As temperatures dip and leaves begin to change color, the onset of fall can be a welcome interruption to the hot and hazy days of summer – but with the return to school, and the pressure of the impending holiday season, it can also be a time of added stress.
Taking a weekend to get away from it all, in between football games, after-school activities and parent-teacher meetings, can be a great way to reset and regroup. Fortunately, the region boasts plenty of interesting places to go and things to see within just a few hours’ drive – we’ve outlined a handful of ideas for you!
Mammoth Cave / Cave City / Park City
One of Kentucky’s oldest tourist sites, Mammoth Cave is home to not only a fascinating and extensive cave system but also to plenty of above-ground hiking, horseback riding, kayaking and more. With 400 miles of explored caves and an estimated 600 miles left to be discovered, the park boasts the longest known cave system in the world, according to the National Park Service. Ranging from easy to strenuous, tours of the cave system delve into the area’s geologic and natural history, with several tour options featuring visits to unique underground water features within the cave system. (Advance registration for tours is recommended.)
After exploring the caves, families may want to visit the Spelunker’s Café and Ice Cream Parlor, located inside the Lodge at Mammoth Cave. Other stops in the area that offer fun for a variety of ages include Froggett’s Guntown Mountain, an amusement area featuring live action Wild West shoot-outs, a haunted house, escape rooms and a new billiards room, and Dinosaur World, a prehistoric playground featuring dozens of life-sized dinosaur sculptures along a path in a natural setting. Interactive exhibits, a dino-themed playground, prehistoric museum, and fun and educational activities round out the attractions at Dinosaur World.
Those looking for lodgings “outside-the-box” options should consider Historic Wigwam Village No. 2, a collection of 15 rooms shaped like teepees that each each sleep two to four people. Located less than 15 minutes from Mammoth Cave National Park, the motel/village is recently under new management which is working to renovate the village to bring it back to its 1937 glory.
A variety of additional nearby lodging, from cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to traditional hotels and campgrounds, are outlined on the Caveland Marketing Association website (www.mammothcavefun.com/places-to-stay).
Underground Kayaking at Red River Gorge
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Underground kayaking tours at the Red River Gorge are offered by Gorge Underground (pictured here) and SUP Kentucky. Photos furnished.
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Underground kayaking tours at the Red River Gorge are offered by Gorge Underground (pictured here) and SUP Kentucky. Photos furnished.
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Underground kayaking tours at the Red River Gorge are offered by Gorge Underground (pictured here) and SUP Kentucky. Photos furnished.
Located in the heart of Daniel Boone National Forest, the Red River Gorge is known internationally for its cliffs and climbing, but in recent years the region has increasingly been touting its underground features as well. The Gorge Underground and SUP Kentucky are two companies that offer boat tours of a 100-year-old abandoned and flooded limestone mine. Both companies offer tours on stand-up paddle boards as well as clear kayaks, illuminated by underwater LED lights to allow views of the wildlife swimming below; The Gorge Underground also offers the option of traditional opaque kayaks and custom-built “cave boats” that seat up to 20. Just in time for the Halloween season, The Gorge Underground also offers a Haunted Boat Tour: a custom boat and walking tour of the mine replete with zombie miners, spooky music and haunting décor designed to keep attendees on the edge of their (boat) seats.
For those looking to augment their unique underground experience with a unique lodging option, Red River Gorge Cabin Rentals offers a collection of yurts – round, one-room, Mongolian tent-inspired cabins that sleep four to 10 guests, offering most of the comforts of a hotel room in a back-to-nature atmosphere. (Those booking a kayak tour through Gorge Underground get a discount.)
For dinner, visitors can check out Miguel’s Pizza, which has been rated one of the best pizza places in the state, or Red River Rockhouse, an eclectic, funky American café featuring local produce on their hamburgers, spinach-and-kale salads and burritos, along with craft beers, wine and bourbon. For dessert, visitors can indulge in carrot cake or a Nutella brownie.
There’s so much to do in Cincinnati that narrowing down just a few activities for a short visit can be tough. But with its variety of culinary and shopping options, Findley Market, located in the edge of downtown Cincinnati, is a great place to start. The indoor/outdoor culinary and retail market showcases a variety of vendors and shops offering items from gourmet herbs, spices, snacks and meats to handmade pet food, imported jewelry and accessories, and boutique clothing; several restaurants and grab-and-go food stalls are situated in the area as well. Just down the street, Rhinegiest Brewery offers beer tastings, table tennis and a rooftop patio, while Skeleton Root Winery offers a chic industrial setting and a cozy patio that almost makes you forget you are in the middle of a city.
Cincinnati Cultural & Culinary Tour
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A bustling epicenter featuring dozens of local culinary and retail vendors in a concentrated area near Over-the-Rhine, Findlay Market is a great place to kick off a classic Cincinnati experience. Photo provided by Corporation for Findlay Market.
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Cincinnati's 21c Museum Hotel is a great lodging option for folks looking to fully immerse in the arts. Photo furnished.
At the Cincinnati Art Museum, exhibits featuring art from the 1980s, as well as “Simply Brilliant: Artist-Jewelers of the 1960s and 1970s,” provide a cultural escape. The museum’s café offers a picnic lunch that visitors can pick up and enjoy along the new Art Climb, a new series of steps traversing the hill from Gilbert Avenue to Eden Park Drive that gives visitors not only a unique view of the museum’s grounds but also up-close interactions with three outdoor sculptures along the way. (Lunches must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance.)
For a luxurious stay in the heart of downtown that continues the arts exploration theme, 21c Museum Hotel blends custom furnishings and contemporary art with the hotel building’s 100-year history.
When it comes time for a classic Cincinnati dinner stop, many visitors opt for Montgomery Inn Boathouse on the Ohio River, or Jeff Ruby’s Precinct steakhouse, but those who are interested in Cincinnati’s German heritage might be interested in Mecklenburg Gardens, located near the University of Cincinnati. Complete with a historic biergarten patio surrounded by a trellis covered in 150-year-old grapevines, Mecklenburg Gardens offers authentic German food, such as potato pancakes and wiener schnitzel, as well as contemporary originals like sauerkraut balls and Goettawurst (sausages made from Cincinnati delicacy goetta).
Hocking Hills State Park
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Upper Fall sis one of the sites along the six-mile trail in Old Man's Cave, one of Hocking Hills' most popular areas. Photo furnished.
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The only true cave in Hocking Hills State Park, this grand tunnel-like corridor is situated midway up a 150-foot cliff of Black Hand Sandstone. Photo furnished.
Getting away from the noise and hustle of the city can be as easy as a three and a half hour drive to Hocking Hills State Park in southeastern Ohio. With more than 10,000 wooded acres, Hocking Hills offers visitors hiking trails, caves, waterfalls, ziplining and other attractions. The area is home to several caves to explore, including Old Man Cave, named for the hermit who allegedly lived there for years, as well as lakes perfect for fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
Cabins and hotel rooms are plentiful in the area, but some off-the-beaten-path lodging options include a vintage Airstream camper, a Conestoga wagon, a caboose and even a castle and medieval village. Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio, has private rooms inside the castle for rent, including Rapunzel’s Tower, a third-floor room with king-sized bed and fireplace, and the King Arthur Suite, a two-story, two-room suite with a king-sized bed, fireplace, outdoor balcony and whirlpool for two. Other accommodations on the property include the Merchant’s Cottage, with its queen-sized bed, loft sitting room, antique brass fireplace and Jacuzzi bathtub. The castle serves dinner in the Great Hall dining area on the weekends with advance reservations and pub-style food at the more casual Raven’s Roost Pub.