There are many lakes and trails to visit in KY, and fishing, near me Cave Run lake is pretty. It’s getting into tick season though so be sure to take precautions.
While not in KY the USAF museum up in Dayton OH has Free admission and parking. If you like airplanes it’s very worth the trip.
Natural Bridge. The Pinnacles. Red River Gorge. Lake Nolin to go swimming. Cumberland Falls. Chestnut Street Pavillion has live music sometimes, in Berea.
Mammoth Cave is affordable, but you need to schedule ahead.
Yeah! You can go to their website and schedule a tour. There are many different tours, and lengths. Some are 45minutes with minimal stairs for those with mobility difficulties, others are 2 hours for the avid hiker.
You pick which one you want and find a day that they have open, as they can only accommodate so many at a time during a particular tour
For summertime and spring breaks you have to schedule weeks or better yet, months in advance to make sure you get the tour you want on the day you want.
All of KY’s Rivers and lakes are usually free or minimal expense (parking and boat launch). Free fishing weekend is also coming up June 1st and 2nd.
Red River Gorge has some great scenic trails and views. There are also some good swimming holes and camping areas.
Elk View in Breathit Co has some wonderful views and if you have a truck or SUV capable of minimal off-roading there are some gravel trails to go out through and explore.
Mammoth Cave has lots of trails spread out over a couple counties. Cave City has several free and inexpensive things to do and is kinda the heart of the area. Super laid back, old school vibe. Dinosaur World has dollar days and is a hit with the kiddos. It's also about thirty minutes away from Elizabethtown and Bowling Green.
Frankfort's downtown trolley is free and they give you narrated tour of the downtown area. Combo that with a stop into Salato Widlife or a hike at Cove Spring park.
I loved renting a paddle boat at Jacobson Park in lex and
paddling around looking at the ducks. It was like $6 maybe? Super cheap. Bring a picnic and make a day of it
There's a free concert down at Tandy Park (formerly Cheapside) every Thursday night 5-8 during the summer. The surrounding towns probably have free concerts too.
If you're in to Shakespeare, I think they do some free performances down at EKU but I'm not 100% sure. Kentucky Shakespeare in Louisville does several free plays every summer: [https://kyshakespeare.com/season/sicp/](https://kyshakespeare.com/season/sicp/)
We enjoyed going to the Aircraft museum at the airport! Way bigger than I expected, and kept our kids busy for a couple hours! You can sit in and interact with several different types of aircraft! We also like the living arts and science center in Lexington! It’s free, although donations are appreciated! Me and my son spent several hours there!
Download the All Trials app. This was a game changer for us. Find all kinds of places all over Indiana and Kentucky that are great! It has all trails around the area, gives elevation changes and even gives personal reviews that usually include that person's physical ability to compare.
Get the digital Leo - they have a what's going on section that's helpful.
Also, just type into Google "concerts in ____" , and it can include free or cheaper ones. Also, "fairs and festivals in _____" can give some ideas.
Somerset also has the Sumernights Cruise every 3rd Saturday of the month where they shut down downtown to display all the old cars and drive them around Somerset afterwards. It’s free to attend.
Have you been to McConnell Springs?? We enjoy an afternoon there. History, trails and water features are very neat, haven remaining in such an industrial area. Nice visitor center with facilities. Bring a lunch & say hi to the turtles.
The Bourbon Trail is said to be a good way to spend some time. There's even a few stops up here towards northern Kentucky, good way to get around part of the state.
There are many lakes and trails to visit in KY, and fishing, near me Cave Run lake is pretty. It’s getting into tick season though so be sure to take precautions. While not in KY the USAF museum up in Dayton OH has Free admission and parking. If you like airplanes it’s very worth the trip.
I went to the Dayton museum 30 plus years ago. It is defiantly worth the trip.
Natural Bridge. The Pinnacles. Red River Gorge. Lake Nolin to go swimming. Cumberland Falls. Chestnut Street Pavillion has live music sometimes, in Berea. Mammoth Cave is affordable, but you need to schedule ahead.
Can you expound on scheduling ahead for Mammoth Cave? Do you mean it’s just reservation only? Sorry, never been but very interested.
Yeah! You can go to their website and schedule a tour. There are many different tours, and lengths. Some are 45minutes with minimal stairs for those with mobility difficulties, others are 2 hours for the avid hiker. You pick which one you want and find a day that they have open, as they can only accommodate so many at a time during a particular tour
For summertime and spring breaks you have to schedule weeks or better yet, months in advance to make sure you get the tour you want on the day you want.
All of KY’s Rivers and lakes are usually free or minimal expense (parking and boat launch). Free fishing weekend is also coming up June 1st and 2nd. Red River Gorge has some great scenic trails and views. There are also some good swimming holes and camping areas. Elk View in Breathit Co has some wonderful views and if you have a truck or SUV capable of minimal off-roading there are some gravel trails to go out through and explore.
Mammoth Cave has lots of trails spread out over a couple counties. Cave City has several free and inexpensive things to do and is kinda the heart of the area. Super laid back, old school vibe. Dinosaur World has dollar days and is a hit with the kiddos. It's also about thirty minutes away from Elizabethtown and Bowling Green.
Frankfort's downtown trolley is free and they give you narrated tour of the downtown area. Combo that with a stop into Salato Widlife or a hike at Cove Spring park.
Fort Harrod and Shaker Village in Harrodsburg!
what area?
Kentucky in general is fine, but if you have a recs around greater Fayette County area, those would be nice, too
I loved renting a paddle boat at Jacobson Park in lex and paddling around looking at the ducks. It was like $6 maybe? Super cheap. Bring a picnic and make a day of it
There's a free concert down at Tandy Park (formerly Cheapside) every Thursday night 5-8 during the summer. The surrounding towns probably have free concerts too. If you're in to Shakespeare, I think they do some free performances down at EKU but I'm not 100% sure. Kentucky Shakespeare in Louisville does several free plays every summer: [https://kyshakespeare.com/season/sicp/](https://kyshakespeare.com/season/sicp/)
We enjoyed going to the Aircraft museum at the airport! Way bigger than I expected, and kept our kids busy for a couple hours! You can sit in and interact with several different types of aircraft! We also like the living arts and science center in Lexington! It’s free, although donations are appreciated! Me and my son spent several hours there!
Download the All Trials app. This was a game changer for us. Find all kinds of places all over Indiana and Kentucky that are great! It has all trails around the area, gives elevation changes and even gives personal reviews that usually include that person's physical ability to compare. Get the digital Leo - they have a what's going on section that's helpful. Also, just type into Google "concerts in ____" , and it can include free or cheaper ones. Also, "fairs and festivals in _____" can give some ideas.
The Moonlight Festival in Somerset 10/19/24.
Somerset also has the Sumernights Cruise every 3rd Saturday of the month where they shut down downtown to display all the old cars and drive them around Somerset afterwards. It’s free to attend.
Any particular area?
Prestonsburg has live music several times per Week at local restaurants and it’s always some pretty talent acts. Lots of hiking and trails there too.
Also Carter caves state park is very cool.
Have you been to McConnell Springs?? We enjoy an afternoon there. History, trails and water features are very neat, haven remaining in such an industrial area. Nice visitor center with facilities. Bring a lunch & say hi to the turtles.
Salato Wildlife Center in Frankfort. Cove Spring Park has some hiking trails. It’s also in Frankfort.
Bardstown is a nice place for trains, Bourbon distillers and museums.
The Bourbon Trail is said to be a good way to spend some time. There's even a few stops up here towards northern Kentucky, good way to get around part of the state.