Hello, travelers!
During Labor Day weekend, my brother and I decided to spontaneously take a road trip down to Cincinnati, Ohio since it’s only about a four and a half hour drive from the Metro-Detroit Area. We visit there about once or twice a year, so we thought we’d do it again! However, on our way down, we decided to keep heading south and explore Kentucky. These are the restaurants we ate at and attractions we visited that made for a perfect weekend in Kentucky.
Restaurants
Pompilio’s - Newport, KY
My first recommendation is Pompelio’s Restaurant which is located in Newport, KY. Just across the Ohio River sits this family-owned gem of a restaurant. Pompeilio’s has all of your favorite Italian-American classics and is so comforting. This is one of my favorite Italian restaurants that I’ve ever been to, and we never leave without getting jars of their pasta to take home. My go-to order is the chicken parmesan with fettuccini alfredo as a side, which never fails. I also tried their arancini and fried ravioli appetizers which were crispy and flavorful. Don’t skip out on dessert either; their tiramisu is heavenly! This restaurant is perfect for a casual bite or special dinner and is a must-visit if you are in Newport or even the Cincinnati area!
One more fun fact: You should visit this spot if you are a movie buff! Pompilio’s is one of the filming locations in the Academy Award winning film Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.
Hammerheads - Louisville, KY
Traveling further south to Louisville is this small, hole-in-the-wall spot called Hammerheads. We really wanted to get some good comfort food and this place did not disappoint. Hammerheads is known for their unique flavors and authentic Kentucky BBQ. The menu is small and comprehensive, which is really great if you are a little indecisive. From the moment we stepped into this restaurant, we could tell Hammerheads is beloved by the Louisville community because it was packed! After sitting down we were promptly greeted and given the “run down” of the restaurant. My group decided to go more family-style with our meal and share our entrees and sides. We ordered a slab and a half of the St. Louis Spare Ribs, Smoked Cheddar Mac & Cheese, classic fries, and Pork Belly Baked Beans. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and had such a robust smokiness to them. The highlight of the meal for me were the Pork Belly Baked Beans; they were sweet and smoky with just the right amount of pork belly. I also want to note that for the price, you get a lot of food; we had a few to-go boxes at the end of our meal! If you are looking for a really cool, unique atmosphere with some amazing Kentucky BBQ, Hammerheads is the place to visit.
Chicken Salad Chick- Multiple Locations
Okay, okay. I know this is a national chain, however, we do not have it in Michigan, so I have to at least shout out Chicken Salad Chick. This chicken salad fast casual restaurant makes for the perfect grab-n-go lunch. Chicken Salad Chick brings you right back to the 2000s with its decor and I absolutely love it. As a former Floridian, I missed this restaurant so much, so I am glad I got to have lunch here on our little trip. My order is a sandwich with Cranberry Kelli, chicken salad with dried cranberries and sliced almonds, with a side scoop of Sassy Scotty, chicken salad with bacon and ranch, and the grape salad.
Attractions
Mammoth Cave National Park
Towards the southern border of Kentucky, near Bowling Green, lies one of the 63 designated U.S. National Parks. Mammoth Cave National Park is exactly what it sounds like, a giant cave that you are able to walk down into and explore. Don’t worry, you are not spelunking or looking for gold, you get to take in the sights and beauty of the longest cave system on earth. This is one of the parks where I recommend planning in advance if you want to visit. Since this was a very last minute plan, the only tours available were self-guided. However, they offer various tours like the Historic Tour, Domes and Dripstones, or many legends and lantern tours.
As a disabled person, this was quite different from any of the other parks I’d been to. First, to get to the cave entrance is a half-mile walk downhill from the visitor’s center where the tours start. Once reaching the start of the cave, you are greeted with a steep descent down a large staircase. Once you enter, you are hit with a major shift in temperature, I believe it was around 85℉ on the surface and about 55℉ in the cave, so bring a jacket if you get cold easily! There’s uneven ground, low ceilings, and low lighting, so be aware if you are making this journey. Mammoth Cave also offers an Accessible Tour for disabled visitors, however, the day that we went the elevator was broken and they did not offer any.
All of that aside, this place was unlike anything I have experienced. It was so cool to think that I was below the earth (like what?)! Flash photography is prohibited, but I was able to catch a few good photos of the rock formations and caves with the assistance of the lanterns that were placed throughout the open areas. It was so amazing walking around, seeing all the layers of rock, and just being down in the cave. I would highly recommend visiting this National Park and seeing the beauty that this Kentucky park has to offer.
Louisville Historic Tours
After dinner at Hammerheads, we decided to fill our evening with a bit of historic haunts by taking a tour with Old Louisville Ghost Tours. We absolutely loved this tour and would go on it again. Sometimes with ghost tours, they can be hokey or kitschy, but this is not the case. Our tour guide, Angelique, is a real medium who provides factual information and generational lore of the Old Louisville area. Did you know Old Louisville is home to the largest continuous collection of Victorian Mansions in the U.S.? Neither did I! This neighborhood is full of eerie happenings, tragedies, and ghost sightings. Angelique and her boss, David Dominé, have been featured in films and TV shows like Discovery One, Ghost Hunters, and have their own HBO original series called “Murder in Glitter Ball City” where you can actually see and hear from our tour guide, Angelique! This walking tour was informational, intriguing, and a little spooky, and was the perfect way to end our night in Louisville.
I haven’t visited Kentucky in such a long time and I want to return again soon. This state is full of charm and personality, plus some really good food. I highly recommend all of the spots and activities above if you are headed down to Kentucky on your next adventure. If you are thinking about traveling to the southern region of the U.S., check out our South tab above under “U.S. Travel” or by clicking on the link. And if you’re new here, make sure to sign up to our newsletter and follow our socials to see all our travel content!
Happy Travels,