I am taking a quick break from my Great City Parks series to talk about the Renfro Valley in Kentucky.  Why am I doing that?  Well, while taking Henna to school today a friend asked me for suggestions regarding their coming summer camping trip.  The poor guy had no idea what he was in for.  Anyways, I recommended the Cosby Campground of the Great Smokey National Park.  But it got me thinking about a place on the way to there…..

We do not know the Renfro Valley well, although we have driven through there many times.  Each time the Smokeys was the destination and each time I told Corey “some day we should just go here for a weekend.  I mean it is so much closer to Chicago.”  Well, a couple of summers ago while on a much larger trip we hung out with cousins at the Renfro Valley KOA in a Kamping Lodge.  What a deal:  $100 for four adults and a kid with a full kitchen, gas grill, and, given the near 100 degree heat this was a biggie, central AC and a swimming pool.  Nice.  This was our second time at this KOA (the other time was in a small Kabin also with AC) and I gotta say they have a nice place.

The next day we sought out the Cumberland Falls.  Cumberland Falls State Park is a “resort” state park meaning they do have a lodge, cabin, and a swimming pool.  It was a fun, country drive and a crowded state park.  Cumberland Falls is known for their moonbows which occur a few times each year (moonlight goes through the falls and creates a nocturnal rainbow).  There has to be a full moon, few clouds, and Kentucky has to be having a good basketball season.  I am just kidding about the full moon.

It was too hot and humid the day we were there to do any hiking.  But the falls are cool and we would like to come back in the fall. 

There is one more must see destination in that part of Kentucky; the KFC museum in Corbin which is a surprisingly interesting look into the Colonel’s efforts at bringing his secret recipe to you.  It also is attached to an actual KFC so you can sample his efforts afterwards.