A really fun mix of kitsch and quirk with a side of adventure and bourbon, Bowling Green is the South’s up and coming destination. The burgeoning town with southern charm and out of this world food is located along Route 65 between Nashville and Lexington in the rolling green hills of southern Kentucky, which makes it a great road trip destination.
Kentucky boasts pleasant weather throughout most of the year, not too hot in the summers, like places farther south can get. During the Spring, travelers can observe nature in full bloom at many of the town’s parks, including Mammoth Cave National Park, home to fields of flowers and the world’s longest underground cave system, and Lost River Cave, with an underground river cruise and a high-flying zip line. The adventures in Bowling Green are both above and below ground.
The city is also home to wineries, breweries and authentic eateries alike. Bowling Green is a gourmand’s paradise. The city boasts many homegrown, farm-to-table restaurants that serve delicious food and Southern hospitality with every helping. Local favorites include Home Café, Hickory & Oak and the Boyce General Store – home to Brie Golliher, the famous Pie Queen of Bowling Green. No visit to the city is complete without indulging in some homemade ice cream at Chaney’s Dairy Barn, a real working farm that doles out the best ice cream in Kentucky.
Choose From More Than 125 Bourbons
Hickory & Oak is a new restaurant in town with a cool, bright Brooklyn-esque aesthetic that serves craft bourbon cocktails from Southern distilleries. The food is delicious too, as they serve modern twists on Southern classics. It isthe home of one of Bowling Green’s largest bourbon lists with more than 125 bourbons on the menu, as well as classic cocktails with innovative twists.
Head Underground and Explore a National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the longest underground cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of caves spanning below the park surface. These underground trails range in difficulty, length and subject with the more action-packed ones venturing more than 300 feet deep. The park is also home to a number of biking, hiking, equestrian and water trails, perfect for any type of outdoors adventure. Not only are these trails exciting, but they stay at a cool mid-50 degrees year-round, so they are a welcome refresh in the summer heat.
Get Lost on a Cruise
Lost River Cave is home to Kentucky’s only underground river cruise, which takes visitors through stalactite formations on a sublime cave river. Led by expert guides, visitors will learn about the history of the cave – once the site of a Prohibition-era nightclub – its natural composition, and the important place it holds in the local ecosystem. Above ground, Lost River recently unveiled a high-flying zip line through the surrounding canopy of trees and over the gorge, sure to get everyone’s adrenaline pumping. There is also a version for the little ones so that everyone in the family can get in some Flying Squirrel action.
Get Behind The Wheel of America’s Dream Car
The National Corvette Museum is the only place in the world where corvettes are produced and sold. The museum is an interactive experience, where car enthusiasts and average travelers alike will enjoy the 70+ corvettes showcased in periodic settings. The museum features various exhibits, including one detailing the sinkhole that swallowed part of the museum in 2014. Visitors can race corvettes on a 3.15-mile racetrack at the neighboring Motorsports Park, called the “Corvette Experience.”
It’s Not Just About The Bourbon
White Squirrel Brewery, Bowling Green’s local microbrewery, was established by a group of Western Kentucky University grads and named after the infamous white squirrels that frequent the town. White Squirrel dishes up a variety of interesting twists on Southern classics, such as the Hot Jam burger (a burger with jam on an English muffin), that pair perfectly with its made-in-house brews, such as the White Squirrel Kolsch or Nut Brown Ale.
Where To Stay
The Lodge at Olde Stoneoffers 12 spacious overnight accommodations that feature upscale furnishings, including queen-sized beds and complimentary wireless Internet access. Lodge rooms also offer views of Olde Stone’s outdoor gardens, rolling golf course and lake. Each room features a different Kentucky-inspired theme. Guests have access to golf privileges at the unaccompanied guest rate, upon availability. The 18-hole course was designed by the legendary Arthur Hills and, in 2007, was listed No. 8 in Golf Digest’s Best New Private Courses. The par 72 yardage ranges from 5,400 to more than 7,400 yards, with five tee boxes to choose from. Newly added Zeon Zoysia fairways and classic bentgrass greens are dotted with 99 bunkers.
Another great lodging option is Kentucky Grand Hotel & Spa. It isBowling Green’s luxury boutique hotelwith its custom-made suites and penthouses with sweeping views of downtown Bowling Green. Within the hotel is also a posh piano bar adorned with Derby décor that serves craft cocktails, as well as a new restaurant, the Bluegrass.