go west
Every summer, wanderlust strikes. I assume this is a holdover from my youth, when the last day of school marked three months of little to worry about other than running through the sprinkler, bike riding and, oftentimes, traveling to Florida to visit my grandmother, Mickey Mouse and the ocean. Even though I am no longer granted day upon carefree day to enjoy summer, I find a little bit of travel can go a long way toward satisfying my desire to explore and unwind.
Work took me to western Kentucky in June for two overnight trips. These mini getaways appeased my travel bug and, at the same time, fueled it with longing to explore more.
In our August issue, you can read more about my trip to the Apple Valley Hillbilly Garden and Toyland Museum in Calvert City. We’ll also share with you five other family-friendly attractions within short driving distances—one for each region of the state.
While in the Paducah area, my husband and I had to the pleasure of dining at Max’s Brick Oven, one of many restaurants on the very charming Market House Square. We capped off our evening with a stroll along the riverfront to enjoy the murals and scenic view, followed by experiencing the “Live on Broadway” street fair, where several bands performed and many shops stayed open late.
Creativity and an abundance of talent marked my trip to Owensboro last week. I had the pleasure of spending time with two visual artists. They differ in age (one is 94, the other 29) and artistic styles, but both display a deep appreciation and love for the state we call home. We’ll introduce you to these remarkable men in upcoming issues of the magazine.
I also got to spend an evening at the ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival and was completely blown away. Put on by the International Bluegrass Music Museum, ROMP embraces Kentucky’s musical heritage in mammoth fashion. More than 20 bands performed during the three-day event and thousands of people braved the 100-plus degree temperatures to celebrate the sound born here in the Bluegrass State (you can try to claim it, Tennessee, but everyone knows Bluegrass music is Kentucky music!). This is one event every Kentuckian should experience.
My trips were brief and, of course, made me wish I had more time to enjoy Lowertown Arts District, the National Quilt Museum, Land Between the Lakes, the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden, the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art, the fabulous eateries … and the list could go on and on and on. But isn’t that the great thing about Kentucky? Our state will never fail to feed the travel bug!