My 
Our Kentucky/Nashville trip was something of a last-minute plan. Derrek and I tend to get a bit stir-crazy if we don’t travel somewhere after a few months and I was really craving a road trip. It just so happens that we planned to go on the said road trip the weekend after Thanksgiving–yeah, we didn’t really plan that out. It wasn’t so much the traffic that would be the issue, but rather the weather. A giant weather snowstorm decides to come across the WHOLE region that was within an 8-hour driving radius for us (flight prices were RIDICULOUS, so flying wasn’t an option).
After checking the weather obsessively in various locations for days upon end, we noticed that this little pocket of Kentucky called Bowling Green wasn’t having any precipitation and the temps were in the mid-40s. Nashville didn’t look too bad either. So we pulled the trigger and planned the trip. While booking everything, we managed to snag an extended-stay hotel near Bowling Green and about an hour from Nashville for $65/per night!*
*This was in 2019 before crazy inflation.
Pro-Tip: If Airbnb isn’t quite your style, extended-stay hotels often have cheaper rates. They also come will a full kitchen and living room! You usually get other perks like access to a lot of different foods and even board games and movies.
So the trip was set. The trip itself was an 8-hour drive (more like 9 or 10 with rest stops and dinner). We got to leave around 6:30-7:00 AM and still arrive at the hotel around 4:00 PM because of that lovely timezone shift! Yay, for a little bit of sleeping in!
The road trip is honestly half the fun for me. We saw SO MANY farm animals along the way it was ridiculous. Obviously, the south had a lot more cows and horses than PA. We listened to just about every genre of music, and I even broke out some Hank Williams Jr. (a favorite of my dad’s) in Nashville.
Alright, enough storytime. We will get to the goods of what we actually DID on our trip. We only had about 2 full days to explore. The other two days were road trip days! Remember: I would consider Derrek and me introverts, so we did more calm and quiet activities. If you are an introvert, this travel guide is for you. We love to go where the people AREN’T.
Exploring a Chilly, Windy Nashville
Besides driving through the city which is mainly filled with various museums and bars (bars really aren’t our style), we decided to check out the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. It was a beautiful ode to the men who served in the war. The towers below had bells at the top and at the top of the hour, they would play a song. It definitely made you feel as almost you were in Washington, DC, or Gettysburg.
Another thing we did was hit up the Nashville Zoo. With my obsession with animals, it’s become somewhat of a tradition to visit the local zoo at every place that we visit.
This zoo was pretty great, it had all of your usual animals, but the really cool part about it was the fact that we were visiting during the lantern festival. The whole park was decorated with Asian-inspired sculptures, blow-ups, lanterns, etc. The decorating was so extensive, that it seemed as if the zoo itself always had this Asian theme to some extent! It was beautiful and so detailed.
Visiting A National Park in Kentucky
I know that Derrek was pretty excited to go to Mammoth Caves National Park because he went when he was only a few years old and even remembers it as being fun back then. Shame on me for thinking it was going to be a snooze because we have been to about 3 or 4 other cave tours before–how will this be any different?
Well, National Parks don’t mess around. Every single National Park I have been to is absolutely beautiful, from the nature to the facilities. Everything is clean and well-kept. There is nature and animals peeking around every corner like humans don’t even exist. National Parks stay true to preserving.
As for exploring the caves, we decided to take the 2.5-hour Historical Cave tour and our tour guide was perfectly sarcastic. He made the tour interesting and fun. We didn’t need any special gear for this tour, but in some spots, you did have to crouch pretty low or scoot sideways through a gap to get through. It was a fun experience and I would recommend it to anyone.
In November/December, this is the beginning of their off-season, so if you can brave a bit chillier weather, you definitely get fewer people which is a plus! Tour groups normally have about 60 people our tour guide said, and we had maybe 20. It allowed us to explore more places and hear more interesting tidbits.
After our tour, we did a small hiking trail that told you more about the area and even had a graveyard for those who lost their lives while working in the cave.
Southern Food and Hospitality
Every place we visit, we try to eat at least one or two local food places to get a taste of the culture. We did visit a local coffee shop and ice cream parlor. It was so strange having everyone be a bit slower-paced as well as everyone asking how you are. It took a while to get used to because I always assumed I was going to get sold something!
On our last night in Kentucky, we decided to go to Montana’s Grille. Picture a fancier Texas Roadhouse with way more options than steak. You walk inside to a crackling fire roasting homemade chickens and the architecture makes you feel like you are in a cozy cabin mansion.
We take a seat by the fireplace (that excites the old lady in me), and immediately get served with jalapeno cornbread as a starter. I almost told the waitress she was at the wrong table because I am used to getting bread rolls or something! Only in the south will you be served cornbread as a starter! It was better than any cornbread I have ever tasted up north. I decided to get the rotisserie chicken sandwich, I just had to try one of those freshly roasted chickens. Derrek got a sandwich as well. They both were amazing and filling. Everything was such great quality, yet tasted home-cooked.
My Finishing Thoughts
Overall, Kentucky and Nashville were fun places to get away. If you are an introvert, you can still explore the history of Nashville through parks, museums, and even the zoo. Barhopping is NOT a necessity. Kentucky has a beautiful National Park and some museums as well. As an introvert, be ready for all the southern folk to randomly ask you how you are doing on the fly. It can be nerve-wracking, but they are harmless and friendly!
