Kentucky #1

Kentucky #1

Posted: Jun 20, 2009 8:29 PM
Updated: Jun 20, 2009 8:29 PM

Driving Today: Legendary Drives

Kentucky #1
My Old Kentucky Home

Depart Lexington to the south on Rte. 68 and drive to Harrodsburg over some of the best rolling roads lined with field-stone fences in the heart of the Bluegrass part of Kentucky. Short trips on side roads can put the best of roller coasters to shame. There's a wealth of American history to take in during the 115-mile drive, including the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. The village is located halfway between Lexington and Harrodsburg, the first permanent settlement in Kentucky. Continue your drive south for ten miles and you will come to Danville, one of Kentucky's historic communities. From Danville head west on Rte. 150 to the heart of the Civil War action in Perrysville.

A few more miles west on Rte. 150 puts you in the Springfield area, which is steeped in Lincoln family history. Here you find the Lincoln Homestead State Park that features the cabin of Nancy Hanks, President Lincoln's mother, and the site of her wedding to Thomas Lincoln.

Continue on Rte. 150 and you will reach My Old Kentucky Home State Park. A high point in this park during the summer is the musical, "The Stephen Foster Story," which is performed nightly. The locals say that on a quiet night, if you concentrate for a spell, you may actually hear Foster himself sing many of his great Kentucky songs. A short distance farther on this route, just past the Bardstown area at Hodgenville, south on U.S. 31, you can tour the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site. If Kentucky bourbon interests you, Bardstown is the home of many famous distilleries. Most Kentucky bourbon can be sampled at finer Kentucky restaurants.

Starting Point:
Lexington/Rte. U.S. 68 South

Distance of Drive:
115 miles

Must Eat:
Inn at Pleasant Hill (Shaker Village)
3500 Lexington Road, Harrodsburg, KY 40330
Phone: 859-734-5411
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For: Fine Home Style

Best Time of Year for Drive:
Early spring to late fall

Points of Interest on Drive:
My Old Kentucky Home
Shaker Village
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site

See also: Kentucky #2, The Ridge to the Natural Bridge