heart of Southern Kentucky, The

Southern Living, May 2003 by McKinney, Wanda

Just off I-65 you'll find a beautiful Bluegrass city filled with small-town charm and attractions galore.

South Central Kentucky boasts an appeal all its own. The typical Bluegrass icons of bourbon and horses don't reign here. This is car and cave country. Rivers and lakes abound, and antiques await your perusal. Located between Nashville and Louisville on I-65, Bowling Green makes a wonderful and convenient spring getaway.

Get Your Motor Running On Friday

Cars are big in Bowling Green, so start your engines and take a lap at Race World. This racetrack provides Naskart wheels (miniature race cars) for most everyone. The next stop in this automobile mecca is the National Corvette Museum, filled with 60 of the gleaming beauties of various ages. Across the street, visit the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant for a tour, which takes you down the production line for this American car.

When it's time for refueling, try the Southern-style food at Mariah's Restaurant, located downtown in an 1818 house. The biggest decision is which chicken dish to choose. We liked the Monterey Chicken ($12.99). Afterward, take a walk in Fountain Square Park, the center of Bowling Green's downtown area since 1798.

Continuing in a mechanical vein, visit the Barren River Imaginative Museum of Science (BRIMS), where you'll find hands-on fun disguised as a science museum. Ponder the parabolic mirrors, and check out your body's electricity. Continue your exploration by taking a downtown walking tour to ready your appetite for dinner.

Brickyard Cafe provides a great dining experience. This Italian restaurant features fresh seafood, homemade breads, and gourmet pizzas. Start with Garlic Toasted Bread Sticks ($2.95); then move on to the Four Cheese Lasagna ($8.95) or the Pizza Mafia, which boasts four cheeses, shrimp, mussels, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers ($10.95). Save some room for the spumoni ($2.95).

For restful accommodations, stay at State Street Inn & Furnishings. It offers lovely Victorian lodging in the historic district; you'll find comfy beds and furniture here. Drive a new Corvette in your dreams.

Take In the Scenery On Saturday

After a Continental breakfast at the inn, wander over to Western Kentucky University's Kentucky Museum, which houses a rich collection of Bluegrass State artifacts and crafts. While you're in the museum mode, head to Riverview at Hobson Grove. This three-story Italianate mansion is a frozen-in-time example of life in the late-19th century in Bowling Green. This museum holds Civil War artifacts and Victorian antiques.

Grab lunch at Bread & Bagels, where a calzone or a Reuben on freshly baked pumpernickel will cost $4.25. They'll also fix you a box lunch with a deli sandwich, chips, canned drink, and homemade cookie for $6.50. Drive out U.S. 31W to Lost River Cave and Valley, where one of the shortest, deepest rivers in the world has been flowing for the past 10,000 years. Take a 25-minute boat tour, and hear the tales about Jesse James hiding out in this cave after a local bank robbery. Then check out the nature trails and seasonal butterfly garden before heading back.

For an afternoon snack, swing by the farmers market on Scottsville Road. After this, wander downtown for leisurely shopping. Rickman Pottery is a working studio as well as a retail shop. Lot 916 features local artwork, home furnishings, and gifts. A variety of jewelry, antiques, and silver fills Barbara Stewart Interiors.

Dinner is the main event at 440 Main Restaurant & Bar. Don't miss the Cajun Quesadillas ($6.95) or Champagne Chicken ($10.95). The Black Angus Filet ($18.95) is also worth a try. Save room for the tiramisu or Tennessee Cheesecake with raspberry coulis. Tonight's dreams are full of outdoor wonders and shopping sprees.

Soulful Sunday

Enjoy a special breakfast in the Hartland Cafe (part of Holiday Inn University Plaza), where a buffet brunch will fortify you for the day. Then be sure to see St Joseph Catholic Church in the heart of the historic district.

Next, hop in the car for some side trips. One takes you 10 miles north to Smiths Grove for antiquing. This small community boasts nine shops specializing in antiques, glassware, pottery, and primitive art. If you come the first Saturday and Sunday in June, you can enjoy the town's Community Days Festival, which features crafts and old-timey demonstrations.

Another short drive west of Bowling Green on U.S. 68/State 80 brings you to South Union Shaker Village. The museum holds original furniture and crafts from this vanished religious group, and the shop offers Shaker books, handmade baskets, oval boxes, candles, and brooms for sale.

Corvettes and race cars aside, you'll find plenty in Bowling Green to start your engines.