Full Article:
When we are way up in the mountains, in high altitude and thin air, our GPS decides to set itself on Sherpa Mode. It carefully maps a route that is Longest, Obscure, and Steep Terrain - L.O.S.T.
Such as the day we travelled from Asheville, NC to Renfro Valley, KY. When we left camp in NC, a simple turn to the right would have led to the highway in a couple of easy miles, but instead the GPS sent us to the left. So we traversed the Appalachian Mountains on the back roads for two hours: though hill and holler, over dale and dell, around switchbacks and hairpin turns. All in the motorhome.
In early evening we finally arrived in Renfro Valley, Kentucky. This area combines music venues with historic log cabin villages. Think Branson crossed with Dukes of Hazard.
There are several campgrounds in the area, but we opted to stay at the Renfro Valley RV Park behind the main Entertainment Center to be close to the action. We were off-season so the campground office was closed and we were required to register across the street at the ticket office. Better signage is needed to explain this process, as we drove around the property several times looking for the check-in.
The main venues at Renfro Valley are two huge barns featuring live country, blue-grass, and gospel music, and there are several show options to choose from on the weekends. Adjacent to the music barns is a recreated pioneer village with log cabins filled with the trappings of days gone by. There’s also a shopping village with restaurants, gift shops, and more historic buildings including an old school house. All are a short walk from the RV Park.
Other museums and music barns are also located in the immediate area, including Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, and I wish we’d had more time to explore them.
I did find a lovely winding country road behind the campground that led to yet another pioneer village, Brush Arbor Appalachian Homestead. This venue was closed in late March, but it was worth the drive just to enjoy the bucolic scenery.
Renfro Valley RV Park has gravel and grass sites with water, electric (30 & 50 amp), and sewer service available. More camp sites have been added in a field adjacent to the main campground, and we noticed that fifth-wheels tend to prefer that area.
You won’t get lost finding Renfro Valley – it’s right off Interstate 75, about 70 miles south of Lexington, KY. But if you find yourself deep in Appalachia, you might want read the map instead of depending on an adventurous GPS like ours!
Websites:
July 9, 2023
