Trip to Kentucky...

[Thomkm]

Looking at taking a spring trip to Kentucky and ride for a few days. Depending on how my back feels we might trailer the Trike to one location and ride from there.

Any suggestions on things to see and do would be appreciated...

 

[OldBay]

Golly Tom, Ky is a beautiful state and there is so much to see. Where to start?
I-64 east has the Carter Caves State Resort park. Central Ky around Lexington has the Ky horse Park. A drive thru Louisville can get ya an evening riverboat cruise with dinner. On down I65 ya get mammoth Caves and then on to the Corvette plant and museum in Bowling Green. Out in the western part ya got Land Between the Lakes and some great camping.
Which area do you plan to visit?

 

[Thomkm]

We are looking at the eastern section of the state. Maybe Lexington area... Depending on my back, if we end up trailering the Trike we would like to find a place to stay for a few days and trike the area... If my back improves we can take the Trike...Lexington is about 5 hours from us.

 

[OldBay]

Lexington, and the BlueGrass area of the state is an excellant choice. The Kentucky Horse Park is about 15 miles from downtown, with alot of history of the horse industry and past derby winners there. A beautiful area to ride is out toward the northeast of town toward Paris, Ky. Great backroads and stone fences built back in the slave days with miles of beautiful farms. Berea is a craft center a bit south of town with loads of local art and craft things.Cave Run Lake is a 45 mile ride to the east with boat rentals. It's known as the Muskie Capitol of the south, great fishing.
Hope this helps some, and please enjoy your visit.

 

[FRR]

Make sure you visit the Eastern part of the state. Red River Gorge is a great place to visit. Pikeville, Carter Caves, ride through Morehead and visit the beautiful campus, (I'm bias since I have 2 degrees from the school), Jenny Lind State Park, and others. The mountains and the back roads are terrific to ride. The people are great and the culture is very different than your home area, ( I lived 4 years in Findlay). Take RT 68 down through Springfield, Wilmington, down to Ripley and ride the river to Maysville and use that neat little town as your entry point to the state. RT 23 from Ashland to Pikeville is a great ride with 4 lane highway all the way. If you really want to visit an isolated area ride over to Harlin County. There is so much to see in the Commonwealth, that is for sure.

 

[Thomkm]

Great info guys, keep it coming...I live about and hour from Findlay... FRR so I am familiar with the area. We have been looking at the Eastern part of the state. Any suggestions on where to stay as a central point to ride out from? We usually stay at HI Express when we travel...

 

[Lucky]

Looking at taking a spring trip to Kentucky and ride for a few days. Depending on how my back feels we might trailer the Trike to one location and ride from there.

Any suggestions on things to see and do would be appreciated...

I don't know wether it is still available or not,but Road Runner Mag. did a Shamrock ride from Burkes mountain.We rode it awhile back and it was great.RIDE SAFE

 

[cblack6540]

Ky is great i live there 6 months a year in the most eastern county (Pike) Have fun...

 

[twalf]

thinking about a trip to ky myself, this coming summer

 

[OldBay]

Morehead, Ky has a HI Express
http://moreheadky.comThis link will give ya some idea of where located and what is in the area.

 

[Ken45]

Make sure you visit the Eastern part of the state. Red River Gorge is a great place to visit. Pikeville, Carter Caves, ride through Morehead and visit the beautiful campus, (I'm bias since I have 2 degrees from the school), Jenny Lind State Park, and others. The mountains and the back roads are terrific to ride. The people are great and the culture is very different than your home area, ( I lived 4 years in Findlay). Take RT 68 down through Springfield, Wilmington, down to Ripley and ride the river to Maysville and use that neat little town as your entry point to the state. RT 23 from Ashland to Pikeville is a great ride with 4 lane highway all the way. If you really want to visit an isolated area ride over to Harlin County. There is so much to see in the Commonwealth, that is for sure.

Yes, I was going to suggest the scenic loop through Red River Gorge, including the Nada tunnel.

US 23 south of Pikeville is absolutely stunning mountain scenery and great 4 lane roads.

Our last trip we went down to Cumberland Gap (very nice), and then took US58 through the Virginia mountains to US23 at Big Stone Gap and then back. Very scenic all the way.

Eastern Kentucky has many great cycle roads. Just be aware that it sometimes is a long way from point A to point B because of all of the constant curves between them

Ken

 

[Gabby Hayes]

Eastern Kentucky is the greatest secret in the world because it has it all. Beautiful scenery, hospitable people, great places to eat,slow twisties that makes trike riding enjoyable, plenty of two lane backroads that are challenging, easy access on and off highways to numerous hotels, historical sites--should I quit now or is this just a testament to Eastern Kentucky. Virginia, West Virginia, Tenn. are within just a few hours ride from here to there so making the Pikeville area your temporary home while riding, WE WANT YOU TO COME !!!!!

