Not much has been said about the Lexington area. Lexington was historically known as "the Athens of the West", as the first college west of the Alleghenies was located here (now Transylvania University). Also in Lexington are the Mary Todd Lincoln House and Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, must-sees for history-loving teens. Also here are the Hunt-Morgan House, "Hopemont", in historic Gratz Park in downtown Lexington and Waveland, the Kentucky Life Museum, a small state park with a beautiful Greek Revival mansion, on the edge of town off Nicholasville Road.
And of course, Lexington is surrounded by the famous thoroughbred horse farms and rolling felds of bluegrass. You can see both bluegrass and horses at the Kentucky Horse Park, a sumptuous attraction which also has not one but several museums concerning horses in history, along with twice-daily "Parades of the Breeds", carriage and trolley rides, horseback riding, horse shows every weekend during warm months, a restaurant (fair to middlin' when I've eaten there), and a gift shop with unique items. And yes, there is a pleasant campground at the Horse Park.
The Red River Gorge is about an hour away, and resembles Arches National Monument, but is heavily wooded. The mountain laurel will be in bloom there in late May, followed by rosebay rhododenddron in mid-June. Spectacular rock formations and around 100 natural arches are here, along with a wild river and a good newish small museum, picnicking areas, lots of hiking trails, and nearby Natural Bridge State Park, with good picnic grounds and camping and a nice lodge and restaurant.
Also less than an hour away from Lexington is Berea, with Berea College, arts and crafts, traditional music and dance, antiques, interesting restaurants, hiking trails ten minutes from town at scenic Indian Fort Mountain, and a private campground which has a good reputation.
Other towns less than an hour from Lexington include Danville (Constitution Square, Burke's Bakery, Ephraim McDowell House, Great American Dollhouse Museum), Frankfort (state capitol, old state capitol, Liberty Hall, Civil War sites, Kentucky History Museum, antiques, good restaurants), Paris (antiques, good food, beautiful horse farms), Versailles (antique malls and other shopping, railroad museum with train rides, toy railroad and miniature museum, dollhouse and miniature shop, Castle Post just outside of town, more horse farms, good food), and nearby Midway (yet more antiques, shopping, food, and horse farms - detect a pattern here??).
And if you're entering Kentucky from the west or southwest, don't overlook the cave country just north of Bowling Green. Mammoth Cave National Park is a must-see and has camping, and many other beautiful caves are in the same area. I highly recommend Kentucky Caverns at Kentucky Down Under just outside of Horse Cave, an Australian-themed and owned attraction with extremely well-cared for Australian birds and animals on the surface and a very "decorated" cave just below. Many entertaining and educational programs and other activities are offered here during the warmer months. In downtown Horse Cave is Hidden River Cave (which gave the town its name) and an adjacent excellent small museum about cave formation and history.
Now, how much time did you say you all have for your trip? You'll be here a year if you do everything suggested!
An excellent summatizion of the Bluegrass Region.
Kentucky's educational woes began with the Civil War. Since the days of being a border state, Kentucky has found itself a land of much political distrust. Just like today when the poor support nationalized healthcare, the poor of the Kentucky mountains rejected much of the wealthier western Kentucky political efforts. Then with the New York Times expolitive essay about the bare-foot and pregnant backwardness of the extremely independent mountain folk, (all false), the term hillbilly came out and unfortunately it stuck.
You will find that Kentucky has wonderful education at many levels. As a system-wide public school unit, Oldham County will stand up against any school system in the US.
The University of Kentucky (as the state's land-grant university and educational flagship) reaches into every county in the state with its Cooperative Extension Dept. In the 1950's, that same university established approximately 10 regional "community colleges" throughout the state to supplement the four regional "teacher's colleges" which became leading universities since 1963. Murray State is recognized as one of the best small state supported universities by many nationally recognized sources.
The University of Louisville has litterally touched lives around the world with its medical research and colaboration with other area medical teams and hospitals to cut the envelopes of hand transplanting, artificial hearts, diabetes, and so much more.
Then there are Centre, Georgetown, Bellermine, Campbellsville, and Kentucky Weslyan. These colleges are internationally recognized liberal arts meccas.
