Community Forums

franknj · 03-21-2015, 05:58 PM

Last year I asked you all to help plan our vacation and it was incredible. A 2000 mile trip through new england. This year I want to spend a couple weeks visiting Kentucky and or Tennessee. We enjoy hiking, horseback riding, and a lot of other activities including anything in, on or around water. We are traveling with a 15 year old.

That leaves a lot of territory so please feel free to share your thoughts on what might be a food route from NJ as well as great campsites, attractions and must visit locations. We enjoy quaint towns too. Time frame is end june/early July. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

palehorse89 · 03-21-2015, 06:47 PM

Here is something to get ya started..... LBL Guide - Your Source for the Land Between the Lakes

franknj · 03-21-2015, 06:52 PM

Thanks for the start pale horse.

palehorse89 · 03-21-2015, 06:55 PM

That is a large wonderful area around those lakes , with a lot to do and explore....... http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/

A nice campground http://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/se...ry-campground/

Scr392 · 03-22-2015, 08:35 PM

A few thoughts
1. bowling Green Ky. corvette factory
2. Mammoth Cave NP just north of Bowling Green
3. Louisville Ky. Ky downs and Louiseville Slugger Factory
4. Lots of stuff in east Tenn.
5. Do a search for both bourbon and whiskey distillery
6.

franknj · 03-22-2015, 09:28 PM

Ah yes...bourbon and whiskey were definitely in the plan. Thx.

Ray,IN · 03-23-2015, 12:08 AM

There are a LOT of historical sites in those states. Many civil war battlefields to tour. Bardstown KY is perhaps the best known historical town, but there are so many I doubt anyone has visited all of them.
Your best resource is to email the KY and TN vistiors bureaus and request a visitor guide. From those, you may do the same for interesting sounding towns.
Even if none of you drink alchohol, do the burbon trail in KY., it is quite interesting. Watching them make aging barrells is fascinating to me.

DannyA · 03-23-2015, 01:47 PM

Lots to do in Gatlinburg and that area. Nashville area much to see and do.
Memphis, might stay at Tom Sawyer RV Park and explore that area and see Graceland.
If you are traveling between Nashville and Memphis stop by the Old County Store and Casey Jones Village in Jackson, pretty interesting.
Shiloh Civil War Battlefield if you enjoy that is in the West TN area.

336muffin · 03-23-2015, 01:56 PM

The Kentucky Horse Park is nice,museum, shows ect. But be aware........120 pounds of water pressure and the don't tell you! Just north of Lexington,ky off I-75.

mricet1005 · 03-23-2015, 04:07 PM

In KY: Bourbon trail has many distilleries to visit. In Louisville, Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger factory, and Belle of Louisville. Ky horse park as mentioned in Lexington. Scenic state parks in Eastern Mountains - Natural Bridge, Red River Gorge, Cumberland Lake, etc. Mammoth Cave NP in central Ky. Land Between the Lakes in Western Ky. Bardstown for My Old Ky Home.

For TN: Smokey Mountains NP and surrounding areas. Nashville and Country Music scene. Memphis - BBQ, Blues music, Elvis house museum.

tkcas01 · 03-23-2015, 04:46 PM

I was pleasantly surprised at the nice hiking and rock formations in Daniel Boone Nat'l Forest.

franknj · 03-23-2015, 07:24 PM

Thank you all for the great info. Now I need to plan possible routes from NJ and find the right campgrounds. Thanks for the water pressure tips. I always use an external regulator wherever I go after reading what can happen. I don't understand why the manufacturer wouldn't have one built in.

mricet1005 · 03-23-2015, 08:05 PM

I have family in KY and travel there fairly frequently from central NJ. Have done 3 routes: 1) i78 to i81 to i70 to i68 to i79 to i64, 2) Pa tpk to Ohio Tpk i76 to Columbus then down to Cincinnati and on to Louisville, 3) via D.C. to visit daughter then i81 to i64.

If going to Tennessee first I would go i78 then down i81 to cutoff for Gatlinburg. Don't remember highway off i81.

Not a lot of campground options in Louisville. Stayed at Grandma's RV in Shepherdsville, but don't recommend. This time staying at KOA South Louisville (also in Shepherdsville)

W4RLR · 03-24-2015, 01:38 AM

The Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee is not to be missed. A lunch at Miss Mary Bobos in Lynchburg is a treat. There's the Tennessee Aquarium, Rock City, and Ruby Falls as well as the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga. Nashville of course with the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, and south of town, the famous Loveless Cafe and its to die for biscuits.