So I’m about to move again, this time to Bowling Green, KY. I’ve never been anywhere near the place. I know that Mammoth Cave is nearby, and I might go there a few times. I also know there’s a Corvette museum, which I have absolutely no interest in. Other than that, what’s there to see/do when I’m not teaching?
Well, speaking as a Corvette guy, if you don’t care for the Corvette Museum, I don’t know what to tellya. 
I was just interviewing there a few months ago (didn’t get the job, wah), but there are other cave complexes close to town. The town is very cute, and the university is cool and the people are friendly. Nashville’s a pretty easy drive. And there is allegedly a decent Mexican place in town.
Didja catch the name?
Do you like basketball? WKU usually fields good teams in both men’s and women’s hoops.
Not only is there Mammoth Cave, but the whole system, which includes a number of smaller caves locally (not sure what level of teaching you do, but if it’s elementary, there will be field trips). In nearby Cave City, there are tours of the caves, a kitchy miniture golf course, Guntown Mountain and a relic of the 50’s US highway system, the Wigwam Motel.
You will also be an hour from Nashville (home of occasional dopefests) and two from Louisville when you want to do city stuff and a couple of hours from the foothills of the Smoky Mountains.
Welcome to the area!
Oh I’m sure I’ll get my share of WKU-boosting. That’s where I’m teaching next year.
If there’s a lot more caves around that’s a good regular thing. Gotta see 'em all.
And yeah, I know Nashville’s nearby, but is there anything specific you’d recommend going to there? restaurants? tourist traps?
I find some of the best restaurants often are the mom & pop ethnic places in Nashville. Some good places around town for these are the Nolensville Road area for middle eastern, the West Charlotte Avenue area for almost any kind of Asian cuisine, M’boro Road east of downtown for several varieties of African, Jefferson Street for soul food and just about anywhere in town for Mexican/El Salvadoran/Guatamalan food, meat and three or barbeque. You should find a couple of decent Mexican restaurants in BG (the area has had a large hispanic influx over the past several years) as well as some down home southern cooking.
Nashville also has a lot of music venues (obviously) and not just country (although you’d be in the right place if that’s your style). If you like history, there are a number of sites good for day trips: the Hermitage, historic Franklin, TN, Stones River Battlefield (in M’boro), Traveler’s Rest, Lincoln birthplace, Jefferson Davis birthplace, etc.
Natural areas in the day trip range are Radnor Lake (Nashville), Dale Hollow Lake (Celina, TN), Long Hunter State Park (Nashville area), Dunbar Cave (Clarksville, TN), Cedar’s of Lebanon State Park (Lebanon, TN) and more.
You are also within a couple of hours of historic Bardstown, where you can take a tour of the Heaven Hill distillary (and others as well, I believe), Lynchburg, TN (Jack Daniel’s distillary) and the Green River boat tour.
If sports are your interest (beyond WKU teams), there are the University of Louisville Cardinals (good baseball), Vanderbilt Commodores and TSU in college teams and the Titans and Predators for pro teams, as well as the Sounds minor league baseball.
There are also fellow dopers to get together with in the Nashville area. That should make the move more than worth it. 
This message, surprisingly enough, was not brought to you by the Nashville chamber of commerce.
There’s a shitload of disc golf courses in the vicinity. Time to take up a sport!
whatever, so jealous
Don’t be. I’m moving there from N’awlins 
Generally, threads like this belong in the IMHO category rather than Cafe Society. Hence, there it goes.
The distillery to visit when you go to Bardstown is Maker’s Mark. It’s small and cute. The rest are like factories which are interesting, but if you want touristy, go to Maker’s.
We’re going on a jaunt to Mammoth Cave soon, but sadly the Wigwam Village is already booked up! They fill up fast on the weekends, but you can often get a wigwam during the week in peak summer months. Cave City is a real tourist trap, so if you love Gatlinburgesque, Cave City is your place!
Bowling Green is a nice town; I think you’ll enjoy it there. There’s not the fabulousity of a New Orleans, but if you don’t mind a small/medium city (very medium to large by Kentucky standards) you’ll be happy in BG.
All I can add is that you are headed to the wrong Bowling Green.
Having lived in Bowling Green during my college years, I’m shocked at the growth of Bowling Green every time I go back.
There are some decent bars downtown on the Square, I’m a big fan of 440 Main (assuming it’s still there, I haven’t been to BG in about 6 months, and things tend to rise and fall there quickly). At one time it had more fast food restaurants per capita than any other city in America, there was a time there were at least 9 Subways in town. In a city of about 40k. It’s also a test market for a lot of new restaurant concepts. Unfortunately, my favorite restaurant is no more (Murray’s).
Jackson’s Orchard just outside of town is great, it’s a 185 acre orchard where they grow apples/peaches/pumpkins. Great apples. Can be a bit touristy, but you can get away from everyone else and get to the peaceful areas. Great place for a picnic. Same with the Lost River Cave, great natural park where you can view a very deep but very short river. Behind the Unitarian Church on Nashville Rd there is another good hiking trail.
You’ve got quick drives to Horse Cave, Cave City (guess what they have there), and Nashville. Also, E-town, but I would advise never stopping, as the interstate system around E-town is so confusing most people just give up and live there.
Congratulations: I interviewed at the school as well and the people were completely awesome, so I was totally bummed to not get the job.
The Mexican place, I do not remember the name, but it was reportedly a hole in the wall style taco shack con lengue y menudo rather than a Tex-Mex taquitos with white sauce and strawberry margarita type place. It was, IIRC, supposed to be down in the area on the other side of the college from downtown proper.
Also the liquor store on the bypass on the Nashville side is supposed to have good beer(like a selection of Belgian stuff)
Maybe Puerto Vallarta? It’s a pretty damn good mexican place. Doesn’t really match your description perfectly though.
Oh yeah, and Western is a great school. With a great radio station.
(Proud WKU and WWHR alum)
Thanks, Dex. When I moved to NOLA they told me this went in CS since I was asking about restaurants and stuff to do.
Hey! WKU ex grad student here of Geoscience Dept. I have no useful information for you since I commuted from Tennessee, but I do know a restaurant everyone went to, Mariah’s, close to campus. There is also the Kentucky Museum on campus. If you like the outdoors, there is the Land Between the Lakes area in Kentucky/Tennessee, a huge recreational/lake complex to the west, a couple hours’ drive.