07.24.2023

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Today’s Forecast

38° | Partly cloudy | 7% chance of rain
Sunrise 7:54 a.m. | Sunset 5:30 p.m.

⛰️ What makes the Smoky Mountains so great?

Our guide to visiting 7 of the best national parks

Small blooming wildflowers up close, with a sweeping mountain vista in the distance.

National parks may just lead you to a breathtaking view like this one at the Great Smoky Mountains. | Photo by Domenico Convertini via Flickr

Wondering which national park is best for your next trip? Use this great big guide to the great big outdoors to plan your next adventure. We left no stone unturned — check out when to go, what fees you’ll pay, how to camp, and what to do in six of our country’s greatest national parks.

Great Smoky Mountains

Tall mountains covered in green trees with puffy clouds in the distance. — These mountains are great indeed.
|
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The Smokies are America’s most visited national park, and for good reason. Here, you’ll find crests of blue mountains immersed in rolling fog, vibrantly hued hills in autumn, and incredible diversity of plant and animal life (like 30+ species of salamanders). Jump into the hiking, Southern Appalachian history, and breathtaking views the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer.

Getting there
As this subrange of the Appalachia occupies North Carolina + Tennessee, you’ll find major entrances to the park in each state.

Kentucky folk, you’ll likely want to head to the Gatlinburg entrance north of the park at 107 Park Headquarters Rd., Gatlinburg, TN (Fun fact for Dolly Parton fans: You’ll be ~30 minutes from Dollywood at this entrance). There’s also a Townsend entrance further west.

Yellow colored fog immersing blurry mountains with tall evergreen trees. — Catch this park at all hours of the day to see light transform the “smoke.”
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Photo via the National Parks Service

Open hours and seasons
Get your mountain views any time you want, because this park is open year-round. Note that certain campgrounds, facilities, and even roads may operate seasonally.

Fees and reservations
There’s no entrance fee to the Great Smoky Mountains — sort of. As of this year, vehicles parked for longer than 15 minutes will require parking tags.

Grab a daily parking pass for $5, a weekly pass for $15 or an annual pass for $40. You’ll be able to buy these in person, but why not buy them online in advance? (Psst — The annual pass is sold separately and will be shipped to you).

Want to hit the road? Check out our guide to national parks across the country.

Read more to keep planning your trip

Events

Monday, July 24

Life of the Lyric | Monday, July 24-Monday, July 31 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, 300 E. 3rd St., Lexington | Free | Take a look back at some of the iconic artists that have performed at the historic theater, including B.B. King, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tina Turner.

Tuesday, July 25

Children’s Cooking Class | Tuesday, July 25 | 1-2 p.m. | Dunbar Community Center, 545 N. Upper St., Lexington | Free | Children will have an egg-cellent time learning the basics of cooking in a safe setting.
Lex Out Loud Comedy Series | Tuesday, July 25 | 7 p.m. | Pivot Brewing, 1400 Delaware Ave., Lexington | Free | Have a laugh, eat some pizza, and enjoy craft drinks.
Big Band & Jazz | Tuesday, July 25-Tuesday, Aug. 15 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Ecton Park, 956 Turkey Foot Rd., Lexington | Free | Grab your chairs + picnics to enjoy live jazz music from Miles Osland Little Big Band.

Wednesday, July 26

Tour de France Femmes Watch Party | Wednesday, July 26 | 10 a.m. | Pedal Power Bike Shop, 401 S. Upper St., Lexington | Free | Watch the Tour de France Femmes while snacking on DV8 pastries and coffee.
Yappy Hours | Wednesday, July 26 | 6-9 p.m. | Masterson Station Park, 3051 Leestown Rd., Lexington | Free | Celebrate the dog days of summer by bringing your pup along for food trucks, live music, various vendors, and a romp in the park.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Kentucky

Drink

Upgrade your coffee routine with these brands

One of our favorites: Methodical Coffee, perfect for those looking for complex and original flavor profiles. | Photo via Methodical Coffee + Six & Main

Put down the chain coffee and cozy up to these thoughtfully crafted coffee brands. Plus, get 20% off your first purchase.

