Drive rolling roads lined with field-stone fences, and see a Shaker Village, good sippin’ Kentucky bourbon, and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site.
Leave Lexington to the south on Route 68 and drive to Harrodsburg over some of the best rolling roads lined with field-stone fences in the heart of the Bluegrass portion of Kentucky. Short trips on side streets can put the best of roller coasters to shame. There’s a wealth of American history to take in during the 115-mile drive, as well as the Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill. The village is located halfway between Harrodsburg and Lexington, the first permanent settlement in Kentucky. Continue your drive south for 10 miles and you will reach Danville, one of Kentucky’s historic communities. Coming from Danville, head west on Route 150 to the heart of the Civil War action in Perrysville.
Several more miles west on Route 150 takes you in the Springfield area, which is steeped in Lincoln family history. Here you find the Lincoln Homestead State Park that highlights the cabin of Nancy Hanks, President Lincoln’s lovely mother, and the site of her grandiose wedding to Thomas Lincoln.
Continue on Route 150 and you will soon 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 every night. The local folks say that on a quiet night, if you focus for a spell, you may actually hear Foster himself sing many of his great Kentucky songs. A short distance farther on this direcyion, just past the Bardstown spot at Hodgenville, south on U.S. 31, you can tour the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site. If Kentucky bourbon fascinates you, Bardstown is the home of many famous distilleries. Most Kentucky bourbon can be tasted at finer Kentucky restaurants.
Starting Point:
Lexington/Route 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:
Shaker Village
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historic Site
My Old Kentucky Home
Tagged with: best time:spring and fall • Kentucky
Filed under: Best Road Trips