B&Bs to Boats: Kentucky Lodging for Every Couple

Company's coming. And the folks of the Highlands and Waterways Region of Kentucky are ready with their famed Southern hospitality. There's a style to suit every preference. Lodging ranges from romantic bed and breakfasts and luxury houseboats to landmark inns and old-style, independently owned motels. Even historic schoolhouses, a coal mining camp, and a tobacco-curing barn are among the unusual options.

State resort parks are a welcome option after an exciting day of outdoor activities. And the word "resorts" is not a misnomer. These adventure-filled facilities offer amenities that used to be unheard of in state parks. Pine Mountain State Resort Park outside Pineville, for instance, has rooms with a private patio or balcony in a Civilian Conservation Corps lodge to enjoy the mountain views. The park also rents one- or two-bedroom cottages or log cabins, some of which have fireplaces and private decks surrounded by majestic trees.

Other resort parks include Buckhorn Lake in the heart of eastern KentuckyŸs mountains; Breaks Interstate, south of Pikeville, overlooking the gorge of the Russell Fork River, called the Grand Canyon of the South; Cumberland Falls State Resort Park at the Niagara of the South; Lake Cumberland State Resort Park at the west end of the largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi; and Dale Hollow State Resort Park situated on a high bluff overlooking Dale Hollow Lake, another of the large man-made lakes on the Cumberland River system.

At Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg, you can reserve a secluded treetop cottage for the perfect balance of nature and comfort. State resort parks offer a full roster of activities, such as swimming pools, fishing, boating, nature walks and horseback riding. Some even feature sky lifts, golf, outdoor amphitheaters and tennis courts. State resort parks have the additional benefit of surprisingly reasonable costs, plus wonderful dining rooms specializing in down-home cooking served at family-style buffets.

For the ultimate in relaxation, be lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of rivers and lakes on the region's rental houseboats. Board a luxurious houseboat at facilities on Lake Cumberland , Dale Hollow Lake , Green River Lake or Laurel River Lake and escape to another world. The fleet of modern designed boats are equipped with central heat, air conditioning, TV/VCR, showers, flush toilets, large gas grills, spiral stairs to the top deck, and a slide from the top deck to the water. Some even have Jacuzzis. From your floating palace, you can enjoy the beauty of mist-ringed hills in the perfect quiet of the morning or the sun slowly slipping over the mountains at the end of another gorgeous day.

You can feel right at home away from home at one of the region's outstanding bed and breakfast establishments. Even in an area known for its delicious Southern cooking, the region's bed and breakfast accommodations have gained a reputation for being extraordinary. Tucked high atop a hill overlooking Yatesville Lake and the Appalachian Mountains , LakeView Hideway Bed & Breakfast in Louisa is just off the County Music Highway . Two suites with private decks and outside entrances add to LakeView's charms Settle down in the evening with complimentary wine and cheese in front of a cracking fireplace in the Great Room with its cathedral ceiling. Or try to figure out "who dunnit" in a Murder Mystery Weekend where guests unravel a crime and enjoy a delicious gourmet dinner.

An Irish manor house on 40 acres with lots of wildlife, the Cumberland House Inn in Burkesville offers feather mattresses and down pillows, along with a stocked lake for fishing. Located two miles from the Cumberland River , the Inn has a cedar sauna and a private chapel for quiet reflection. Watch for the 30 deer that saunter past the inn every day. Morning begins with a bountiful breakfast featuring such treats as Windsor bacon, fresh cantaloupe and strawberries, saut˜ed potatoes, Mullet en Cream (eggs, cream and Parmesan cheese), and the trademark Cumberland House Sweeties, a delicate pastry filled with nuts and cream cheese. Four-course gourmet dinners are available upon request.

How many folks can say they have spent the night in an old schoolhouse? In Benham, you can do just that. The 1926 School House Inn has found a nice combination of preserving its heritage and still being an inviting, hospitable place to stay. The room numbers each represent a graduating class with the year 1960 being the honeymoon suite, complete with a whirlpool tub. Rooms are equipped with television, telephone and private bath. Start the day with a tasty breakfast in the Apple Room, and you may want to come back for lunch and dinner. House specialties include East Kentucky farm-raised rainbow trout, raised right up the road in Southeast Community College 's Aquaculture Center .

The perfect place to glimpse Kentucky 's rich heritage and enjoy some outstanding food is at the Cumberland Inn on the campus of Cumberland College in Williamsburg . Regional entrees and an abundance of the freshest vegetables are a highlight for even the most seasoned traveler. Order off the menu at the Athenaeum Restaurant or have one of the famed buffets. The popular Saturday night buffet features down-home cooking. Drawing on regional recipes are menu favorites like country ham steak prepared in a cast iron skillet and served with authentic redeye gravy.

With its coal-mining heritage, the region offers a unique chance to lodge in one of the former company houses at old coal mining camps. Reconstructed with love by the Koger family (former coal miners themselves), Barthell Coal Mining Camp resembles the way it looked in the early 1900s. For a trip back in time, take the Big South Fork Scenic Railway train in Stearns for a 20-minute train ride to Barthell. Spend a day visiting the mining camp, company store, old doctor's office, barbershop and bathhouse. See the one-room school and church and the motor house with cars and trucks dating from 1909 to 1934. If you're hungry, you'll find good country cooking at the Coal Miner's Diner. Then spend a night or two in one of the 12 miner's houses and let the serenity of rippling water, fragrant wildflowers, a front porch swing and high cliffs enclose you in the simpler time of years gone by.

