Trace was often where Native Americans herded buffalos. You can certainly enjoy more of the outdoors when exploring the Daniel Boone National Forest, Rockcastle River, and the Bluegrass Region, where the Kentucky River flows. If you ever get exhausted from all the traveling, you can always rest up in one of Berea’s benevolent establishments like the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel or the Red Roof Inn.
Paducah
Paducah, one of America’s UNESCO Creative Cities, lives up to its titular achievement with several notable landmarks dedicated to the arts and culture of Kentucky. From the National Quilt Museum with its award-winning quilts and quilting techniques to the Dogwood Trail Celebration when Paducah’s dogwood trees are in bloom in mid-April, Paducah shines as a vivacious and verdant small town in Kentucky. Travelers can see windows into Paducah’s past when admiring Robert Dafford’s Paducah “Wall to Wall” Murals, which are essentially painted panels representing a different period or epoch in Paducah’s history. For those of you interested in seeing how creative this UNESCO Creative City can be, you can book a room at either the Candlewood Suites or Baymont Inn.
Danville
Be one of the first to tour “The City of Firsts,” the small town of Danville. Between Herrington Lake and the Dix River, you will find the first Courthouse in Kentucky, built in the year 1785. There is also the first U.S. Post Office west of the Alleghenies, and the whole town accommodated the first Constitutional Convention to create the Bluegrass region in 1792. Most importantly, in 1809, Doctor Ephraim McDowell became the first physician in the world to successfully remove an ovarian tumor right in Danville’s hospital. One can observe more of Danville’s remarkable history when touring the Perryville Battlefield, where the bloodiest battle in Kentucky during the American Civil War took place on October 8, 1862. Finally, visit the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, the third largest Shaker community in the US, and store your belongings safe and sound in lodgings like the Hampton Inn Danville, Comfort Suites, or Quality Inn.
Glasgow
One should not mistake the small town of Glasgow in Kentucky with the city of Glasgow in Scotland. Although founded by Scottish pioneer John Matthews, this small town was one of many pivotal fortresses in Kentucky during the American Civil War as best seen in the Union fortress of Fort Williams. In these modern times, travelers are encouraged to explore the Mammoth Cave National Park, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. Nearby, you can admire the tools and weapons that Native American hunters once utilized at the Prehistoric Jewel Site Complex. More of the past and the present can be enjoyed in Glasgow, so consider booking a room in places like the 1852 Hall Place Bed & Breakfast.
Maysville
Maysville, approximately an hour away from the city of Lexington, is renowned for its “Timbered Tunnels,” which are basically several historic covered bridges that bisect the Ohio River and connects Maysville with its neighbor, Aberdeen, just across the Ohio River and in the state of Ohio. Reverand John Rankin, a leading member of the abolitionist movement during the American Civil War, was a station master and conductor of the Underground Railroad in Maysville and aided in the liberation of many African-American slaves. You learn much from this epoch in history, and many more periods, at the Kentucky Gateway Museum Center, which also contains over 4,000 artifacts. There is also the Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, a former battlefield from 1782 that now contains a museum and lodgings. But if you prefer the lodgings in Maysville, you can look to the Hampton Inn, French Quarter Inn, or Lee House Inn for your daily and nightly needs.
Frankfort
Frankfort, originally called “Frank’s Ford” since it is on one of the many fords on the Kentucky River, is just midway between Lexington and Louisville. It was in Frankfort that Rebecca Gooch and Ruth Hanly Booe created the Kentucky Bourbon Ball for all to participate in, and it was in Frankfort that an architect named Gideon Shrylock built the Liberty Hall, the Orlando Brown House, and the “Old Capitol” building of the state of Kentucky. You might also fancy exploring the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History to learn all about Frankfort’s contributions to the American Civil War. Or perhaps you would like to pay homage to Daniel Boone and his wife, Rebecca, at the Frankfort Cemetery. Either way, you should rest and refresh yourself for a new day at the Capital Plaza Hotel or Bluegrass Inn.
Greenville
People have praised Greenville for being one of the safest urban areas in Kentucky. Only two hours away from the city of Nashville, you can, therefore, feel safe and secure when seeing a 17-foot box beam that used to be a piece of the North Tower of the World Trade Center—a memento and 9/11 Memorial for one of the worst terrorist attacks in American history. You can soon turn your sad frown upside down when exploring the lush and vibrant sceneries of both Muhlenberg County Park and Lake Malone. There is even a wooden sculpture of Yogi Bear at the Brizendine Brothers Nature Park to cheer you up. Do not worry about accommodations, as establishments like The Wickliffe House or the Convention Center Inn (CCI Express Inn) provide you with everything you need in the safest urban area in Kentucky.
Bardstown
Approximately an hour away from Louisville, Bardstown captivates newcomers with an array of entertainment and leisure. Being the Bourbon Capital of the World, one can visit the 11 or so distilleries in Bardstown, such as the Barton 1792 Distillery & Visitor Center. Additionally, you can sample some of the finest competitive brews during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival every year in September, and you can see an exhibit for the oldest bourbons at the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. You might want to take your bourbon while watching Broadway-style performances like the Stephen Foster Story, a story regarding Stephen Collins Foster, who was an American composer in his day. More opportunities for sightseeing can be found at the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. And should you wish to sleep off the grogginess the bourbon often brings, you can do so at the Old Bardstown Inn, the Fairfield by Marriot Bardstown, or Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast.
The Wyandot or Huron people called the land “Kahten-ten-tah-teh,” meaning the “Fair Land of Tomorrow.” The Shawnee called it “Kain-tuck-ee” which means “At the Head of the River” because of the Kentucky River.” And among the Mohawks, Delawares, and Catawbas, they described the land as a place filled with “meadows and “prairies.” But for you and other such travelers, you can call Kentucky one of the best vacation destinations you will fondly remember due to the beauties and surprises awaiting in the secluded towns in Kentucky. Because of Frankfort’s formidable reputation, Glasgow’s impressive landmarks, and Greenville’s memorabilia, you will not be forgetting your adventures throughout Kentucky so soon. Break away from the very isolating barriers these secluded towns in Kentucky may exude and see the truths and mysteries to be enjoyed from these beautiful small towns in the state.
