One-day vacations
Six itineraries for 24 hours of fun
Bluegrass Region | Small−town treasures
Hometown discoveries plus hidden gems equal happy times.
In Midway, find a unique culinary, shopping and arts scene in a historic railroad town surrounded by Kentucky’s oldest thoroughbred horse farm and preserving a rich tradition in bourbon distilling dating back to the 1800s.
“No two stores, restaurants or experiences are the same in downtown Midway,” says Emily Downey, executive director at Woodford County Tourism.
Visitors find the restaurants of culinary maestros Ouita Michel (Midway Bakery, Holly Hill Inn, nearby Wallace Station) and Mark Wombles (Heirloom) and unique boutiques like the high-end Crittenden’s Clothing and indie bookstore, A Likely Story, with its cozy reading nook tucked in an old bank vault.
Travel west to Frankfort and the Josephine Sculpture Park, Kentucky’s only outdoor sculpture park with its unique, easy-breezy “please do touch” philosophy. Explore over 70 contemporary outdoor sculptures set amid 40 acres of native meadows, including Riley Fichter’s playful, steel-cabled Rii’joo’vah’nay’shin unfurling across the grounds. The park has mowed walking trails, picnic areas and wildlife habitat. Best of all: Admission is free.
Bourbon Barrel Cottages sit in the heart of bourbon country. Photo: Becca Bayless/Bourbon Barrel Cottages and Tours
Turn south to Lawrenceburg and first stop, Lovers Leap Vineyards and Winery, served by Blue Grass Energy. Sip a glass of wine in a keepsake wine glass on a 30-minute tour of one of Kentucky’s most highly regarded wineries. Afterward, indulge in an optional flight tasting, best enjoyed on the outdoor patio with panoramic and picture-perfect countryside views.
Lovers Leap hosts events throughout the year, including an Art Show—set for April 12 this year—with works by local artists as well as food and coffee trucks, and music.
Continue on to Bourbon Barrel Cottages and Tours, served by Blue Grass Energy, for a quiet evening in a gorgeous cottage with a cozy, crisp linen-draped bedroom inside and a rocking chair front porch, firepit and bubbly hot tub outside. Wander the grounds past koi ponds and a natural spring, spotting wildlife like deer and turkeys along the way.
Personalize your stay with a customized private tour of area bourbon distilleries via luxury Mercedes sprinter van or limo. Bourbon Barrel Cottages is 20 minutes from eight distilleries and an hour from a dozen more.
Next morning, tour Bauer’s Candy to learn about an original Kentucky candy named for Polish actress Madame Helena Modjeska. Described by owner and president Anna Bauer (great-granddaughter of Modjeska creator, French confectioner Anton Busath) as “a homemade creamy marshmallow center hand-dipped into a rich and creamy homemade caramel,” it is ooey-gooey delicious—and one sweet note on which to conclude your getaway.
Eastern Region | Old−school family fun
Kentucky fried nostalgia surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest.
Base yourself at London’s Holly Bay Campground, served by Jackson Energy, for a good old-fashioned getaway filled with camping, pinball, go-karts and Kentuckians’ favorite reason to lick their fingers. Grab a wooded site framing views of Laurel River Lake where outdoor adventure options include swimming, boating, wildlife viewing, fishing (both day and at night for trout)—even scuba diving—in an enchanting setting of meandering coves and cliff-lined shores.
Daytrip to Corbin to live out your pinball wizard dreams at the family-friendly Pinball Museum of Corbin. Expect a sensory explosion (in a good way) with dozens and dozens of pinball machines, both vintage and contemporary, lining the walls, plus classic video games (Donkey Kong, anyone?) and two Big Ball Bowlers. Game your way through the alphabet, bonding over the simple joy of flippers and bumpers, from the Adams Family and Avengers Infinity Quest to X’s and O’s.
The Sanders Café and Museum shows how Kentucky Fried Chicken put the state on the world food map. Photo: Corbin Tourism
Maintain retro mode with a meal at the Sanders Café & Museum, also in Corbin. Follow the timeline of a local success story that began here 88 years ago, on the site of a gas station that grew into a motel and café and eventually had everyone hungering to learn what those 11 secret spices were that Col. Sanders blended into a global food empire. Then order a bucket of KFC, along with fluffy biscuits and country sides, and bite into all that crispy deliciousness.
London’s The Palace Family Entertainment Center is a one-stop fun-and-games complex. Photo: London-Laurel County Tourist Commission
After a good night’s sleep at Holly Bay, head off for a day of super-sized family fun at London’s Palace Entertainment Center. Pick your pleasure: indoor go-karting, bowling, bouncing around on inflatables, playing a world-renowned golf course via golf simulator or sleuthing through an escape room. Add a touch of tech by tangling with dinosaurs and other creatures in an immersive augmented reality experience or strategizing victory in a cutting-edge laser tag arena. Don’t overlook the traditional: the flashing lights, beeps and buzzes in the arcade.
North Central Region | Horses, Hot Browns and bourbon
Get a taste of everything that is Kentucky.