Stop and smell the roses: Methodical Coffee’s Pink Lady

Tastes bright and chocolatey

Fuel your creative fire: Blanchard’s Midnight Oil

Tastes dark and sweet

Revitalize your whole body: a|dash’s Ashwagandha-Infused Cold Brew

Tastes smooth and earthy

Invite quiet focus: Loveland Coffee’s Guatemala Decaf K-Cups

Tastes full-bodied and caramelly

Shop all Six & Main coffee

News Notes

Try This

Get geared up for a new adventure coming to Versailles. Rail Explorers, a railbike touring company, officially opens on Thursday, July 27. Here, the public can take a 10-mile long tour to see some of Central Kentucky’s finest scenery, including the Kentucky River, horse farms, and more. (FOX56)

Drink

Now you can find your favorite Blue Stallion beer around the state. The brewery has partnered with Nolen Distribution to bring its craft beers to taps all across Kentucky. We’re hoping to find its reverse osmosis brew, ¡Chela!

Ranked

Livability, which measures quality of life across the country, has named Lexington as one of the Best Places to Live in the US. The organization used data from our economy, cost of living, amenities, transportation, environment, and more. Make the most out of your day by checking out our City Guide.

Concert

Grammy Award-winning group Brothers Osborne is coming to Lexington. The country duo heads to the Lexington Opera House on Wednesday, Sept. 20 for 98.1 The Bull’s #OneNightOnly Acoustic Concert Series. Tickets are on sale now.

Eat

Attention, service industry folks. If you’re tired of working brunch instead of eating brunch, District 7 Social Hall has your back. Enjoy brunch specials and (obviously) Bloody Marys from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Industry Monday.*

Number

5,000. That’s how many backpacks the YMCA of Central Kentucky, in partnership with Fayette County Public Schools and community partners, will be handing out at this year’s Back to School Rallies. The rallies provide students with free full-size backpacks + school supplies. Mark your calendars: They will be held on Saturday, Aug. 5 at twelve sites.*

Giveaway

Lexingtonians: Want to win $500 to Bluegrass Hospitality Group? Simply follow LEXtoday + Rodgers Painting on Instagram, like this photo, and tag who you would grab dinner with if you win in the comments. You only have two days left to enter. Good luck.*

Home

Do you rent an apartment or home and pay the electric bill? Even though larger home improvement projects may be out of reach, there are steps you can take to reduce your energy consumption — and your energy bills. Try these tips to help conserve energy + cut back on costs.*

Events

⚾ This one’s a home run

Catch ya later: The Counter Clocks return to Lexington

A view of the Legends Field from the center field.

Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die. | Photo courtesy of the Lexington Legends

If you’re a frequent reader, you know how we feel about a summer day filled with hot dogs, beer, and of course, baseball.

We want you in on the fun, so here’s the upcoming Counter Clocks schedule so you can buy yourself some peanuts + cracker jacks:

Lexington vs. Southern Maryland

Tuesday, July 25 at 6:45 p.m. — $3, $2, $1 Night
Wednesday, July 26 at 12:05 p.m. — Splash Day
Thursday, July 27 at 6:45 p.m. — Thirsty Thursday + Bark in the Park

Lexington vs. York

Friday, July 28 at 6:45 p.m. — Princesses + Pirates Night
Saturday, July 29 at 5 + 8 p.m. — Fireworks and Family + Faith Night
Sunday, July 30 at 2:05 p.m. — Family Funday

Keep an eye out for a couple of editors who are throwing the first pitch at the Sunday, July 30 game. We promise we won’t outshine the team.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Aayat

From the editor

My husband and I tackled the ultimate feat this weekend: the Barbenheimer double feature. To prepare for the emotional whiplash, I recommend starting with Oppenheimer, maybe calling your loved ones, then watching Barbie.

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