Gabby

WA4HFJ
Asst. Chapter Dir. "T"

 

[Shriner Jim]

Just head south from Ohio, stop when you're hungry, lie down when you're sleepy, I promise you will not have a bad day in KY!

 

[Thomkm]

Eastern Kentucky is the greatest secret in the world because it has it all. Beautiful scenery, hospitable people, great places to eat,slow twisties that makes trike riding enjoyable, plenty of two lane backroads that are challenging, easy access on and off highways to numerous hotels, historical sites--should I quit now or is this just a testament to Eastern Kentucky. Virginia, West Virginia, Tenn. are within just a few hours ride from here to there so making the Pikeville area your temporary home while riding, WE WANT YOU TO COME !!!!!

Gabby

WA4HFJ
Asst. Chapter Dir. "T"

Sounds like everything we are looking for Gabby...really looking forward to it...

 

[FRR]

Great info guys, keep it coming...I live about and hour from Findlay... FRR so I am familiar with the area. We have been looking at the Eastern part of the state. Any suggestions on where to stay as a central point to ride out from? We usually stay at HI Express when we travel...

I haven't read this post in a while, so I hope you are still reading. Ashland is a neat little town of about 30,000 and they have motels there and it is a great drop off point to head south on RT 23 down to Pikeville and points south. I lived in Findlay in the 80's and in Eastern Ky in the 60's. Get off the beaten path and ride thorugh Inez, and Beauty and two miles from there is Lovely. ( I'm not making this stuff up) These are old coal mining towns and some have seen there better days, but great country and nice folks. Like I said before, there is much to see.

 

[Thomkm]

I haven't read this post in a while, so I hope you are still reading. Ashland is a neat little town of about 30,000 and they have motels there and it is a great drop off point to head south on RT 23 down to Pikeville and points south. I lived in Findlay in the 80's and in Eastern Ky in the 60's. Get off the beaten path and ride thorugh Inez, and Beauty and two miles from there is Lovely. ( I'm not making this stuff up) These are old coal mining towns and some have seen there better days, but great country and nice folks. Like I said before, there is much to see.

I check in almost everyday...starting to wonder where our spring is...haha. Still plan on visiting Kentucky..and Ashland sounds like our kinda place....

Thanks again for the info...

 

[wimoonshiner]

I would recommend the Bourbon Trail!! Looks like an excellent time!! Also, the is a festival called the Hillbilly Fest! Also looks like a hoot!!

 

[kb9osl]

Yes the Bourbon Trail is a very senic ride and be sure to visit the six distillarys,get your stamp at each on then send it in for a free tee! We done it year before last and doing it again this June. One can do all 6 in a days time,but thats pushing it . If staying in Bardstown be cure to check to see what's going on the time of your visit,they seem to be very busy from May to Oct. but Elizabethtown has more motels. Hope you can ride and enjoy a trip with no back issues or other problems.pepper

 

[Thomkm]

Yes the Bourbon Trail is a very senic ride and be sure to visit the six distillarys,get your stamp at each on then send it in for a free tee! We done it year before last and doing it again this June. One can do all 6 in a days time,but thats pushing it . If staying in Bardstown be cure to check to see what's going on the time of your visit,they seem to be very busy from May to Oct. but Elizabethtown has more motels. Hope you can ride and enjoy a trip with no back issues or other problems.pepper

Looking into the Bourbon Trail... sounds like fun...thinking about 2 or 3 days in the area, and looking for a central place to stay. Thanks for the info....pepper

 

[Doc Dyna]

For out of stater's, definately do the Bourbon Trail. They added a new distillery in Lexington to the list. I have made that circuit serveral times. Living in Danville, puts me almost in the center. I have been to most of them multiple times. (only 30-45 min away). Like lots of others posted, Eastern Ky is a secret jewel. I second the Red River Gorge. Make a day of that one park the bike a few of the sites and walk a hundred yards. Breath-taking views. If you like the horse iindustry, many or the farms around lex offer tours. Visit Clayborn Farm near Paris, was there last yr and it and it's history (Secretariat) are the best. So come on down and see all the great stuff we locals take for granit.Anytime after mid-May is fairly good weather.
Come stay in Danville, we where finalist in America's #1 Town great area, great people, within a hour to all distilleries. Check out Centre College here, we have had 2 Vice-Pres debates here.

 

[Calman]

Thanks for starting this thread. GF and I are making KY part of a 7 day trip starting the 21st. Will use some of ya'lls suggestions. Basic route is from Coastal NC to Lake Jordan (Raleigh), BRPW to Stone Mountain State Park, over Lexington then down to Somerset. Return is via Deals Gap and Kickstand Motorlodge and Asheboro, NC. Will be GFs first m/c camping trip of a significant length.