The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide - The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2023
Nature’s Art: Outdoor Beauty & Recreation
2022-12-20 12:46:59
Give Mother Nature a paintbrush and get out of her way. The result? Just take a look at these masterpieces.
Home to Red River Gorge National Geological Area, Daniel Boone National Forest is full of wooded slopes, sandstone cliffs, rough-and-tumble terrain and more than 600 miles of trails.
As ancient as the beginning of Earth’s very earliest plants and arthropods, the Kentucky River Palisades in the central part of the state offer breathtaking scenery shaped by sheer vertical layers of undulating limestone cliffs, deep gorges and mysterious caves.
Weave your way through countless trees at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, home to abundant wildlife, 40 miles of hiking trails and a Canopy Tree Walk 75 feet into the sky.
Step into a land of enchantment at the botanical gardens at Petersburg’s Creation Museum, where seven bridges connect living worlds of color, fragrance and texture in butterfly, hummingbird, bog, lake, rainforest and koi pond gardens.
Eye candy in underground chambers, Mammoth Onyx Cave is showy and accessible.
There’s a reason Lake Cumberland is one of Kentucky’s most visited lakes: It’s a drop-dead gorgeous splashy oasis with more than 1,200 miles of shoreline. Spot shimmering blue pools along the Green River Blueway, the state’s first National Water Trail. A picture-perfect spot itself, Green River Lake is a haven for outdoor and nature lovers.
At Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site, the archaeological site of a Native American village, make a beeline to the view from the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.
A hike with a picturesque payoff, Yahoo Arch has it all: a waterfall, rock formations, plants and wildlife, all shaded by towering trees. Feast your eyes on Vanhook Falls near London, a dainty cascade splashing 40 feet into a boulder-strewn base.
Walk your way to serenity following the Snug Hollow Labyrinth in its meadowland setting surrounded by rolling hills in Irvine.
It tops the adventure bucket list, but did you know Mammoth Cave National Park is also a certified International Dark Sky Park – THE place for stargazing?
Glide into history on a boat tour of Lost River Cave, once an ancient hunting ground, hideout for bank bandit Jesse James and, unbelievably, a 1930s nightclub in Bowling Green.
Inside the mountains, beneath the path pioneers took, Gap Cave at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a world of dripstone formations that descends 183 steps down.
The Cumberland Falls moonbow, a lunar rainbow that glows like meteorological poetry, appears just once a month in the mist under a full moon.
A tour of a Kentucky horse farm is about as Kentucky as you can get – and an experience you’ll never forget. Each farm offers a unique snapshot of the Kentucky horse industry, from Midway’s Kismet Farms broodmare nursery to Lexington’s Megson Farms, home to the largest herd of white thoroughbreds in the world.
Tour the home of Secretariat at Claiborne Farm in Paris, one of Kentucky’s most iconic thoroughbred breeding farms. Meet Tiznow, the only horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic – twice! – at WinStar Farm in Versailles. See the stallions at Jonabell Farm in Lexington.
Listen to the cascading waters at Fulling Mill Falls in Harrodsburg, or paddle the whisper-quiet waterways at Gorge Underground in Rogers.
Splash in the creek, snap a selfie at a bridge or slip into the forest’s shade at Morehead’s award-winning Rodburn Hollow Park.
Covington’s Devou Park Overlook features breathtaking views of Roebling Bridge, Northern Kentucky skylines and the Ohio River Valley sweeping into the horizon.
WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?
In Kentucky, we’re all about jaw-dropping overlooks!
The Natural Bridge Overlook in Slade is an ever-changing panorama – a tapestry of texture, color and shifting silhouettes – that never ceases to amaze or inspire.
In a city that moved mountains, Pikeville’s Cut-Through Overlook peaks as a project so breathtaking in scope that it made history as one of the world’s foremost engineering marvels.
Pinnacle Overlook offers the view that has inspired generations of adventure-seekers to journey through Cumberland Gap.
Watch the sun as it sets over the mighty Mississippi River at Columbus-Belmont State Park in Columbus.
GOLDEN GRAMS
Elevate your Instagram game with these stunning shots!
Deep within Horse Cave’s Hidden River Cave, a suspension bridge swings over a rushing subterranean river to sunburst-colored Sunset Dome.
In Paducah, Bob Noble Park has a new interactive music garden, accessible nature trail and “Wacinton” – a Native American carving by Peter “Wolf” Toth – among its treasures.
Clear waters, quiet coves, emerald enclave: Laurel River Lake in the Daniel Boone National Forest boasts them all.
Bowling Green’s Shanty Hollow Hiking Trail unwinds beneath a leafy canopy and past moss-covered boulders and outcroppings toward a hidden waterfall.
KENTUCKY CREATOR
Polly Singer Artist/Owner, Couture Hats (Georgetown)
Every single one of the hats milliner Polly Singer designs embodies her love of the natural beauty of Kentucky.
“I love using flowers and locally sourced feathers when I can find them,” she says. “I used to use duck feathers from my Dad’s farm! I also mimic the rolling hills in the wavy, hand-curved brims in my hats and fascinators.”
World famous for her one-of-a-kind works of wearable art, Polly has won numerous awards and was named “Best Couture Hat Designer in the United States” by England’s preeminent Luxe Magazine. Her clients are from across the globe and, for many of them, a visit to her Georgetown shop is their first trip to Kentucky, making her an ambassador to the Bluegrass State’s many wonders.
Polly grew up in Georgetown, actively participating in 4-H and home extension projects, and often entering her sewing projects in local county fairs. Today, she lives one block from her childhood home.
Polly’s hats may be seen in her online shop and at special events, such as teas and shows at Lexington’s Griffin Gate Marriott Resort. Many also make an indelible appearance at the Kentucky Derby.
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