DANIEL BOONE COUNTRY You know you’ve entered Kentucky’s Country Music Capital when you spot the Old Barn Theatre and New Barn Theatre at Mount Vernon’s Renfro Valley Entertainment Center . It’s where country music magic happens. Next door, see tributes to over 60 inductees representing all musical genres at the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum (also the Mount Vernon-Rockcastle County Tourism Visitor Center). Located along the U.S. 21 Bike Route, the museum is also near hidden fishing and boating haven Lake Linville . Spend Labor Day weekend in downtown Manchester steeped in music, from Appalachian folk to outlaw country, during the free Manchester Music Fest . Ice-cold beer on tap, food truck faves, fireworks and a parade add to the fun. Hike miles of wilderness trails once trekked by bison, Native Americans and pioneers at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Middlesboro, the first Gateway to the West. Stand in three states at once: Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Follow along a stretch of the Wilderness Road and Boone Trace in London’s Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park . Hike a historic train tunnel at Tanglewood Trail near Whitesburg River Park that will connect to Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail — especially striking during fall foliage forays into Letcher County and the scenic overlooks near the trail. Drive the narrow, twisty and heavily forested Little Shepherd Trail from the top of Pine Mountain to Kingdom Come State Park . Are the indescribably beautiful vistas at the overlooks worth braving the relentless curves of this roadway ? Oh yes. Yes, they are. Crunch into KFC at the one place it is acceptable to lick your fingers — the Sanders Museum & Café in Corbin. See the kitchen where Colonel Sanders first blended his secret 11 herbs and spices into culinary history. Secret garden ? Garden of Eden ? Livingston’s picture-perfect Rockcastle River Trading Company gardens, tucked on the banks of Rockcastle River, are both. The grounds include a gift shop, walking path and koi pond. Named for the poisonous but edible pokeweed, Harlan’s Poke Sallet Festival is all about the live music entertainment, including Poke Sallet Idol, plus local artisans and crafters, a car show and more. 60 #TravelKY
The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2024: Page 60
