From Loretta Lynn and the Judds, Dwight Yoakam and Ricky Skaggs to Kentucky Hot Browns and Derby Pie, Kentucky has become synonymous with country music and good eatin'--not to mention horses and beautiful countryside. An easy way to sample a little bit of Kentucky is to take a tour along eastern Kentucky's Country Music Highway--formally US Route 23.
This 144-mile stretch covers seven counties--Greenup, Boyd, Lawrence, Johnson, Floyd, Pike, and Letcher counties--and has been recognized as a National Scenic Byway. The Country Music Highway isn't all about country music though; along the way you can learn about Native Americans, pioneers, the Civil War, and the coal mining industry. Named to recognize the many well-known country music stars of the region, the Country Music Highway tour offers a little bit of everything for the traveler.
Morehead
(You should probably allow three days for this trip--that way you're not rushing from one destination to the next.) Although not on the Country Music Highway, I wanted to incorporate a brief outing to Morehead, Ky., just 60 miles from downtown Lexington. It's a pretty drive and since you've already blocked out a couple of days, you should be just fine on time. A good place to start your tour is at the Kentucky Folk Art Center, located at 102 W. First St., in the historic Union grocery building. There you can meet Center Director Matt Collinsworth and Curator Adrian Swain, who are full of information and more than eager to answer any questions. The center, opened in 1997, features a permanent collection of contemporary and older folk art from around the state--or as Collinsworth and Swain describe it, "outsider" or self-taught art--and rotating exhibits upstairs. In addition to showcasing local folk artists, the center serves as a cultural center as well, and often hosts craft fairs, festivals, and other special interest events for area residents. The works in the permanent exhibit are very interesting--and very different from what Lexingtonians may be used to seeing. There are walking canes in the shape of Dolly Parton (equipped with wooden boobs!) while another cane was fondly referred to as "New York Prostitute." There are lots of interesting stone works, paintings, and even a bulldog made of painted gourds. Swain said that this type of art isn't normally displayed in Kentucky, and expressed pride in the area's "gifted artists."
A few hundred yards from the center sits the Cora Wilson Stewart Moonlight School, the last of the 64 one-room schools still left in Rowan County. Built in 1910 and named for school superintendent and Rowan County native Cora Wilson Stewart, the school was created to teach adults how to read after Stewart learned many of her students' parents couldn't read--making homework an impossible chore. Since many of the adults worked during the daylight hours, Stewart offered classes at night, and unless there was a full moon, the path to the school was impossible to find, thus the term "moonlight school" was born.
The first year Stewart offered adult moonlight reading lessons, 1,200 people signed upÖthen the next year, 1,600. After just four years, the literacy rates in Rowan County rose 98%, and it wasn't long until the rest of the nation adopted the concept. Stewart eventually became President Herbert Hoover's aid to literacy, until the Depression ended and the desire to learn to read decreased. The school was closed in 1963 and Stewart was officially recognized for her efforts in the 1980s.
After perusing the arts and crafts and heading back into time with your trip to the one-room school, treat yourself to a tasty dish at All Seasons Flowers, Fine Gifts, Home DÈcor & CafÈ, located at 134 E. Main St. The cafÈ's special is chicken salad, but homemade soups, sandwiches, pastas, and desserts are also available. While you're there, check out their shop, which is full of home and garden trinkets and accessories.
Prestonsburg
A great way to explore the Country Music Highway is to stay in the heart of it. Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. Located in Prestonsburg, Ky., the park is just minutes from such Country Music Highway attractions as Butcher Hollow and the Mountain Arts Center.
Visitors can stay in the May Lodge, which has nearly 50 rooms and the May Lodge Dining Room, where you can experience mountain country cookin' for breakfast, lunch, and dinner--all for a very wallet-friendly price. Private cottages are also available and can be reserved by visiting www.parks.ky.gov/resortparks/jw.
Park Manager Scott Ringham can share the story of legendary pioneer woman, and park namesake, Jenny Wiley, who was taken captive by Indians in 1789 and endured 11 months of captivity before she managed to escape. Ringham is full of stories and also knows the background behind the famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud. It has developed into the Hatfield-McCoy Reunion Festival and is held on the second weekend of June in Pike County, Ky.
