South of Cincinnati

While it has a reputation as an excellent place to live, Cincinnati isn’t a city that comes to mind immediately when you’re thinking about a vacation destination. The Cincinnati airport, however, was, indeed, the starting point for one of my favorite driving vacations.

The airport is actually across the Ohio River from the city, on the Kentucky side; and from there I trekked south through the beautiful horse country of Lexington, then on to the fascinating community of Berea. Established in the run-up to the Civil War as an abolitionist stronghold, the community emerged in the first part of the twentieth century at the epicenter of the American crafts revival movement. Evidence of that legacy is everywhere in Berea today, which has evolved into a delightful, progressive small community with some fascinating summer festivals. Drive on a bit south to Corbin, Kentucky, and you’ll find Colonel Sander’s first restaurant, where he developed his secret formula for Kentucky Fried Chicken. After that, it’s a short drive across the border to a city that does have a reputation as a tourism destination—Asheville.

Allegiant Airlines flies nonstop from New Orleans to Cincinnati with fares staring under $100 on select dates.