If it's a truly down-to-earth experience you're looking for, there are plenty of places to plug in your RV or pitch a tent. Public and private campgrounds are as bountiful as are the scenic views and natural wonderlands for which Kentucky is famous. Full-service RV facilities offer full hookup, pull-through sites, sparkling clean laundries and restrooms, cable TV, heated swimming pools and a wealth of scheduled activities. At Renfro Valley RV Park, for example, you are just steps away from one of the best live country music shows in the nation. While discovering Kentucky 's pioneer heritage at Levi Jackson State Park , you can relax in a 146-site campground nestled in open woodland. The sounds of the outdoors can lull you to sleep at the Sheltowee Trace, a 269-mile multiple-use national recreation trail that traverses the length of the Daniel Boone National Forest . You donŸt even have to hike. If you prefer, the National Forest offers plenty of primitive camping or RV hookups at campgrounds in each of its five sections. Sleeping under the stars has never been as inviting as it is in Kentucky .

For those who are most comfortable with the welcoming sign of a well-known chain motel, the options available are a long who's-who list of popular facilities. Pick a well-recognized travelers rest and most likely there's one somewhere in the Highlands and Waterways Region. Or pull into one of the independently owned facilities, like the Parkway Motel in Whitesburg or LakePointe Motel & Cabins in Russell Springs , and see the pride that individual owners take in their property.

Kentucky has always welcomed travelers. Regardless of what you're looking for, the Highlands and Waterways Region of Kentucky has lodging suited perfectly to your own personal tastes and preferences. The welcome mat is always out to "set a spell" with a cup of coffee and leave the traffic jams, computer crashes and other woes of modern life behind.

Some off-the-beaten-path lodging ready to welcome visitors include:

* Tucked away on a hill among rocks and trees, the Osbornes of Cabin Hollow Bed and Breakfast in Somerset share their dream log house along with the jellies and preserves made with care in their kitchen.

* River's Edge Bed and Breakfast in Nancy overlooks Lake Cumberland and provides a comfortable base to enjoy the area's many river activities.

ä* ä A working Bluegrass farm, Cedar Haven Farm Bed and Breakfast in Nicholasville features large comfortable rooms in a country atmosphere with freshly made breads guaranteed to please.

* An historic 1850 Greek Revival, the Sandusky House in Nicholasville was a 1780 land grant from Patrick Henry to Revolutionary War hero Jacob Sandusky. Visitors enjoy a quiet country setting amid horse farms.

* Outside Irvine on a scenic drive through beautiful countryside, the Snug Hollow Bed & Breakfast features a hiking trail with views of farmland and mountains. Snug Hollow specializes in delightful vegetarian meals. Afterwards you can relax in the comfortable sitting room or on the porch to enjoy the unspoiled country setting.

* The Horse & Buggy Country Inn Bed and Breakfast in Liberty is Christian owned and operated in the heart of an Old Order horse and buggy settlement. A two-story log cabin, the inn has three bedrooms upstairs and one downstairs. It offers access to Mennonite markets, a greenhouse, a furniture store, and harness shop.

* On the second floor of Antiques & Accents Bed and Breakfast in Corbin, five luxury suites with private baths and TVs have a changing room d˜cor as they are furnished with antiques for sale. Provides 24-hour shopping.

* Candlelight, lace and the rustic outdoors highlight Gambill Mansion Bed and Breakfast in Blaine . The 18-room, three-story home built in 1923 specializes in spas and candlelight dinners. The mansion overlooks the city of Blaine , which is reminiscent of Whistlestop in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes.

* Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the original structure of the Greensburg Academy Bed & Breakfast was built in 1813 and served as the Greensburg Academy from 1818-1825. The headmaster was Mentor Graham, credited with Abraham Lincoln's formal education. Completely restored in 1981, the Academy in Greensburg features four guestrooms with amenities ranging from private baths to in-room fireplaces.

* Nestled above Colson's Cove on Lake Cumberland, the Raintree Inn has guestrooms in the main house, carriage house and old-tobacco curing barn. The name of the 1872 inn is a nod to the movie Raintree County , which was shot on location in the area. The homestyle atmosphere includes a full breakfast each morning with a side dish of the inn's famous chocolate gravy.

* An 1890 restored Victorian home overlooking downtown Middlesboro and scenic views of the Cumberland Mountains, the Ridge Runner Bed and Breakfast comes complete with a front porch, rocking chairs, porch swings and hammocks.

* Step through the doors of the Apple Tree Inn Bed & Breakfast in Barbourville and step back in time. Built in 1907, the home offers four comfortable guestrooms decorated in Victorian and Colonial styles. One room features a steam shower with a full-body massage. A warm and inviting retreat in the majesty of the Appalachian Mountains , the Apple Tree starts the morning with scrumptious county dishes, such as hearty pancakes with homemade brown sugar syrup. Directly across the street the Town Square Bed & Breakfast also offers comfortable accommodations, each room uniquely decorated with antique treasures found by the owners.

For more information, contact :

Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association
2292 South Highway 27
Somerset , KY 42501
Phone: 606/677-6098
Fax: 606/677-6059