The park offers lots of activities, including elk watching, camping, hiking, disc golf (a combination of golf and frisbee), and a variety of water sports. Located adjacent to Dewey Lake, visitors can take a pontoon ride, go swimming, fishing, or just relax poolside at the Jenny Wiley pool (open Memorial Day-August).
Another special feature of Jenny Wiley State Resort Park is the Jenny Wiley Theatre, which offers a schedule of professional productions during the summer months. On a recent stay, I had the pleasure of seeing "Beauty and the Beast," the musical, and it was outstanding. For a listing of this year's productions, visit www.jwtheatre.com.
While visiting the park, I got a chance to meet local crafter Russell Rice whose specialty is carving wood canes and walking sticks. His pieces are original, intricate, and many depict uniquely Bluegrass subjects , like canes with famous jockeys, UK history facts, and Derby winners carved into them. One particular stick, which is part of his private collection, took him nearly 90 hours to carve and complete! He said he has been working with wood his whole life (he's 86) and does it now, more or less, as a hobby. Visitors can purchase his wood-carved wonders by calling (606) 886-8687 or by mailing him at Cane with a Brain, 1211 Little Paint Rd, East Point, Ky., 41216.
Also located in Prestonsburg is the Mountain Arts Center, home to the Kentucky Opry, a troupe that formed in 1990, consisting of musicians who all call Eastern Kentucky home and perform an array of music from bluegrass to gospel. Billy Jean Ozborne opened the MAC in 1996 because she said she couldn't find a performance venue in the area.
"I noticed that all the Kentucky stars had to leave Kentucky to make it," said Ozborne. "So I started my video production and community-based, in-house show to promote local tourism. I eventually ended up meeting up with the right people and got the center up and going."
The 1,054-seat venue now hosts some of the area's, and nation's, most prestigious artists, such as George Jones, The Temptations, Loretta Lynn, John Hagee, and Merle Haggard to name a few. For a complete listing of upcoming events, visit www.macarts.com.
Butcher Hollow
A trip through Eastern Kentucky wouldn't be complete without making the short trip north from Prestonsburg to Butcher Hollow (pronounced Holler), home of the "Coal Miner's Daughter", Loretta Lynn, and her baby sister, country music star Crystal Gayle.
This quaint, little town is made up of mostly one-lane gravel roads and cute, brightly colored houses that seem to sit right on top of one another. Webb's Grocery, a.k.a. #5 to the locals, was the town's company store back in the coal mining days, and is now the local country convenience store. Inside you can find whatever it is that you need while perusing some of the Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle memorabilia owners Melvin and Clara Webb have collected.
Clara explained how Loretta has inspired people all over the world, not only with her music but with her story. "She has had a huge impact on people everywhere," said Clara, who purchased the store with her husband in '75. "A Norwegian woman came to visit not long ago, and she could not stop crying she was so excited. She saved money for over 10 years, just to come visit Butcher Hollow, Loretta's birthplace."
Clara went on to say that nearly every family in Butcher Hollow, except two, are related. And, just for the record, she added, "the movie [The Coal Miner's Daughter] was better than we thought."
Not far from Webb's Grocery is the small cabin where Loretta lived with her family, and Crystal Gayle was born. Along the way keep an eye out for mine #5, where Loretta's father used to work (through a small opening in the rock barricade, you can peer inside and easily imagine the discomfort and danger these men endured). Visitors can take a tour of the home with Loretta and Crystal's older brother, Herman Webb. The house is very small, and very neat, with hardwood floors and most of the original furnishings, even the beds. Rows upon rows of pictures and posters line the old, yellow walls. Other family members are represented, but it primarily catalogs the sisters' rise to fame.
On a recent trip, Herbert told stories of how the family would sit around playing music. "The whole family was musical," he said. Herbert and the rest of the Webb family live in or near Butcher Hollow and take pride in the success and fame of the singing beauties. "They come back to visit quite a bit," added Herbert. "They know their roots."
Paintsville
Just seven miles away is the small town of Paintsville, Ky. There you can visit the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum, which opened last April. Stroll the big open display room and enjoy video performances from area stars, view famous country music guitars, dresses, cowboy hats, and even boots from stars such as Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, Billy Ray Cyrus, the Judds, and more.
