Versailles Off The Beaten Path

If you enjoy hiking and are visiting central Kentucky, the best trails for scenery and rock climbing are located in the Red River Gorge or the nearby Natural Bridge State Park which are located about a one hour drive from Lexington, traveling East off of the Mountain Parkway. See pictures below top row and bottom right. This is part of the Daniel Boone Forrest and contains many natural sandstone arches and cliffs. For a closer hike, I suggest the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Fayette County South of Lexington on the Kentucky River Palisades.

For those who enjoy historical sites, a short drive South towards Harrodsburg on U.S. 68 south of Lexington is very scenic and leads to 'Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill' (see photo bottom left) a restored village which was a colony of a communal society founded by the religious sect that believed men and women should live as brothers and sister. They were famous for making furniture and other handmade items. The movement began in New York after the revolution and by the 1840s nearly 6000 Shakers lived in communities from Maine to Kentucky. The Shakers came to central Kentucky in 1805. The community thrived until the mid-Ninteteenth Century. By 1910 only a few Shakers survived and the village was closed. In 1961 a nonprofit group was formed to restore the village. Today 33 original buildings and 2700 acres of farm land have been restored. The village is open for touring every day except Dec. 24th and 25th from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30, April to October. Overnight accomodations and meals may be reserved by calling 800-734-5611. See www.Shakervillageky.org for more information.