Choose a horse farm tour or two in Oldham County, the Farm Tour Capital of Kentucky. Go behind the scenes and stables at Highpointe Farm & Training Center in La Grange to learn about the inner workings of the world of thoroughbred racing. Watch horses train on furlong dirt tracks and see horses, grooms and trainers preparing for a race. In Prospect, meet former racing champs entering their second act as they train for a new career on a hands-on tour at Second Stride Retired Horse Farm.
At Second Stride Retired Horse Farm in Prospect, see firsthand how these special thoroughbred horses start down the path to new careers after racing. Photo: Oldham County Farm Tours
Head next to Shelbyville and the Bell House restaurant and indulge in quintessential Kentucky cuisine: the Hot Brown. Although the dish was invented in Louisville in the 1920s, this restaurant is famous for taking that oh-so-cheesy roasted turkey sensation to the next level.
“Executive Chef Brent Evans uses a unique blend of six different kinds of cheese, including varieties from Switzerland and Italy, and farm-fresh ingredients,” says Mason Warren of ShelbyKY Tourism. “But he keeps his exact recipe carefully guarded.”
Next stop: Shelbyville’s Bulleit Distillery Co. Visitor Experience, served by Shelby Energy. Choose from a full menu of adventures, from elevated tasting experiences to multisensory bourbon immersion to a full distillery tour that ends with a tasting of the signature Bulleit portfolio. Order a customized classic like the Bourbon Old Fashioned or Rye Manhattan from the cocktail bar, browse the gift shop and relax on the outdoor patio.
The cocktail bar at the Bulleit Distilling Co. is a picturesque setting for grabbing a pre- or post-tour beverage. Photo: ShelbyKY Tourism
End the day on a blissful note at Bardstown’s new Trail Hotel, the world’s first bourbon-infused luxury hotel. The amenities? Ninety-five exquisite guestrooms, the four-star Oak & Ember restaurant and five bars, including the Bourbon Vault, a sleek speakeasy; and the Rejuvenation Room with IV hydration and oxygen chambers. Then there are the Bourbon Butlers—ready to enhance any visit by coordinating exclusive VIP tours, arranging reservations for dining and other events, and creating custom experiences like unique tastings. The hotel is accepting reservations for May 2025 and beyond, and it’s affiliated businesses are now slated to open in mid-May.
The next morning, pop into nearby Oscar Getz Museum of Bourbon History to see exhibits relating to Prohibition, moonshining and more. Follow it up with a tour of Willett Distillery, served by Salt River Electric, which focuses on the history of one of Kentucky’s original family-owned distilleries. Likewise, Lux Row Distillers, also served by Salt River Electric, has a story to tell through its Grain to Barrel Tour and guided tasting experience—not to mention the muster of peacocks that have the run of the grounds.
Northern Region | Two boats, one day
From country to cosmopolitan, ark to aquarium.
Thing big. Really BIG. When you clap your eyes on the massive timber ship at Ark Encounter in Williamstown, served by Owen Electric, you’re looking at a structure that is one-and-a-half times the length of a football field, 85 feet wide and 10 stories high at the bow. Inside? More than 130 colorful exhibits spread over three decks.
“The huge ark is an architectural wonder and the whole park is of Disney quality,” says Ark Encounter founder and CEO Ken Ham.
The Ark Encounter, located in Williamstown, draws visitors from all over the world. Photo: Ark Encounter
Other activities: Ararat Ridge Zoo and animal encounters, zip lines, high-tech virtual reality experience, carousel, children’s playground and Emzara’s Buffet—one of the largest restaurants in America and the perfect place for lunch.
Williamstown’s Patriots Landing Kentucky, served by Owen Electric, is also grand scale in size and scope. Described as a “rural, faith-based veterans woodshop and showroom,” the space stretches across 4,000 square feet to showcase veteran-crafted “products with a purpose.” Browse among beautifully constructed wooden flags, some embellished with shell casings as the stars; patriot crosses featuring custom engraving and intricate hand-carved art; and wooden bookmarks with special messaging. T-shirts with patriotic slogans, even sets of cornhole bags featuring military branches, are also part of the mix.
Afterward, head north to Hotel Covington and check in to upscale accommodations featuring plush, oversized and elegantly dressed beds and gleaming showers with sleek appointments—all with a sophisticated yet comfortable ambiance and tucked within a historic building.
Next stop: BB Riverboats. This historic Newport landmark is home to flagship, Belle of Cincinnati, and River Queen—two paddlewheel boats recalling the romance of the riverboat era. Dinner cruises glide along the Ohio River, serving up good times, delicious meals and live entertainment. Evening views of the skyline are breathtaking.
Discover the mighty Ohio aboard a BB Riverboats dining or sightseeing cruise. Photo: BB Riverboats
Back at Hotel Covington, a nightcap at either the Knowledge Bar & Social Room or Coppin’s Bar (both are on northern Kentucky’s self-guided bourbon tour known as the B-Line) closes out a full and memorable day before tucking in for the night.
