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Kentucky Country Flow
Follow the flow of the great rivers of the South past the rolling blue grass hills of Kentucky into the music cities of Memphis and Nashville. Taste the bourbon, see the horses, listen to the music, visit the studios and explore the Appalachian Mountains. All is possible on this fly-drive holiday through the American South. There is so much to see and learn from the American Civil War via the Civil Rights Movement to the movement of slaves; enjoy the glorious countryside of Kentucky intermingled with the bars and restaurants of Tennessee.
This itinerary is flexible and can be tailor-made to suit you; if you want to add extra days in one area, extend the holiday or maybe change the direction of travel. Talk to one of our experts about how to make this holiday the perfect one for you.
Ms Young"Seamless Holiday"
We used Frontier Travel to book our honeymoon. We were given all the information we needed and everything ran seamlessly. We had a fantastic time, the hotels and lodges were perfect. Thank you for organising such a brilliant trip!
Itinerary (14 Nights)
Here’s a day-by-day guide to your itinerary. Feel free to ask us to add other days or ideas and excursions by contacting us directly, so we can give you the best price.
Days 1-2
Cincinnati to Covington
Fly into Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky airport, collect your rental car and drive the 14...
Days 1-2
Cincinnati
to Covington
Fly into Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky airport, collect your rental car and drive the 14 miles to Covington on the Ohio River for your first night in Kentucky. Enjoy a stroll through the historic centre before finding a good dinner and a well-earned night’s sleep.
The banks of the Ohio River meant freedom to hundreds of slaves. Visit the National Underground Railroad Center which shows three centuries of slavery from its introduction into the Americas to its abolition at the end of the American Civil War.
2 nights Covington
Day 3
Covington to Louisville
Depart Covington and head south toward Louisville known for its multimillion-dollar Kentucky Derby held each...
Day 3
Covington
to Louisville
Depart Covington and head south toward Louisville known for its multimillion-dollar Kentucky Derby held each May at Churchill Downs. Downtown Louisville rolls gently down towards Main Street then abruptly lunges down to the river where the historic Belle of Louisville leaves for daily sightseeing cruises. Don’t miss the Slugger Museum and Factory and be sure to sample the Urban Bourbon Trail along Whiskey Row and around town. Louisville was also the home of the great boxer Muhammad Ali and you can visit the centre dedicated to him.
1 night Louisville
Day 4
Louisville to Pleasant Hill
Today your drive takes you to the heart of Kentucky horse country, Lexington, before spending...
Day 4
Louisville
to Pleasant Hill
Today your drive takes you to the heart of Kentucky horse country, Lexington, before spending the night at a historic Shaker community. If you are in Lexington in April or October make an afternoon of racing at Keeneland Race Course, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is home to an impressive collection of Shaker architecture, furniture, artefacts and historians. With 34 Shaker structures, built from 1809 to 1875, the site is the country’s largest private collection of original 19th century buildings. You can either stay here, named as a top hidden travel destination by the BBC, in one of the hotels in Lexington or at the Charred Oaks Inn on the outskirts of the town.
1 night in Pleasant Hill or Lexington
Day 5
Pleasant Hill to Bowling Green
Today you will drive part of the Bluegrass Parkway, through Bardstown (voted America’s most beautiful...
Day 5
Pleasant Hill
to Bowling Green
Today you will drive part of the Bluegrass Parkway, through Bardstown (voted America’s most beautiful small town by USA today), towards Bowling Green. You might want to stop at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center, and the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville before you get to today’s highlight which will be Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system known in the world.
The iconic Chevrolet Corvette has been assembled by General Motors at Bowling Green since 1981; you can take a fascinating guided tour of the factory where they still make 137 cars per day and the National Corvette Museum.
1 night in Bowling Green
Days 6-8
Bowling Green to Memphis
The world’s 7th City of Crafts and Folk Art in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network,...
Days 6-8
Bowling Green
to
Memphis
The world’s 7th City of Crafts and Folk Art in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, Paducah KY, at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee River, is home to the National Quilt Museum, the Lower Town Arts District and 50 life-sized panoramic floodwall murals. Stop here on the way to Memphis.
