2023-12-29 09:35:57
Hop on The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s self-guided bourbon trail, for a comprehensive taste of Kentucky bourbon at more than 20 stops across the region, including craft distilleries, bourbon-centric restaurants and bourbon bars. The sipping point begins in Covington at the foot of the Roebling Bridge with spokes to Sparta, Maysville and towns in between.
Set sail with BB Riverboats in Newport for signature and specialty cruises on the Ohio River — jazz brunch, family dinner, sunset and music, murder mystery. Say hello to hundreds of dummies at Fort Mitchell’s newly redesigned Vent Haven, the world’s only ventriloquism museum.
Join the animals aboard a life-sized Noah’s Ark at Williamstown’s Ark Encounter, built to a biblical blueprint. The Bible bursts to life at Petersburg’s Creation Museum, where 140 state-of-the-art exhibits include an animatronic Noah and flood dioramas.
In a setting as pretty as the “Most Picturesque Town in Kentucky,” as dubbed by USA Today, dozens of local and regional artists show their work on the banks of the Ohio River during Augusta’s Art in the Garden, held in June. With a hearty “ein prosit der gemütlichkeit!,” Oktoberfest, Mainstrasse Village’s celebration of Covington’s German heritage, gets underway in September with live music, local food and lots of beer.
Fishing, kayaking, miniature golf, Spicebush and Ironwood connecting-loop trails and camping under the stars combine to create a family’s happy place at Falmouth’s Kincaid Lake State Park. Carrollton’s General Butler State Resort Park presents gorgeous sunset views as it slides into the waters at the confluence of the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers at Observation Point. Tour the fine old country home on the hilltop within the park: the Greek Revival-style Butler-Turpin State Historic House.
In a town that celebrates Founder’s Day Festival (June) with the shooting of a Revolutionary cannon, pioneer games and yarn spinning, William Arnold’s Log Cabin — the authentic 1800s log house with pioneer-era furniture and memorabilia of the town’s founder — is right at home in Williamstown.
Fine Wine Times
Countryside vistas, winemaking tours, a bright and airy tasting room and 20-plus wine varietals; sandwiches, salads and pizzas at the café; live weekend entertainment and music on the patio; wine and paint parties; comfy log cabin lodging — Owenton’s Elk Creek Vineyards is a wine lover’s gourmet getaway.
The House That Time Remembers
It may look like the homeowners will return any moment — and that’s the intent. Frozen in rural mid- to late-1900s Burlington, Dinsmore Homestead looks as it did when the namesake family lived and farmed here. Antique bedsteads, handmade toys, personal journals — see these and the family graveyard.
“O’Zapft Is” (It Is Tapped)
Four hundred fourteen years after the original was founded in Munich, the first Hofbrauhaus outside of Germany opened to raised steins and shouts of oom-pah-pah! It’s always Oktoberfest at Hofbräuhaus Newport, known for pure traditional-style German bier, soft-dough pretzels, jägerschnitzel, apple strudel and an unabashedly festive atmosphere.
Back to Nature
Find a place of peace at this little-known and protected parcel of nature that 40 species of birds call home. Butler’s Cedar Line Nature Preserve is a 43-acre scenic trail system with cedar thickets, hickory woods, wildflowers and wildlife, marked by wooden foot bridges and rock wall ruins.
Centuries-Old Settlement
Stroll the flagstone sidewalks of Old Washington, a pocket-size 1700s village that could easily be mistaken for a frontier film’s movie set. Find shops, museums, tour guides ushering visitors behind the scenes (sometimes even in period dress!), tasty Kentucky fare and the country’s only working log post office.
Daniel Boone Was Here
Walk the grounds of the last battle of the American Revolutionary War at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park located near Mount Olivet, Kentucky. Hike an ancient buffalo path. Check out the spinning wheel and other artifacts in the Pioneer Museum. Play mini golf. Relax amid beautiful views from a lodge room or the Hidden Waters Restaurant.
Augusta/Bracken County: 606-756-2183, augustaky.com
Carrollton/Carroll County: 502-732-7036, visitcarrolltonky.com
Fleming County: 606-845-1223, flemingkychamber.com
Gallatin County: 859-380-0256, visitgallatincountyky.com
Grant County: 859-824-3332, visitgrantky.com
Lewis County: 606-440-0135
Maysville/Mason County: 606-563-2596, visitmaysvilleky.com
Northern Kentucky/Covington/Florence/Newport: 859-261-4677, meetnky.com
Owen County: 502-563-5050, facebook.com/owencountykytourism
Pendleton County: pendletoncountytourism.com
Plan your regional road trip!
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