New Year, New Reason to Make a List!

I'm a mighty big fan of lists. I love making them. They make me feel so organized and ready for whatever it is I'm making the list for. 

Of course, usually once the list is actually made, I feel a weird sense of accomplishment just for making the list and then I lose interest. It's a problem.

One of my most favorite authors, Victoria Schwab (who has an amazing book The Archived coming out in January which is beside the point but I can't help but tell you because amazing), posted a link on Twitter yesterday to her own list of "101 Things to do in 1001 days."  The list comes from DayZeroProject.com, a goal-setting website that's free to use. That gives me a little less than three years to accomplish the things I choose to put on the list.

And being the addict that I am, of course I'm all over this. 

As it turns out, coming up with 101 things to do is pretty daunting. I'm trying to think in terms of life goals, rather than my usual "Empty the laundry basket"- and "Pick up some Cherry Coke Zero"- type goals.

As I start to create my list, I'm focusing on two main things: writing and traveling. I thought this might interest you because a lot of my travel goals are Kentucky-related. I'd like my 6-year-old daughter to get to know some of the cool things to be found in the state that she lives in, just like I did when I was a kid. So obviously, a few easy Kentucky attractions are on my "Must Do" list, such as visit Mammoth Cave, go see The Stephen Foster Story, and go watch UK play in a Final Four game (because we all know that'll happen again in the next three years anyway). Aside from the normal Kentucky activities, I'm using a book, Kentucky Curiosities, to help me find other lesser-known places to check out.

My list isn't complete yet, but I'll be adding to it over the next few days. Feel free to take a look, and if you decide to make one, please link it in the comments. Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for my list!

Kentucky is for Lovers

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would honor some of the most romantic spots in the state. 

1. Paducah! Last year, Paducah's downtown was named one of the five Most Romantic Main Streets by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. You can stroll down cobblestone streets, have a romantic dinner, or take a horse drawn carriage with your significant other all the with the beautiful moonlit Ohio River a few blocks away. 

2. The Moonbow Nothing could be more romantic than rainbow created by the reflection of the moon and there are only a few places in the world you can see one. One is at Cumberland Falls in Corbin, Kentucky.

3. Stay at Castle Post It's a CASTLE. Enough said. 

4. Spend the night in one of Wildwood Inns themed suites. Wildwood Inn Tropical Dome and Themed Suites has it all. You can sleep in a treehouse, a cave, a pirate ship. However, as far as romance, nothing compares to the Champagne Suite with a two-story champagne glass-shaped spa! 

5. Mammoth Cave Recently named by HotelClub as the number 2 most romantic destination, I can see how being in the dark, breathtaking cave could make you feel love appreciation for your nearest and dearest. 

Did I miss any? What do y'all think are the most romantic spots around the Bluegrass State?

~ Sarah Stewart Holland

My 2012 Kentucky Resolutions

Despite spending over 25 of my 30 years in the great state of Kentucky, there are still some pretty essential Kentucky experiences that have escaped me. Seeing as how I bill myself as a proud Kentucky spokesperson, some of these oversights are becoming embarassing. In 2012, I'm going to start checking some of these items off my list.

1. Visit Mammoth Cave. A national park and the longest cave system in the world - not to mention just about two and a half hours from my house - Mammoth Cave seems to always be at the top of any list of Kentucky tourist attractions. I'm not quite sure how I escaped childhood without a single field trip there but I plan to remedy that this year. 
2. Become a Kentucky Colonel. One of the most humiliating moments of my life was when I worked for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. One of the interns found out I was from Kentucky and exclaimed, "Are you a Kentucky Colonel?!? I am!" He had never even been to Kentucky. He was from NEW JERSEY. Oh, the shame. 
3. Visit Bubbleland. The Kentucky Bend fascinates me. I'm not saying a visit would be life-changing but it's close and seems like something you just gotta see.
4. Try Col. Bill Newsom's Aged Kentucky Country Ham. This recently popped up on a essential Kentucky list in Garden and Gun. One of the few culinary experiences in Western Kentucky, it seems crazy I haven't tried it yet. 
5. Go to Tater Day in Benton. Every cool kid in my high school skipped school to go to Tater Day. I'm not sure why I never went except that I wasn't that cool. Well, there's nothing to stop me now and I love sweet potatoes.