After visiting Paducah, leave the Ohio River which has been your companion for much of the journey so far and join the mighty Mississippi as you journey to Memphis, renowned as the Home of the Blues and Birthplace of Rock’n’Roll. Travellers flock from all over the world to view the famous Sun Studio and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music as well as the Smithsonian’s Rock’n’Soul Museum and the Gibson Guitar Factory. You can discover African-American history at Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum and explore the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel. You cannot mention Memphis without thinking of Elvis who made his home at Graceland on the outskirts of the city. You can either stay at the recently renovated Graceland or in one of Memphis’ many excellent hotels.
3 nights Memphis
Days 9-10
Leave Memphis, making your way east through the cotton fields to Nashville. You might like...
Days 9-10
Memphis
to
Nashville
Leave Memphis, making your way east through the cotton fields to Nashville. You might like to stop for lunch to sample the Southern delicacies served at The Old Country Store at the Casey Jones Village in Jackson.
Nashville may be best known for its country roots, but it is also home to a diverse mix of musicians (Kings of Leon, the Black Keys, Jack White) and a variety of music (rock, Americana, bluegrass, blues, gospel) as well as the largest song writing community in the world. There is so much to see here that you might need to spend an extra night to see it all. Among the highlights are the Grand Ole Opry stage and radio show, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the history Ryman Auditorium, but Nashville’s appeal also lies in its bars and restaurants, many of which offer live music.
2 nights Nashville
Days 11-12
For a complete change of pace, continue to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s...
Days 11-12
Nashville
to
Great Smoky Mountains
For a complete change of pace, continue to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most visited national park, and stretching for half-a-million acres across Tennessee and North Carolina. Hike, cycle, horse-back ride, drive or rent a motorbike and explore the scenic roads. The nearby towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and Townsend offer a wide array of activities from to mini Nascar racing to zip-lining. Make time for the extraordinary Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, built in half-scale to the original ship, and the excellent outlet shopping.
Also in Pigeon Forge is Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park spanning160 acres with rides suitable for all the family.
2 nights in Pigeon Forge or Sevierville
Days 13-14
Great Smoky Mountains to Chattanooga
Drive south from the Smokies to Chattanooga and you are travelling through the ancient homeland...
Days 13-14
Great Smoky Mountains
to Chattanooga
Drive south from the Smokies to Chattanooga and you are travelling through the ancient homeland and territory of the Cherokee Indians. Chattanooga is nestled along the beautiful Tennessee River and surrounded by spectacular mountains. You will need a couple of days to explore Lookout Mountain which boasts the steepest incline railway in the world, the excellent aquarium, the underground Ruby Falls and the American Civil War Battlefield at Point Park.
2 nights at Chattanooga
Day 15
Chattanooga to Atlanta
Once in Atlanta you can either drop your car at the airport or fly home,...
Day 15
Chattanooga
to
Atlanta
Once in Atlanta you can either drop your car at the airport or fly home, but Frontier America would highly recommend you spend a couple of nights in the city. You can visit the World of Coca-Cola, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site or the house where Gone with the Wind was written, not to speak of some splendid shopping malls.
J Smith - Travelled New York to TorontoI have just returned from a tailor made holiday made possible by Jeannette Dembrey. This was the first time I had ever organised such a major holiday and as it was a gift for my children after my retirement it was really important to get things right. I went to quite a few agencies but Jeannette was way better than any of the people who I spoke to. She was so professional and wanted me to get the best from the money I could afford. The holiday was absolutely amazing and everything went like clockwork. Jeannette had thought of everything even the connections between places and the things we would do in each town. We stayed in 6 hotels altogether starting in New York and ending in Toronto. I am amazed at how smoothly it went. Even my son who has travelled all over the world was impressed with the way things had been organised. I cannot praise Jeannette enough for her professionalism. Thank you Jeannette. I would recommend you to anyone with the satisfaction of knowing that you did an amazing job. Thank you.
