What are some things to do in and around east / central Kentucky (Royal Gorge area)?

In My Humble Opinion
1

My wife and I are looking to do a mini-vacation, maybe 4 or 5 days, early September-ish. We love kayaking, and she’s had her eye on this Gorge Underground kayak tour. So we’re sort of planning around that, and I’m wondering what else will be good to do and see around there. Some ideas I’m forming:

  • Of course, nearby nature like the Red River Gorge itself and Natural Bridge State Park sounds pretty amazing to check out. Love nature stuff.

  • Never been to Mammoth Cave. That’s 3 1/2 hours away, but I’ve never been, and it might be worth a side trip.

  • Maybe a bourbon tour? Any good bourbon distillers in the area? I know, that’s probably like asking ‘is there a lot of ice in Alaska in the Winter?’.

  • How about historic Civil War battle sites?

  • Maybe a crazy thought, but ‘The Ark Encounter’ museum is an hour and a half away. Being someone who considers the Ark story a complete fairy tale, would it be worth it to tour just for the ironic lulz? In other words, would a tour be a ‘so bad it’s good’ bunch of kitschy fun for someone like me, or just a depressing ‘WTF were they thinking devoting all these resources to this monstrosity’ experience?

2

Banjo lessons? (d&r)

3

My wife’s uncle used to be a park ranger there. I’ve never been, but I would recommend it from the descriptions by her and her family.

4

Mark Cline’s Dinosaur Kingdom II is just down the road from Natural Bridge. Pretty cheesy but a must-see if you’re a fan of roadside attractions.

I thought the Ark Encounter was fantastic. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the Disney-quality craftsmanship on display in the Ark. Go early, it can get crowded later in the day.

5

It seems like you’re making a reference to the movie Deliverance, but I’m not sure what ‘d&r’ means.

6

Duck and run