In college, I had a favorite professor named Dr. Piper. He was from Kentucky and spoke with a wonderful accent gentile compared to us Yankees at the University of Massachusetts. He was witty and full of interesting stories, and his bow ties and crisp shirts really spruced up the campus. He'd sometimes visit the restaurant where I worked for coffee and a slice of our homemade pie, and he was a true gentleman in that warm southern manner. One year he was even kind enough to write me recommendation letters when I applied to transfer to a bunch of bizarre schools because I had the travel bug. I never left, but somehow knowing I had choices including the Universities of Guam and Nigeria made me feel better.
Last week I was able to enjoy a few days in Bowling Green, KY as part of a press trip, and could not help but think of Dr. Piper and what a marvelous representative of Kentucky he was. Bowling Green KY, like Dr. Piper, is full of history and charm, warmth and humor, and is easy on the eye.
You might associate Kentucky's third largest city with the National Corvette Museum, and I suggest you be sure to make that a stop when you visit Bowling Green. We enjoyed a tour of the museum as well as the plant that makes them! The museum is designed to appeal to all ages with plenty of hands-on fun. There is even a kid's assembly line in a playroom for the youngest visitors! I'm not a car fan but I found the museum fascinating. 
In fact, I look forward to returning when I win a Corvette in their raffle and need to go pick it up! Raffle ticket supports this non-profit museum.
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Motorsports prevail, but Bowling Green offers sports of all kinds. Western Kentucky University offers numerous opportunities to enjoy a quality game, and the Bowling Green Red Hots offer a great night out for baseball fans at a cost families can afford. We cheered the team on, comfortable in an impressive stadium with some interesting concession offerings including local brews, BBQ and even rice bowls! Bowling Green offers great dining, from fine to casual and you will not leave hungry!
One memorable meal was a fried catfish dinner at the Boyce Country Store. Brie and Brad Golliher bought the 130-year-old general store in 2012, and are making it into a true Kentucky destination with live music including Friday night " Pickin' on the Porch" events. Reasonably priced homemade fare includes breakfast and dinner plus truly outstanding desserts. Brie's nickname is The Pie Queen, and with good reason. She makes not only amazing pies (insider tip: try the Kentucky Bourbon pie), but The Best Cookie I Ever Ate, and that's saying a lot. 
It's a preacher cookie variation and I brought one home and am hiding it in the freezer to enjoy on my birthday. I don't know if Dr. Piper ever got to enjoy one of Brie's pies, but I imagine when I served him pie and coffee, it made him miss Kentucky less.
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Another tasty casual meal we enjoyed was lunch and homemade ice cream at Chainey's Dairy Barn (Insider tip: try the Kentucky Bourbon ice cream). Depending on what time of year you go, you might enjoy a free movie projected outside on the barn, a corn maze, or a tour of the new robot which milks the 60+ cows at the farm. It's a fascinating system which is helping this 3rd generation of farmers keep up with technology, and they couldn't have been a nicer bunch. This photo features a bunch of the braver Macaroni Kid Publishers jumping on the Giant Air Pillow!
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Bowling Green is full of beautiful art and creativity, and one gem we visited is the Kentucky Museum, which is part of WKU. It contains a number of interesting exhibits but one regional highlight for me was the quilt room. I grew up with a quilting mom, and she and her friends would meet regularly to make a quilt each year to be raffled off for the church. Anyone with admiration for beauty will enjoy this exhibit and the love that went into it, as well as the museum as a whole. Ask for the scavenger hunt to enjoy with your kids if you visit!
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Another Bowling Green highlight you'll want to be sure to visit is Lost River Cave, where outstanding guides full of local legends can offer you a tour of the park and take you on an underground boat ride! The site has an amazing history and was unlike other caves in our area I have visited. We were also able to release butterflies in the Lost River Cave Butterfly Habitat, which is open seasonally. Be sure to save time to browse the gift shop, which supports the property and boasts a great selection of all sorts of items.
We also visited the Historic Railpark and Train Museum in Bowling Green, and even squeezed in a tour and tasting at Corsair Distillery in our 48-hour trip! There's much to see and do, and you'll want to visit the Bowling Green website for ideas to plan your trip if you go. From the NRV it's an easy drive, making it a good destination for a long weekend. You'll find Bowling Green offers something for everyone in your family, served alongside some southern hospitality, and you're sure to be pleased.
The Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors hosted Macaroni Kid for a three-day press trip. Accommodations and most meals and activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article and all opinions are that of the writer, who suggests you try the Kentucky Bourbon. #BGKY #GearedForFun #BGBoondoggle
