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Southern Kentucky

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Southern Kentucky is a beautiful, wide open region of large farms, big lakes, deep caves and spectacular wilderness. Anchored on its southeast corner by Cumberland Falls and Big South Fork National Park, on its west by Mammoth Cave National Park, and on its north by the Blue Grass Parkway, Southern Kentucky boasts Campbellsville University and the University of the Cumberlands, four major lakes and half a dozen rivers. It is famous for its whitewater rafting and wilderness canoeing, for its backpacking and horsepacking trips, and for its historical sites. These include the birth place of Abraham Lincoln, the Old Mulkey Meeting House (the first church west of the Appalachians), Charit Creek (the oldest frontier homestead still standing), and several Civil War battlefields. It also contains an interesting mix of good restaurants. Several are in state or national park lodges. One is at Charit Creek Lodge and requires that guests hike two miles through Pine and Rhododendron Forest. Several more are in Campbellsville, Glasgow and other small towns. Be aware, though, that restaurants in this region close early, at 8 or 9. And they don't all take credit cards (for instance, there's no electricity or phone line running through the wilderness to Charit Creek). Expect down home cuisine. There's not much ethnic food. Nor is it a place where you can order an alcoholic drink with your meal.

Riverview Restaurant in Dupont Lodge at Cumberland Falls State Park boasts a lot of history. The hotel was first built in 1880 but was destroyed by fire and had to be rebuilt in 1933 and 1941, when it was named DuPont Lodge. The restaurant is on the backside of this building, with windows facing down on the river above the falls. It's spectacular in October with leaves in color. The Riverview is famous for its Catfish, Country Ham and Hush Puppies. It has that classic Kentucky State Park menu with Meatloaf, Fried Chicken, Hot Brown, Prime Rib, Barbeque, Ribs and Macaroni; Cheese. They subscribe to the Kentucky Proud program of using 80% locally raised meats, fruits and vegetables. There is a buffet set up but we found you can eat better ordering off the menu, although the salad bar offers the best choice of greens. There's a seafood buffet every Friday night but check it out before you sign up, since some weeks tit's pretty sparse. The Saturday night buffet usually includes salad, chicken, catfish, vegetables and the dessert choice of banana pudding, blackberry cobbler and cheesecake. Be careful of large turnouts for the Friday and Saturday night buffets and the local church crowd stopping by for lunch Sunday. You may wish to eat early to beat the crowd.
The Island View Restaurant in Oaken Lodge at Dale Hollow State Park is a sister restaurant to the other state parks. It's worth a visit just to see the building, one of the more modern park lodges. This one is built of limestone and very large timbers and sits high on a cliff looking down on the lake and a dozen forested islands. Island View has the official state park menu of Catfish, Country Ham, Hush Puppies, Meatloaf, Fried Chcken, Hot Brown, Prime Rib, Barbeque, Ribs and Macaroni; Cheese. 80% of their fruits, vegetables and meats are grown locally. There's a buffet but you can eat better off the menu.
The Driftwood Restaurant in Louie B. Nunn Lodge looks out over Barren River Lake just South of Glasgow in Barren River State Park. The lodge is very beautiful and well kept and the restaurant is excellent. They are known for their great Sunday buffets and their Fried Chicken, Catfish and Desserts. But their real culinary fame is their Buffalo Nights, featuring various Bison dishes : BBQ Buffalo Brisket, Buffalo Stew, Buffalo Chili, Buffalo Meatloaf, and a Carved Steamship Round of Buffalo. This is definitely worth your making advance plans, driving down and spending the night. But on their other days, to set themselves apart from their state park rivals, they have developed a specialty in seafood, with Salmon, Striped Bass and Crab. The rest of the menu is classic state park : Country Ham, Hush Puppies, Meatloaf, Hot Brown, Prime Rib, Barbeque, Ribs and Macaroni; Cheese. Among their appetizers, the Fried Green Tomatoes are the best. Like all the state parks, they try to use 80% locally grown meats, vegetables and fruits, and they almost always offer a buffet. This restaurant is extremely popular with the Sunday church crowd, so if you want lunch Sunday, plan to eat early and avoid the rush.
The Rowena Landing Restaurant in Lure Lodge in Cumberland Lake State Park is entering its 50th season. Currently, the lake level has been drawn down while the Army Corps of Engineers repairs the Wolf Creek Dam, so crowds are a bit off at both the park and the restaurant. But this is still a great place to eat. They offer the trademark Kentucky state park menu (Catfish, Fried Chicken, Country Ham, Hot Brown, Prime Rib, Barbeque, Ribs, Macaroni; Cheese and Hush Puppies), but like most of these restaurants, have tried to add their own unique twists. Here, that means Specialty Buffets throughout the year. Some of these celebrate holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Mothers Day, Easter, New Years Eve). Some celebrate cuisines : Buffalo, Seafood, nationalities, etc. They offer Dinner Buffets Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday noon. The Seafood Buffet is probably their most spectacular. They serve it the third Friday every month. It includes Crab Legs, Shrimp, Salmon, Walleye, Oysters, Seafood Pasta and a Catch of the Day. These buffets pull people in from six counties, plus all the guests staying at the lodge and boating on the lake, so you should arrive early to beat the lines.

Mammoth Cave Lodge is run by a national corporation that bids for a cluster of lodges at a dozen parks (Isle Royale, Shenandoah, etc.). The menu is standard at all of them, but since this is the only one in Kentucky, that doesn't matter. There are actually two eateries here : The Crystal Coffee Shop and the Travertine Restaurant. The Coffee Shop serves mainly fast food, although it's better than average at burgers and fries. But the Travertine is what you come for. This 1960 lodge is about to be replaced with a newer, Western style lodge with a new restaurant. The one there now has a limited but very good menu. Their signature items are their Southern Fried Chicken, Rainbow Trout, Biscuits, Cherry Preserves, and very good Coffee with unlimited refills. Other popular items are Catfish, Country Fried Steak, Ribeye and Pork Chops. The best of the desserts are their Pies, which change seasonally. The drive into the park is especially scenic in the Fall when leaves are in full color. This is really one of the best restaurants in the area, as long as you can overlook the limited menu and limited hours. Dinner is served 5-8.

If you want a real walk on the wild side, plan a visit to Charit Creek Lodge in the Big South Fork. This is an old frontier homestead isolated deep in the Big South Fork, a wilderness that allows no roads or electricity. You park at one of the trailheads, hike or ride horses in, and spend the night in either the lodge or one of the outlying cabins. Lighting is by lantern, heat is by wood stove and fireplace, and you probably won't have cell phone reception. There are modern restrooms and hot showers, powered by solar energy, but you'll need a flashlight for night time visits. Breakfast and dinner are served family style, meaning they serve the food in large bowls which you pass around just like at home. But it's delicious and there's all you can eat. Charit Creek is especially accommodating for vegetarians, since they have a small number of guests and you can drop by early in the afternoon and put in any special requests. Our vegetarian friends swear their Vegetarian Burger is the best on the planet. But rhe basic menu is outstanding. A typical meal might include Mixed Greens, Chicken; Dumplings, Turnip Greens, Corn Muffins, Green Beans, and Peach Cobbler. After dinner you can relax in a rocking chair on the screened in porch and watch the wildlife, which in the Summer includes the best lightning bug show you're ever seen. Try to go in Spring or Fall.
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