In the morning, grab a locally roasted cup of Joe to go from the hotel’s artisan coffee bar and head to next-door neighbor Newport and a new exhibit at Kentucky’s only aquarium. Newport Aquarium’s dreamy and immersive Jellies: Go with the Flow gives visitors a behind-the-scenes peek into the care and keeping of these mesmerizing and ethereal creatures. Watch jellies from all over the world drift and float through the water, then explore other watery worlds with octopuses, seahorses, eels, gators and sharks. Don’t forget to walk the plank, er, Shark Bridge, suspended mere inches above those razor-sharp toothed predators.
South Central Region | Colossal beasts, crystal caves and one cool lake
A tale of two subterranean worlds bookended by monsters and a modern marina.
No need to fear rampaging T-rexes at Cave City’s Dinosaur World, the only outdoor museum in Kentucky dedicated to these behemoths. Wander about this land before time, served by Farmers RECC, where fun photo ops—and packs of triceratops, brachiosaurus and stegosaurus—lurk around every corner. Dig for fossils, pan for gemstones, play mini golf and visit the small indoor museum. Kids will want to bring their mad money for the gift shop with its irresistible array of dino-themed toys, games, books and more.
Two underground adventures, also in Cave City and served by Farmers RECC, have a shared heritage through Kentucky cave developer Cleon Turner, but each is independently owned and offers a different experience.
At Dinosaur World, wander among hundreds of life-sized dinosaurs in a natural setting. Photo: Cave City Tourism
Thirty-minute guided tours of Onyx Cave highlight distinctive features including the Waterfall Wall, Drippy Room and Big Column, plus the cave’s showstopper cave coral. At Crystal Onyx Cave, two one-hour tours take spelunkers to the cave’s upper Lake and Cake Trails or to the lower entrance to see features with names like Alien Room, Potato Patch and Gene Simmons Tongue, among other intriguing speleothems.
Both of these show caves have a gift shop with plenty of eye candy for rockhounds—lots of minerals, rocks and fossils from around the world plus other items like paintings and jewelry from local artists and snacks and fun merch for kids.
Head east to Park City and Miss Betty’s Diner, served by Warren RECC, for some Southern scratch cooking: chicken and dumplings, homemade lasagna and fried chicken hand fried in a cast-iron skillet and accompanied by sides like pinto beans, turnip greens, sweet potato casserole and coleslaw. For dessert? Buttermilk or peanut butter pie, blackberry cobbler or Italian cream cake. Mmm.
Continue eastward to Albany and a Lake Cumberland haven: Marina@ Rowena, served by South Kentucky RECC. No cookie-cutter RV sites here, but unique layouts with wood patio decks in heavily treed settings. Lake Cumberland’s first all-new recreational marina in more than 60 years (and recipient of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “Clean Marina” designation), it offers both seasonal and short-term sites with full hookup amenities, plus nightly covered boat slips and daily rentals of pontoons, tri-toons and personal watercraft.
“Bring your golf cart or side-by-side for a convenient short ride to the marina and also to take advantage of the area’s many off-road trails,” says owner David Dryson. “Enjoy breathtaking lake views and photo-worthy sunsets from the resort’s full-service restaurant, Rowena View Café.”
Western Region | Park hopper pass
Four state parks. Four unique experiences. All authentic Kentucky, from cuisine to culture.
Begin in Dunmor at Lake Malone State Park, a fam fave with its fishing lake, swimming beach and wildflower-strewn trails. It’s also a fan fave as the home of Happy, Bobber and the rest of the Malone family of 10- to 17-foot sculpted forest creatures, depicted engaging in park activities. Bring a book to read with Paige Malone, lounging near the playground. Inspect bugs with butterfly-catching Annette and firefly-loving Wattson. Hike Laurel Trail to see Oakley who, like all the Big Twigs, is living large and loving life at the park.
Head west to Dawson Springs and Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, served by Pennyrile RECC, for a round on the 18-hole, critter-themed mini golf course or a lazy paddle on Pennyrile Lake.
After a meal of buttermilk fried chicken, fried catfish or other park menu favorites at Pennyrile Lodge, continue on to Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, a water recreation lover’s dream in Gilbertsville that is served by West Kentucky RECC. Relax in a cottage or lodge room at the Village Inn overlooking Kentucky Lake.
Rent a fishing or pontoon boat from Kentucky Dam Marina, swim at the park’s pool or sandy beach and hike miles of trails. Bird-watching enthusiasts flock to the park in hopes of spotting the American bald eagle—a likely payoff, with over 200 nesting pairs making their home in the lake area.
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park is a water lover’s dream. Fish from the dock, rent a boat or swim on the sandy beach. Photo: Kentucky State Parks
The next morning, stop by Our Daily Bread for take-out lunch. Under new ownership this year, the Eddyville restaurant still serves up the hot and cold sandwiches, giant pizza slices and salads that made it a local favorite—not to mention those decadent fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls baked by owner Brook McDowell and staff.
Grab a lakeside picnic table at Mineral Mound State Park, also in Eddyville, and soak up the idyllic charm of this park named after the 1,000-acre estate that once belonged to politician Willis B. Machen, the grandfather of Zelda Sayer Fitzgerald. With 2025 being the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece novel, The Great Gatsby, it is the perfect time to visit.
