In the Central Kentucky and Tennessee region you can rest in a restored railroad car, sleep next door to your horse (or someone else's), drift into dreams in a floating lake cabin, or rough it with some backcountry camping. Oh yeah … traditional and luxury lodgings are also readily available.
Hotels in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Many major international hotel chains have a presence in the major cities of Central Kentucky and Tennessee, and historic hotels add a touch of local flavor. The famous Seelbach Hilton (opened in 1905) on Fourth Street in Louisville was frequented by Al Capone, who constructed secret passageways for concealed entrances and exits, and allegedly smuggled moonshine in through the back door of one of the rooms during Prohibition. F. Scott Fitzgerald references this hotel in The Great Gatsby, and Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason shot scenes from “The Hustler” in the Oakroom.
Nashville's 1910 Hermitage Hotel on Sixth Avenue has been beautifully restored (to the tune of $19 million) and is Tennessee's only AAA Five Diamond Hotel. The converted Nashville railroad station, Union Station Hotel on Broadway, was built in 1900 and has a truly jaw-dropping lobby, complete with Tiffany glass windows, ornate wrought-iron detail, and elaborate stonework. If you want the good ole' Opry, stay at the Opryland Hotel, one of Nashville's most famous hotels, with its beautiful botanical garden lobbies filled with over 50,000 plants and the rushing sound of waterfalls. The famous Chattanooga Choo Choo (now a Holiday Inn) is housed in Chattanooga's old, converted railway terminal; a room in one of the converted train cars makes for a classy stay you'll remember for years to come.
Bed and Breakfasts, Historic Inns, and Lodges in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
A unique twist on the traditional bed and breakfast (B&B) stay are accommodations at horse farms in converted old farmhouses and stables (and if you need to lodge your horse, that just might be okay, too!). Horse country B&Bs and traditional historic inns and B&Bs are located in and around Lexington, Louisville, Bardstown, and Frankfort in central Kentucky, and Murfreesboro, Lynchburg, Lebanon, and Nashville in central Tennessee. For a one-of-a-kind regional experience, stay at the restored Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky or the 50-room historic Dupont Lodge (with spectacular views of Cumberland River Valley) in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, also in Kentucky.
Motels in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
National chain motels and mom-and-pop varieties are located throughout the Central Kentucky and Tennessee region. Most are found in smaller towns, clustered around Interstate highway exits, and on the outskirts of Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, and Chattanooga. You'll find a selection of motels clustered along Newton Pike, Stanton Way, Athens Boonesboro Road, and Elkhorn Road in Lexington. In Louisville, try Crittendon Road, Phillips Lane, Preston Highway, and Blairwood Road. For motel accommodations in Nashville, you can find a couple of good choices along Elm Hill Pike, Percy Priest Drive, and Murfreesboro Road. If you want budget motel accommodations within a short driving or walking distance from Opryland, try Music Valley Drive and Music City Circle. In Chattanooga, you can find motels along Shallowford Village Road, Cummings Highway, and Ringgold Road, among others.
Youth Hostels in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
You can pay with a $10 bill and 20 minutes of vacuuming (or another chore of your choice) at the Emily Boone Hostel and Guesthouse on Pope Street in Louisville. The city's only hostel has three roll-out foam futons in a common room, and guests are required to bring their own sheets and towels, but the hostel provides blankets. If you're headed for the Music City, try the Music City Hostel on Patterson Street in Nashville. The one-of-a-kind facility offers dormitory-style bunk beds (beginning at a daily rate of $25 per person), private rooms for a maximum of two people, and apartment units for a three-month minimum stay. If you plan to stay in Nashville for at least a month, prices for private rooms may be slightly lower per day.
Cabins and Cottages in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Rustic and modern cabin and cottage rentals are fairly easy to come by throughout Central Kentucky and Tennessee's state parks and recreation areas. Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Kentucky offers one- and two-bedroom cottages, Mammoth Cave National Park offers rustic and modern cabins, and Gwinn Island offers rental cabins (some of them float) on Lake Herrington. Cabins are also available in Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park in Tennessee.
Camping in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Camping throughout Central Kentucky and Tennessee is superb. Nearly all campsites have toilets, grills, and potable drinking water, and modern amenities including warm-water showers and electricity are also available. Several good campsites in central Kentucky include those near Laurel Lake, Cumberland Lake, Mammoth Cave National Park, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, and a number of places within Daniel Boone National Forest.
In Tennessee, campgrounds are available on the central Tennessee side of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park, Frozen Head State Natural Area, as well as outside of Nashville and Chattanooga. Remote wilderness back country camping sites are available in Daniel Boone National Forest, Mammoth Cave National Park, Frozen Head State Natural Area, and Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park; permits are usually required and can be obtained for under $5 at the visitor's center.
Hotels in Nashville, Louisville and Lexington in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
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