Fly Drive USA

Depart the UK on a non-stop British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. Upon arrival, independently make the short 15 minute journey to your hotel in Covington, where you’ll spend the first two nights of your adventure.

Today you have a free day to explore Covington and the surrounding areas. There is so much to do, and  here are a few ideas we would recommend:

Stroll across the Roebling Suspension Bridge (a prototype of the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York) spanning the Ohio River between Covington and Cincinnati, and take in the Cincinnati River Front with its parks, baseball and American football stadiums, plus neighbouring entertainment and dining districts.

The banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati meant freedom to entrapped enslaved people, and the striking National Underground Railroad Freedom Center portrays three centuries of slavery from its introduction into the Americas to its abolition at the end of the American Civil War. The exhibit describes who the enslaved were, why they were brought here, how they lived, how they worked, and who their allies were – and how they ultimately became free.

The American Sign Museum, just ten minutes from downtown Cincinnati, is the premier institution for preserving historic signs and promoting the sign industry’s contributions to commerce, culture, and the American landscape. Signs not only show us the way and invite us in (or not!), they reflect the history, technology, commerce, and culture of our communities.

Before there was Las Vegas… there was Newport, Kentucky. Rising from the profits of bootlegging during Prohibition, Newport quickly became the premier gaming destination in the United States. What happened in Newport, stayed in Newport! It’s always fun to learn the juicy secrets of a city’s history. With the Newport Gangster Tour, you can visit the buildings that actually housed casinos, brothels and speakeasies while learning about Newport’s connections to some of the most well-known crime figures in the USA’s history.

Time to leave the city and connect with the outdoors. You will make your back to Cincinnati to collect your motorhome and head to Carter Caves State Park for fantastic hikes, trails and caves. If you fancy some water activities, Cave Run Lake nearby offers paddling and kayaking.

Spend the morning in Carter Caves State Park before continuing to Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World and home to more than 450 Thoroughbred and Standardbred farms, with many open to the public. If you are in Lexington in April or October, make an afternoon of racing at the historic Keeneland Race Course. Located near Keeneland, the Kentucky Horse Park offers an authentic equine experience. This is the only park in the world dedicated exclusively to the horse, which also hosts seasonal and annual events such as the Kentucky Three-Day Event.

Lexington has more than 200 years of history and nearby is Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, which is home to an impressive collection of Shaker architecture, furniture, and historical artifacts. With 34 Shaker structures, built from 1809 to 1875, the site is the country’s largest private collection of original 19th-century buildings. The Shakers were 19th-century America’s largest and best-known communal society. Their movement began in New York shortly before the American Revolution and, by the 1840s, nearly 3,500 Shakers lived in communities from Maine to Kentucky. In 1805, a group of Shakers came to central Kentucky and established a village they named Pleasant Hill.

Today you will make the journey to downtown Louisville, which rolls gently down towards Main Street then abruptly lunges down to the river where the historic Belle of Louisville leaves for daily sightseeing cruises. Don’t miss the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, and be sure to sample the Urban Bourbon Trail along Whiskey Row and around town.

Visit the Muhammad Ali Center which rises on the south bank of the Ohio River and has majestic views of Kentucky’s largest city, where Ali was born Cassius Clay in 1942. Ali went on to boxing fame and fortune, but in his heyday, he was known as the “Louisville Lip” and a loquacious self-promoter responsible for some of the finest quips to emerge from a sportsman. The Ali Center is not obsessed with glory and triumph, and it does not shy away from Ali’s failings. Still, his boxing achievements are the centrepiece and fans can watch his fights in a multimedia area and follow his brave and principled stand against the Vietnam War and racism.

On your second day we suggest taking the trip to Bardstown (voted America’s most beautiful small town) and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. You’ll drive the Bluegrass Parkway and visit the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Hodgenville.

Enjoy views of rolling, wooded hills from the comfort of your lakeside campsite, which welcomes RVs. The 5,100-acre Rough River Lake offers opportunities for boating and fishing and you can also rent pontoons, johnboats, and jet skis at the nearby marinas.

Journey to Corbin via Cumberland Falls State Park. Known as the “Niagara of the South,” the thundering waters of Cumberland Falls are 65 feet high and 125 feet wide. When the Cumberland River is at flood stage the width of the falls can quickly expand to 300 feet.

