LIFE’S FLAVORS 7/14- ALLISON LIBBY-THESING OF THE OAKS BED & BREAKFAST

ByChristian Dicus

PublishedJuly 14, 2022

Travel East Texas ~ Eastern Kentucky

I know you might be thinking wait a minute I thought this was going to be about Texas. I decided to change things up for this week and give a little recap on our adventure to Eastern Kentucky. My husband has three sisters, two of which have children and we all gathered together over the Fourth of July holiday for a family vacation in the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky.

We had so much fun as a family, that I will highly recommend you plan a trip with your family to the area. There is so much to see and do that you could stay busy your entire trip. First off we stayed with the Red River Gorge cabin rentals. We chose to rent two cabins and split up the cousins, boys and girls. This worked out prefect for our crew. Be sure to read reviews before you rent, on Travelocity or Google to make sure your cabin will feature everything you are looking for.

One of our cabins was positioned above a small pond, which was great for the boys. They fished, canoed, and swam in the pond when we were “home.” They loved it! The pond made the trip so much more enjoyable for the kids.

Each day we were away, we hiked one of the many trails available to hike. The area is filled with native trees, plants and wildlife. Since the area is formed around natural springs and rivers, there are rock formations that are pretty cool to behold. Many natural bridges, caves and stone steps, can be found along different trails. These stone arches are different than what you might find in Moab or Zion, since they are surrounded by forest, and not desert. But they are just as beautiful to explore.

We splurged on a group kayak tour in the underground, limestone quarry that filled with water when mine workers bored into an underground spring. Kayaking around the abandoned and filled mine was a great experience. Our guides were marginally entertaining but worth the experience. The kayak company placed rainbow trout in the water to amaze the guests. They also have certain areas of the mine lit underwater for guests to see just how deep the water is and so the trout would not go blind. Be sure to grab a hoodie or pull over before hitting the water, since the mine stays a cool 55 degrees all year round.

We really enjoyed the Kentucky wilderness. All of the trails we hiked were easy to follow and entertaining to walk. I think besides the height and grandeur of the natural bridges, the kids really enjoyed our hike to Creation Falls. The 1.5 mile loop, was the perfect distance to hike and the kids had a blast playing in the water. The water was great! Nice and cold, and moving at a pretty good pace. They had recently had some rain which made the river flow faster. This hike is worth the trip. We packed a lunch and made a day of it on this trail.

Overall if you are looking for a little outdoor family adventure, be sure to check out Eastern Kentucky. The drive is worth the trip for a few days in the hills, exploring and hiking. Be sure to check your hike guide to make sure everyone in your group can make the trek. Our easiest hike by far was Chimney Top. This hike had little to no elevation change and was mostly paved. This was in no way a drawback from the beautiful sight when we arrived at the end of the trail. We would all go back again!