Our road trip goal is visiting Owensboro & Paducah Kentucky Art of Quilting. We drove south from Cincinnati, through Louisville (which is in another posting) stopping in Santa Claus, Old Abe’s Birthplace, and on to Owensboro and then to Paducah. The purpose of this trip is still unknown but we did enjoy some wonderful Southern food, art, and culture.
On the way to Paducah, we stopped in Owensboro, an old river town with a Southern-feel. Owensboro is home to the International Bluegrass Music Museum and the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. And for bourbon-lovers, there’s the independent distillery, Green River.
Our drive to Owensboro took just over 3 hours and drove through Louisville on the way. You can take a detour on this road trip and go south to Bardstown, the heart of Kentucky’s bourbon country. Bardstown is home to some of the oldest and most historic distilleries in the state. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail may be another blog.
Bowling Green is another close city worth checking out. The city is famous for the Corvette Museum a paradise for car enthusiasts. If you prefer to enjoy nature at its finest, head out to Mammoth Cave National Park. The park is home to the world’s largest underground cave system.
No caves for us this trip, so we focused our travels through southern Indiana and headed for Santa Claus on US231. Along the way we stopped at Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace and historic park as well as Santa Claus!
Abraham Lincoln – Birthplace
From the North: Take Interstate 65 South to Exit 91 (Elizabethtown). Follow KY 61 (Lincoln Parkway) 13 miles south to US 31E. Take US 31E south 1.3 miles to the park; picnic entrance on left and main entrance on right.
The US Park Service does a nice job with a film and some interesting historical remnants of Kentucky almost 200 years ago. If you like history, this is worth a stop.
Santa Claus
We had to stop in Santa Claus in southwestern Indiana. Probably because of the fun associated with Santa! Famous for its Christmas theme (hard to believe) and just about everywhere will remind you of Santa, so believe. This is a kid’s paradise as well as a place for older kids to purchase Santa stuff. They have every ornament and decoration imaginable. The Santa Claus Museum & Village is home to the 1880 Santa Claus Church, the Santa Claus Post Office, and a tall, Santa Claus statue.
(HoHo-hum….at least the town provided a restroom break……)
Owensboro
Arriving at Owensboro we drive through the industrial estate of Glenmore Distillery, once a major producer of bourbon whiskey, now primarily a bottling operation.
The center of the riverfront offers some open park area great for families and watching the river boats. Smothers Park (formerly Riverfront Park) is the main area which has been impressively expanded and renovated.
Also on the riverfront is the Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum. If you aren’t a fan going in, you will be on your way out! Bluegrass is American music straight out of Appalachia!
Hotels Owensboro Riverfront
Our trip took us to the riverfront where there are limited but good hotel options:
Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront – on the Ohio River, next to the convention center.
701 West 1st Street, Owensboro, KY 42301
800-465-4329
Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown – on the Ohio River.
401 W. 2nd Street, Owensboro, KY 42301
270-685-2005
Restaurants in Owensboro
Miller House
The Miller House, built in 1905, is a gem. Family-owned, its located in the Owensboro’s historical downtown district. Food is traditional with a good amount of Southern influence. First floor is more formal so we headed to the cellar.
We enjoyed Miller House, being our first choice restaurant. Suggest you reserve and elect to dine in the bourbon bar area downstairs. Good food, attentive service, and comfortable ambience. Salmon with mustard cream sauce was wonderful as was the honey dijon pork chop. Nice place to dine!
Colby’s
Colby’s downtown is always mentioned on the internet as a recommended place for food. We tried it on our second night. It’s more of a family style restaurant with lively conversations and active kids and seems popular with the locals. John had a great draft beer here.
Dee’s Diner
For breakfast before heading home we chose Dee’s Diner, great choice. We had good bacon, sausage, potatoes and eggs with decent coffee. Service is great! Our table was close to a window with bullet holes which kept us guessing on the story behind them.
A couple of Distilleries in Owensboro:
Green River Distilling
Wheel Horse bourbon whiskey is made at the historic Green River Distilling company in Owensboro. It’s located on westernmost edge of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and has housed distilleries for over 130 years. It has produced Bourbon for a variety of brands including Ezra Brooks, Mellow Corn, and Old Medley. If you are Bourbon drinkers, you probably knows these brands.
