Mark Bibby Jackson continues his road trip through the southern states to Kentucky and West Virginia to see the good the bad and ugly of American tourism.
Bardstown Kentucky claims to be the bourbon capital of America, thus it seems to be the perfect place to make our first stop on our road trip through the state.
Bardstown Kentucky
If Bardstown is the bourbon capital then the Talbot Tavern is its White House. The stone tavern was built by pioneers in 1779, shortly after the Shawnee opened up the state to white settlers. At that time Bardstown was still called Salem, but changed its name shortly afterwards. The tavern had a couple of rooms for people to stay, in order to stimulate growth in the area.
It has been open, apart from for fire damage, ever since, albeit with additions and modifications. The original tavern still stands although it is now more of a restaurant. So, it is to the modern bar behind that we adjoin to have a beer and bourbon while waiting for the sun to set.
On the opposite end of the scale lies Scout & Scholar a microbrewery which opened in 2020. Bardstown has severe planning restrictions downtown, so Scout & Scholar has been extended to an existing warehouse, creating a wonderful industrial feel to the place. It also serves an excellent pint of stout as well as good pub grub; the cod sandwich (fish and chips in a loaf) is recommended.
One of my aims on the road trip was to experience as much Americana as possible. So, instead of staying in the centre of town, we opt for a motel on the outskirts. Despite its unrelenting blandness, the Bourbon Capital Inn was clean and quiet (no episodes of Twin Peaks were filmed here).
In the morning we walked into town to have breakfast at Lem’s Café. Run by Amanda Ogilvie this is the type of uplifting, family-run place which places community at its heart and makes you happy to frequent.
Amanda named the café after her great grandfather who was an African-American banjo player who performed for white folks at My Old Kentucky Home in the 40s and 50s. The place stands testament to her ancestor but also as a reminder to those dark times.
Her aunt who happens to be having coffee there when we visit, and has baked the biscuits shares a story about a relative of hers who in 1917 gave up her place on a train to some white passengers. She moved to a lower class carriage. The train crashed (Shepherdsville train wreck), killing 49 people including the white people to whom she gave up her seat. She survived. The aunt puts this down to ‘fate’ others might see it as payback. Whichever, she certainly did know how to cook her biscuits (like a scone but without the currants), and the coffee was good.
Natural Bridge Park Kentucky
In the afternoon we reach Natural Bridge State Park, where we have booked rooms in the national park lodge.
It’s a short walk from the lodge to the natural bridge itself. Short but steep. The views from atop the bridge down into the valley below are quite magnificent and well worth the walk.
The one from the terrace at the back of my room is almost as good, and I spend most of the rest of the day sitting on my rocking chair listening to the birds chirping away.
The flipside of this lodge epitomises America. Despite being surrounded by glorious nature, at breakfast we are served with paper cups for our coffee, and paper plates with plastic knives wrapped in cellophane, which we dispose of in a bin. There is no sign of any attempt to recycle. I point this out to the receptionist Shayanni. She listens, smiles and agrees. “We’re backwards,” she explains. She said she would inform her manager. What else can she do? Sadly, backwards will not save our planet.
Driving Through Mining Heritage
After checking out we drive on back roads through one of the more deprived areas in Kentucky.
The area had a heyday when mining was prosperous towards the beginning of the previous century, but that appears a long time ago as trailers lie ruined or partially ruined, and hope seems to have evaporated. Looking at the squalor that people are living in despite the great economic advances the country has made in the last century, it is easy to understand why people are angry with their lot.
On the flight over I was talking to a woman from DC called Nana, she said that the vote for Trump came from anger but it is “misplaced anger”. Misplaced seems an apposite word for the people here.
Mine Wars Museum in Matewan West Virginia
Just across the state line in West Virginia lies the town of Matewan. This was the scene of the largest uprising in US labour history, when more than 10,000 miners marched to Blair Mountain in 1921.
The Battle of Blair Mountain was provoked by the assassination of Matewan Chief of Police Sid Hatfield. The miners had long complained of working conditions, child labour and being forced to buy goods with tokens at the company store. Hatfield was sympathetic to the miners.
The fighting between miners and Logan Defenders (a conglomerate of volunteers, deputies and mine guards working for the mine owners) continued for five days. It is not sure how many people died in the fighting, but it is estimated to be in the dozens. At the end hundreds of miners were rounded up and indicted for treason and murder.
The excellent Mine Wars Museum in Matewan tells the story of the fighting. It also explains the origins of the expression redneck. Militant miners wore the red bandanas to indicate on which side they were fighting. It was a practice carried out across the Appalachian coalfields. They were called rednecks.
Fayetteville, West Virginia
If Matewan shows the ugly side of the state of West Virginia then Fayetteville shows how pretty it can be. Named after Marquis de LaFayette, a French aristocrat and friend of the American Revolution, this is a most pleasant town: even for descendants of redcoats.
We stayed at The Historic Morris Harvey Inn, which was built at the beginning of the last century, and is packed full of antiques, making it feel more like a museum.
In the evening, we wander down to the Southside Junction Tap House where we join in a quiz on the theme of notable women in history to celebrate International Women’s History Month. Amazingly we came first, pipping our closest rivals on the final question. It was a very pleasant experience and one in which after a week’s driving through Trump-supporting regions of the States felt much more like home territory. The sign at the front of our B&B summed the sentiment perfectly: Hate Won’t Make Us Great.
Walking along The Endless Wall in West Virginia
This was the final night on our road trip through the southern states. It was not however the end of our journey. On the way back to Washington DC we made a couple of pit stops.
The first was to see the New River George Bridge, which at 924 metres long is the longest single span bridge in the western hemisphere. After this we went for the final hike on our road trip in the New River Gorge National Park.
Here we walked along the Endless Wall, a sheer rock formation which did seem endless. The walk was easy and there were ample opportunities to stand near the edge of the cliff and look down to the valley below and watch the turkey vultures drifting serenely on the thermals. In the distance we could just make out the New River George Bridge.
It was a beautiful conclusion to our road trip and a reminder that whatever man does, there is still so much beauty in nature to admire in the US.
Holiday Extras
Mark flew from London Heathrow to Washington DC. He parked his car at Heathrow Terminal 5 through Holiday Extras: the market leader in UK airport parking, hotels, lounges, and transfers. In 2025 its customers saved an average of £200 per trip by booking their airport parking in advance. He also stayed overnight at Hilton Hotel at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Booking an airport hotel with parking means you can enjoy more holiday with less hassle – and can actually cost less than booking airport parking alone. One night at the Hilton with 22 days parking is available for £327.65 based on arrival on 18 May. He also arranged access at Club Aspire at Heathrow T5 (available for £50 based on arrival on 18 May). With Flextras, if you need to cancel or amend you can without charge for wither lounge, hotel or parking. For more information and to book, HolidayExtras.com or call 0800 316 5678.
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