I have only touched the educational opportunities available in Kentucky. I am certain that you will have many more people tell about the many other great resources that I just don't have room to mention.
Thanks to all. I was hoping to read informative and helpful posts and I did. I hate it when people respond with generalizations, so thank you all for being specific.
But speaking of generalizations, this one has come up often enough to concern me. Many have said how beautiful eastern KY is, and many have said that it is also not a good place to go. Out here, all we hear about is the census worker that was killed because "eastern KY is full of meth labs, pot farms, and people who distrust the government." If that's the case, I'll feel right at home because guess what, the remote areas of NM are full of meth labs, pot farms, and people who distrust the government. In fact, I suspect I may know some of them!
So what's the real story on Eastern KY? A nice to visit, but wouldn't want to live there? Don't let the sun go down on you? Better hope you're white? Lovely and interesting and perfectly safe? Is this an area we will feel comfortable visiting with our two girls? Are there areas we should truly not go?
It is not uncommon out here to come across people using public land (forest, park, and BLM) to grow pot, cook meth, or to set up drug dealerships so that if they are caught they don't forfeit their own property. It's a tricky situation, and not one you want to accidentally get involved in by setting up camp next to a group that is up to no good, but not necessarily "dangerous" as long as you mind your own business. Is that the situation in eastern KY? Or am I misreading it?
Speaking of safety, what are the firearm regulations in KY? Can we have a concealed gun in the car?
So what's the real story on Eastern KY? A nice to visit, but wouldn't want to live there? Don't let the sun go down on you? Better hope you're white?
Lovely and interesting and perfectly safe? Is this an area we will feel comfortable visiting with our two girls? Are there areas we should truly not go?
Kentucky has its pockets as does every other state in the nation. Does Vermont which has almost no black population have a race problem? If it doesn't then why does everyone assume Kentucky does?
Black people of Kentucky have worked long and hard to be recognized as quality people. Much of Kentucky coal has been historically mined by black men and boys. Please do not assume that our state is a racist place, although there are places in this state, such as parts of western Louisville that it's not safe for any person of any race to go.
I am not being indignant towards goobersmoochers, but rather at those who have erroneously created unreal myths about Kentuckians and race. We were a border state. While we maintained slaves throughout the civil war, we also fought to end man's ownership of another man.
But I'm not concerned only about race. I'm concerned about the safety of me and my children. What I have heard and read tell about easter KY as a "dangerous" place....what I want to know is 1)is it true? 2)in what way? 3) dangerous for whom?
Having grown up in Texas, in a "pocket" of racial tension, near a town that until only about fifteen years ago still had a sign warning people of a certain color to beware, I know that there are still places that are unfriendly to people for stupid reasons, including but certainly not limited to race. I am thankful that I am not one of those people who hates based on stupid reasons, but I am aware that those people do exist. I think it's a fair question, considering how widespread the rumors of racism are. I also know that it works both ways. That's why I asked. Certainly, there are many people, both black and white, who percieve racism in the area. Is it worse than anywhere else? I don't know. Is it real? I don't know. Again, that's why I ask. I only know where I have lived, and where I do live.
Please remember that I ask these questions here because it's a "safe place." Would I ever walk into a public place and shout, "Where are all the racists?" or "Who's gonna kill me cause I drove past your pot farm?" NO!! I ask here because I hope to get a sense of what the people who are there and who know think about it.
Tomocox, I appreciate your defense of your area. I know how you feel. I also appreciate your honest answers. Thanks!
"By the way, Tomocox, why do you think Oldham county is one of the finest places in America to live? What does it offer you, and why is it important? And what towns are encompassed by Oldham County---I assume Louisville; what others?"
That is an easy answer. A lack of liberals makes it a great place to live! Thank God Louisville is not part of Oldham County. Prospect, Goshen, Crestwood, Buckner and LaGrange are the larger communities in Oldham.
If you are other than white, you should not experience any problems as long as you are respectful and act in a conservative manner. Racism is overblown. People acting stupid have problems and skin color means nothing at that point.