We didn’t make the tour (this time) but for reference here is the information on the tours:
Tours are $20 and include samples of three whiskies. While you must be 21 to sample, you do not need to be 21 to tour.
Glenmore Distilling
Glenmore Distillery Company was a large distillery based in Owensboro. In 2009, the company was acquired by the Sazerac Company, and is still operated under the name “The Glenmore Distillery”.
No tours or tastings.
Paducah – Art of Quilting
Paducah seems to have a different vibe to it than Owensboro. It appears more affluent and maybe more diverse. It seems to openly preserve and display its proud heritage. Paducah thrived due to its river port facilities (e.g. dry docks) along the waterways that were used by steamboats. A factory manufacturing red bricks was established as well as a foundry for making rail and locomotive engines, so the town benefitted from both river and train traffic and development. It flourished and still does.
We arrived on Farmer’s Market Day and the American Queen riverboat was in port, so it was a busy day downtown. The American Queen is gorgeous and just adds to the historic feel of this river town.
Paducah developed as major hub of river traffic on the Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Mississippi rivers and became a major distribution point in the area.
Paducah also became an important railway hub for the Illinois Central Railroad. This was the primary north–south railway connecting the industrial cities of Chicago and to the Gulf of Mexico.
The town has charming European-inspired architecture and a walkable Historic Downtown district.
William Clark Market House Museum
The William Clark Market House Museum (above) is located in this 100 year-old building which was once the public market of Paducah. TheMuseum offers visitors a glimpse into the historical past of the town of Paducah, KY. The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, visited the area in 1803. William Clark returned to the area in 1827 and helped established the town of Paducah.
UNESCO Creative City
Yes, Paducah is artistic!
Paducah is one of nine UNESCO Creative Cities in the United States and 246 worldwide. Members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are classified under seven creative fields including Crafts & Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.
A designated UNESCO Creative City, Paducah is gaining acclaim as a destination for those who crave rich, authentic cultural experiences.
National Quilt Museum
Not only is Paducah, Kentucky a UNESCO Creative City and a haven for artists, but it is known as Quilt City, USA! Neither of us have any quilting relatives or friends but have learned to appreciate the art which comes through the hands via the soul.
Quilting is an art form captured in patchwork and passed down though the generations. Drive through Kentucky and you can witness the heritage displayed on your local farmer’s barn. It’s impressive and goes beyond making a blanket for little Mary’s birthday. It’s highly-tuned fabric art.
The National Quilt Museum hosts a variety of themes notable champions’ work from Maine to Japan and hundreds of locations in between. The museum has been open since 1991 and is an expansive display of the Art of Quilting. The American Quilt Show Week now attracts more than 30,000 visitors and is worth checking out for vivid colors and ingenious creativity.
Paducah – Art of Quilting
There are many traditions regarding the uses of quilts which were made or given to mark a life event-a birth, marriage, or graduation. Today’s quilts may be utilitarian, but more and more are made and displayed like fine art.
Paducah – Art of Quilting
2023 AQS QuiltWeek at
Quilt Museum in Paducah
National Quilt Museum
215 Jefferson Street
Paducah, Kentucky 42001
270.442.8856
info@quiltmuseum.org
HOURS
Monday–Saturday: 10am–5pm
Sundays: 1pm–5pm
Artist Relocation Program Paducah Lower Town
Paducah is so dedicated to growing its reputation as an artist colony, it has an Artist Relocation Program to attract artists to the Lower Town area by offering them finance and loan incentives to purchase, renovate, and build properties. This helps revitalize the community and preserve historical and artistic heritage. Pretty cool.
Flood Wall Murals
Paducah now has 50+ painted murals telling the story of the town’s history and heritage. More at Paducah Wall to Wall project.
Taste of Bourbon – Paducah
The Silent Brigade Distillery, founded in 2014, is a recent addition to the craft Bourbon market.
Hours
Tuesday – Friday: 11am – 6pm
Saturday: 11am – 6pm
Sunday & Monday: Closed
270-709-3242