A 5 day tour of Kentucky from our Southeastern issue, Winter 2013. This tour from the Kentucky Department of Travel takes groups from the Ohio River town of Paducah to the Land Between the Lakes and beyond to Owensboro.
Day One
3 p.m. — Arrive in Paducah, known as Quilt City USA, for a tour of Whitehaven Mansion, a restored 1860s mansion. This Kentucky Welcome Center features a second floor dedicated to Paducah native Alben Barkley, a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator who served as U.S. vice president under Harry S Truman from 1949 to 1953. Barkley died at age 78 in 1956, two years after being elected to the U.S. Senate.
5 p.m. — Check in to your tour lodgings and enjoy a dinner at a Paducah restaurant.
Day Two
7 a.m. — Eat breakfast at your lodgings or at a Paducah restaurant.
8 a.m. — Begin a tour of the Paducah area, which may include: The William Clark Market House Museum; Yeiser Art Center, host of the Fantastic Fibers juried exhibit each spring; the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society, with more than 100 quilts on display; and Paducah Wall to Wall murals, featuring scenes from the river city’s history.
Noon — Break for lunch and shopping at Patti’s 1880’s Settlement in Grand Rivers.
2:30 p.m. — Depart for Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, with 170,000 acres of wildlife, history and outdoor recreation. A tour may include: Woodlands Nature Station featuring birds, animals and reptiles indigenous to the area; the Elk and Bison Prairie; or The Homeplace, a living history farm that re-creates life in the area before the American Civil War.
Groups may extend a Land Between the Lakes visit into the evening by having dinner at Patti’s and then attending a performance at the Badgett Playhouse Theater in Grand Rivers. If doing this option, consider staying overnight in the Land Between the Lakes area and departing for Hopkinsville the next morning.
4:30 p.m. — Depart for Hopkinsville.
5:15 p.m. — Check in to tour lodgings in Hopkinsville-area and have dinner at a local restaurant.
Day Three
7 a.m. — Enjoy a locally prepared breakfast.
8 a.m. — Tour the Hopkinsville area and perhaps visit the Pennyroyal Area Museum, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park, Jefferson Davis State Historic Site or Fort Campbell, home of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles.
Noon — Lunch at a Hopkinsville restaurant.
1:30 p.m. — Depart for Princeton.
2:15 p.m. — Tour the Adsmore House & Gardens, a living history museum hosted by costumed docents.
3:30 p.m. — Depart for Henderson.
5 p.m. — Check into lodging in Henderson and have dinner.
Day Four
7 a.m. — Enjoy breakfast in Henderson.
8 a.m. — Tours of Henderson may include Henderson Fine Arts Center, Ellis Park Race Course and John James Audubon State Park, which is the wooded area where the famed naturalist observed subjects for his paintings.
11:30 a.m. — Have lunch at a Henderson restaurant and depart for Owensboro.
1:45 p.m. — Tours of the Owensboro area may include Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, the Owensboro Museum of Science & History and the International Bluegrass Music Museum. You also may want to drive to Rosine, about 40 miles away, to visit the birthplace of Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music.
5 p.m. — Check into Owensboro lodging and have dinner.
Day Five
Enjoy breakfast and depart for home.
GO
Grand Rivers, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Owensboro, Paducah and Princeton
SEE
Adsmore House & Gardens
(270) 365-3114
www.adsmore.org
International Bluegrass Music Museum
(800) 692-2656
www.bluegrassmuseum.org
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
(800) 525-7077
www.lbl.org
Yeiser Art Center
(270) 442-2453
www.theyeiser.org
DO
Badgett Playhouse Theater
(888) 362-4223
www.grandriversvariety.com
EAT
Patti’s 1880’s Settlement
(888) 736-2515
www.pattis-settlement.com
ASK
Kentucky Department of Travel
(800) 225-8747
www.kentuckytourism.com
Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau
(800) 723-8224
www.paducah.travel