Minutes from the museum, heading towards downtown, is Wilma's Restaurant. There you can satisfy your need for good ol' stick-to-your-ribs mountain country grub. Experience the natural goodness of fresh corn, green beans, and cornbread--prepared country style (that means with plenty of butter, salt, and pepper--while choosing from such favorites as country fried chicken, fried fish, and chicken 'n dumplings. Owner Wilma Eldridge takes a lot of pride in her food and can be found with her elbows deep in flower and a smile on her face.
Ashland
A country music tour just wouldn't be complete without touring Ashland, Ky., home to Naomi, Wynona, and Ashley Judd. Ashland's two-mile walking (or driving) tour allows you to leisurely stroll from one historic site to the next. A great place to start is at the Paramount Theater, one of the primary performing arts venues for country music on the Country Music Highway. Paramount Theater helped launch the careers of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus and the Judds. In fact, Cyrus' biggest hit "Achy Breaky Heart" video was filmed inside the theater.
Paramount Theater was built by Paramount Pictures in 1931 as a motion picture theater. With the onset of the Great Depression, plans for the theater were scaled back, but that didn't deter visitors from stopping in through the years to catch an Elvis or Disney production--back then movies were only $.25 for kids 12 and younger! By the early 70s the theater was in danger of being knocked down. Thanks to a dedicated group of women, it was restored to its old grandeur, complete with original seats and murals. The Paramount Women's Association, formed in 1973, decided to take action and funds were raised to start the first round of restoration. The ladies realized what an integral part this theater played, not only for the residents of Ashland but for the events and activities it would then be able to host, such as today's Youth Education Series, Star Program, and Chili Festival. Since those first days of restoration, over $8 million has been raised to expand the stage, but its original art deco style has been retained.
Down Winchester Avenue, past the Paramount Theater, is The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center. This historical museum features interactive exhibits and displays that engage visitors young and old and educate them about the history of Ashland and Eastern Kentucky. The center also features an extensive military exhibit with interesting pieces like Hitler's last telephone, and other learning exhibits like Salute to Victory: World War II, School Daze, which shows visitors the old-time, one-room schoolhouse, Dig Archeology, Country Music Highway artists, and more. Thousands of visitors stop in each year and more than 10,000 children visit the center for special activities, workshops, camps, traveling exhibits, and events.
Also within walking distance of downtown Ashland is the Ashland Area Art Gallery, started in 1971 to promote the area's artists and provide space to showcase their work. The gallery is mostly operated and funded by volunteers. Also nearby is the Pendleton Art Center, where you can visit multiple artists' studios, watch them in progress, and purchase their work. Ashland has become a leader in the creative community with so many art-appreciative residents, visitors, and venues.
With all the walking and exploring, stop in for a quick refreshment at Frame Up Gallery. Inside you can peruse the many pieces of art, listen to live acoustic music, and enjoy delectable sandwiches, desserts, and coffees. Nestled among the other downtown attractions, you're sure to find your second wind at this quaint establishment--plus you never know who you might run into! While on a recent trip to Frame Up Gallery, I had the great pleasure of being introduced to Polly Judd, Naomi's mother and Ashley and Wynona's grandmother. She was nice enough to have her photo taken with me and told me she wasn't much of a singer herself. "I don't sing, but I yell a lot!" And her secret to raising such successful children and grandchildren? "Show no fear!"
My last stop along the Country Music Highway was the Jesse Stuart Foundation, also located in downtown Ashland. This regional press and bookseller is the second largest publishing company in Kentucky and is a one-stop shop for information on Appalachia. Named for legendary author and Boyd County native Jesse Stuart, the foundation is dedicated to preserving the literary and human legacy of Jesse Stuart and the other Kentucky and Appalachian writers. The foundation also controls all of Stuart's works and has reprinted many of his out-of-print books over the years. The foundation operates a bookstore onsite and sells books internationally through mail orders, on its Web site www.jsfbooks.com, and through other major retailers.
The Country Music Highway is full of information, covering everything from local history and arts and crafts to country music and local country stars. So grab the kids or a friend and take a tour through some neighboring backcountry via the Country Music Highway, one scenic stretch of road.