Taking my mentally disabled adult brother on a road trip in the KY/TN/NC/OH/ region for a vacation. Where should we go?

July 14, 2012 6:46 PM

Taking my mentally disabled adult brother on a road trip in the KY/TN/NC/OH/ region for a vacation. Where should we go?

We'll be traveling from Louisville KY. Open to anywhere within a 4-6 hour trip. Hoping to find random cool things to stop at along the way to a destination.

His interests are all over the place. Sci-fi/star trek, country western, movies, video games, military, dukes of hazard, art. He likes anything that hast to do with pop culture. Any type of locations/attractions based on movies he would enjoy.

Thought about Gatlinburg, but want to do better. Any suggestions?

posted by slowtree to travel & transportation around Ohio (16 answers total)

Oh my gracious. Has he been to the Grand Ole Opry?
posted by Madamina at 6:48 PM on July 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

But I LOVE Gatlinburg! It's awesome. Also, what about Cherokee? Would he like the museum? How about "Unto These Hills?"

Dollywood in Pigeon Forge is really great!

If you go through Nashville, stop and see the Parthenon. For sure do the Grand Ole Opry.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:00 PM on July 14, 2012

Metropolis IL? Home of SUPERMAN? It's right across the Ohio River from Paducah KY.

Fort Campbell is pretty awesome, even though it's hard to get inside. The Jefferson Davis memorial is near this end of the state as well. If he likes nature, Land Between the Lakes is second to none. They have a Planetarium as well.

There's probably a ton of other stuff (like Molly Sims' parents) that I'm forgetting around here or that's pretty insignificant, but the toe end of KY is pretty awesome.

Maybe next year to do something again, the Lowertown Arts and Music Festival in Paducah is also a good place to take someone.
posted by deezil at 7:20 PM on July 14, 2012

Two military museum suggestions:

The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, OH
Mott's Military Museum in Groveport, OH (not too far from Columbus)

Be sure to bring photo ID for everyone in your party to the Air Force museum, so you can do the Presidential and R&D wings.

(You can see freaking ICBMs at the Air Force museum. Highly recommended.)
posted by SMPA at 7:42 PM on July 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Mamouth Cave is pretty cool.
posted by Flood at 7:43 PM on July 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

If your brother asks a lot of questions about what he sees, or really likes to look at maps, be aware that very close to the Jefferson Davis memorial is Western State Hospital. It's extremely noticeable if you're driving down US highway 68 to get there - I personally learned about mental institutions for the first time on the day we visited the memorial obelisk. Which, in my defense, is a few miles outside the town my grandfather's entire family lives in, and we visited it mostly for the "yes, girls, really, this actually does exist" factor.
posted by SMPA at 7:53 PM on July 14, 2012

I just has my mentally disabled brother visit me in Louisville a couple of weeks ago. Suggestions based on what he's enjoyed over the years:

See Rock City! See Ruby Falls!

Does he like amusement parks? Your best deal is Holiday World in southern Indiana. Cincinnati of course has Kings Island and Coney Island. What about a visit to one of Cincy's famous chili parlors?

There's also the Kentucky Speedway. What about the Corvette Museum? Your bro is a Dukes of Hazzard fan, he probably would appreciate seeing the fast cars. (I am assuming you already know about Cooter's Place, the Dukes of Hazzard Museum with branches in Nashville and Gatlinburg).

You mentioned military as one of his interests. I assume you've already taken him to the Patton Museum in Fort Knox?


Can you post your travel itinerary? Give us an idea of places you'll be driving through or past? That might help us narrow down suggestions.
posted by magstheaxe at 8:43 PM on July 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cincinnati's Contemporary Art Center is very cool.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:23 PM on July 14, 2012

I'll second the Air Force museum in Dayton, just...wow.
posted by doowod at 9:53 PM on July 14, 2012

I think Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg would be worth rethinking...
Tons of arcades, a Dukes of Hazzard museum, a lot of country western stores, tons of mini golf, the Arts and Crafts Loop, the new Hollywood Wax Museum, etc etc

Sorry for lack.of links, I'm mobile.
posted by KogeLiz at 11:25 PM on July 14, 2012

Thanks so much for the replies, I really appreciate it. At dinner tonight he brought up Dinosaur World and Kentucky Down Under. I was trying to think outside the box and do something awesome for him by going out of KY, but really I think he will enjoy these ideas the best.

I'm looking into trying to find some cool things to stop at along the way to Cave City and maybe an unusual hotel or something to add to the excitement. If anyone has any suggestions of things to check out on the route from Louisville to Cave City, or even out of the way a little bit, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks again for the replies :)
posted by slowtree at 12:54 AM on July 15, 2012

Someone already said Mamouth caves, so now I'm saying Graceland.
posted by The Light Fantastic at 1:19 AM on July 15, 2012

The birthplace of Abraham Lincoln is between Louisville and Cave City.
There is not that much to do there, but seeing the original log cabin where he grew up is kind of cool.
posted by Flood at 4:50 AM on July 15, 2012

You'll be near Glendale, an awesome little town with a legendary Kentucky restaurant just off the highway.
posted by jbickers at 9:29 AM on July 15, 2012

I'm looking into trying to find some cool things to stop at along the way to Cave City and maybe an unusual hotel or something to add to the excitement

What about WigWam Village in Cave City? As I understand it, it's one of three remaning WigWam hotels left in the US.
posted by magstheaxe at 10:16 AM on July 16, 2012

Oooh! He likes Westerns--check out GunTown Mountain!
posted by magstheaxe at 10:19 AM on July 16, 2012