Cumberland Falls is dramatic day or night. But it’s only at night during a full moon that you can see the Moonbow, a phenomenon said to only be duplicated at Victoria Falls in Africa. Although the first permanent European settlers at Cumberland Falls did not arrive until 1850, people have inhabited the area for thousands of years. Native Americans lived here as long as 10,000 years ago and made their home in rock shelters at the base of the cliffs that line the river. As early as 1650, Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw and the Creek nations visited often and used the area for hunting camps.

Most visitors see, hear and feel the mist from the Cumberland Falls from behind the protective railings above and below Kentucky’s largest waterfall. Then there are those who hop into a raft and feel the falls’ power just downriver from its dramatic drop as they embark on a white water rafting trip on the Cumberland River. The first five miles of the guided trip are white-water. At mile five, the Cumberland Star riverboat appears and takes paddlers aboard for the rest of the five-mile downriver cruise to where the river meets a lake.

Corbin is the birthplace of the original Colonel Sanders Cafe and Museum. Visit the museum and dining room, where you can be served traditional Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Drive south and just west of Knoxville is Oak Ridge. During World War II, Oak Ridge was America’s Secret City, where 75,000 workers lived in total secrecy while producing the first atomic bomb. The American Museum of Science and Energy explains the rise of nuclear energy, tells the extraordinary story of life in the Secret City, and even includes a photo of guards frisking Father Christmas!

Along the banks of the Tennessee River in Knoxville, and its Volunteer Landing includes refreshing waterfalls and fountains, historical markers, and locally-owned restaurants. Volunteer Landing is also the location of the Star of Knoxville riverboat and Three Rivers Rambler Railroad.

After exploring Knoxville, you will make the short journey over to Pigeon Forge where you will overnight at the nearby campground, before continuing this incredible journey in the morning.

This morning you will make your way to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, America’s most visited, stretching for half-a-million acres across Tennessee and North Carolina. Hike, cycle, ride a horse, drive or rent a motorbike and explore the scenic roads of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Be sure to stand across the state line with one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina at Clingman’s Dome.

The nearby towns of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Townsend offer a wide array of activities from mini Nascar racing to zip-lining. Make time for the extraordinary Titanic Museum or perhaps a visit to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood, a theme park that spans 150 acres and celebrates the heritage and people of the East Tennessee region popularised by the entertainment legend in her songs.

Today you will make the longest journey of the trip and to your final destination of Nashville. Here you will return your RV before spending a further two nights exploring the city best known for its country roots. Nashville is home to a diverse mix of other music genres (rock, Americana, bluegrass, blues, gospel) as well as the largest song writing community in the world. Nashville’s creative spirit has also led the way to evolve the art, fashion, and culinary scene that’s starting to share the spotlight with its music scene. With there being so much to do in Nashville, it’s hard to decide what to visit, however, here are a few options we recommend, during your time here:

Explore the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, the world’s largest museum dedicated to music! The museum’s permanent exhibit, Sing Me Back Home, carries the visitor on a journey of sights and sounds from country music’s earliest folk roots through today – including treasured artifacts from your favourite artists – and concludes with the interactive Discover Your Country exhibit that will thrill fans of all ages.

Tour the Johnny Cash Museum, which features many never before seen historical documents, letters, awards, costumes and instruments that will take the visitor on a three-dimensional journey through Johnny Cash’s life. Catch a concert or take a tour of the Ryman Auditorium, regarded as the “Mother Church of Country Music.” The Ryman is a National Historic Landmark, renowned for its exceptional acoustics, that has hosted musicians from James Brown to Patsy Cline and Coldplay, as well as current and rising stars of all musical genres.

Spend an evening at The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville’s legendary hotspot where you’ll enjoy songwriters performing original material in an intimate in-the-round setting. Or experience Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the world’s longest-running radio show, to see some of country music’s rising stars perform live, such as Taylor Swift and legends like Dolly Parton. Take a backstage tour and see the dressing rooms and famous Green Room. The Opry is on every Friday and Saturday and select Tuesdays and Wednesdays year-round.

Depending on your flight time, you may have time for some last-minute sightseeing or souvenir shopping before making your to Nashville International Airport where you will check in for your flight back to the UK.