Hodgenville, KY - State # 1

 Our adventure began on July 24 to Hodgenville, KY. We took a daytrip to Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace National Historic Park. I did not know this existed until we started researching things to do in Kentucky. Kentucky is known for its horse racing and bourbon, which we were not really interested in. We stumbled upon Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace and knew that it was the winner.

It took us about four hours to get there. Our original plan was to visit the park first and then grab lunch afterwards, but we were both starved by the time we got there, so we grabbed lunch first. Hodgenville is a really small town with a population of 3,333, so there were not a lot of options. We ate at Laha's Red Castle, which is pronounced lay-hays. This is a family-owned business that has been voted as the best hamburger in Kentucky.  It is a very small diner, but the staff were very friendly. We highly recommend getting the double deluxe burger.

After lunch we headed to Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace. When we arrived, we jumped right into a tour with a park ranger. 

We spent about an hour in the park and most of that time was on the tour. There isn't much to see outside of the tour. It was recommended to visit the Knob Creek location, but we opted not to. The Birthplace is home to the first Lincoln Memorial. We learned there are 56 steps leading up to the memorial because that is how old he was when he was assassinated. There are sixteen columns and windows as he was the sixteenth president. Inside the memorial is a log cabin that is a replica of his childhood home. We also got to see the springs where he would have had his first sip of water.

After visiting his birthplace, I had plans of stopping by Mammoth Cave National Park, but we ran out of time. We hope to go back and visit as it seems like a really neat place.

On the way home we were able to find a gift shop to get a souvenir and some postcards. If you'd like to receive a postcard from us head over to our Patreon and join our friend group.

We would recommend visiting Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace if you are near the area or love history. 

Cost Breakdown:

Gas - $28.50

Food - $31.64 (the breakdown is as follows: Laha's Red Castle was $13.06, snacks at the gas station $7.55, and snacks at Dollar General $11.03)

Souvenirs - $21.60 (Marvel mug $10, Christmas ornament $6.99 , postcards $.99)

Total cost: $81.74

Let us know if you decide to visit any of these places.