Your travels today should end in Berea, KY at the stately the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel where you spend three nights.  Situated where the Bluegrass meets the rolling hills of Appalachia this hotel has a historic past now stretching into its second century.  It is operated by the students of Berea College who study the arts and crafts of the region.

A four course dinner is included tonight in the Dining Room.  The Boone Tavern Dining Room embraces southern hospitality and is now making history again!  For the first time in over 100 years, Boone Tavern is serving fine wines, Kentucky crafted and domestic beers and spirits to include the famous Kentucky bourbons.  The Berea Restaurant’s cuisine celebrates quintessential Kentucky and Boone Tavern tradition through innovative preparations and flavors while providing a complete dining experience for guests wanting more.

Tonight after dinner, you will be entertained with a private performance by the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble (as available).  The students here at Berea College have been showcasing their talent with fun, lively performances for many years.  They have toured throughout the eastern US, Ireland and Japan, this evening they provide your group with a unique Kentucky musical experience. (D)

This morning enjoy a class with a Master Artist.  You will have two options for your group: Barnwood Birdhouses & Basket Making.  Barnwood Birdhouses: Using barnwood, willow branches and a KY license plate, participants will build a home for their “Feathered friends” or to use as a decorative piece inside or out.  Basket Making: Create an “egg” basket using reed, cloth and other natural materials.  Introduction to other styles and techniques of basketmaking will be discussed.

Then enjoy a guided tour of Historic Berea with a local guide.  Your tour will include Berea College and the City’s cultural districts, a stop at the Log House Craft Gallery, and a tour of the Old Town Artisans’ Village.

Experience the local cuisine at one of the nearby restaurants for lunch on your own.  Then you will have time for some shopping in the local Craft Galleries and meet the artists.

Dinner this evening is at the Limestone Grill near Renfro Valley.  Good down home Southern cooking like you use to get at the Boarding House.  Then enjoy a great evening music show at Renfro Valley (as available). (B,D)

After breakfast, your group will visit the Ark Encounter, an hour and a half drive from Berea.  This is an experience like no other.  From the moment you turn the corner and the towering Ark comes into view, to the friendly animals in the petting zoo, to the jaw-dropping exhibits inside the Ark, you’ll experience the pages of the Bible like never before.  This marvel of engineering is seven stories tall and is a football field and a half long.  It is the largest timber frame structure in the world.  Get ready to experience close-up encounters with stunning animals.  Some life-like recreations from Noah’s day and many living-and-breathing animals from today.

The Ark is the centerpiece of a Bible History Theme Park.  It is built according to the dimensions given in the Bible.  Spanning 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high.  People have many questions about the animals on Noah’s Ark.  How could Noah fit all of them on board and care for so many animals?  Explore real-life solutions and get answers at Ark Encounter!

As you return to Berea this afternoon you stop and visit the Kentucky Artisan Center, where everything is made in Kentucky.  The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea features a wide range of Kentucky’s outstanding artisan products in its on-site gallery exhibit and shopping areas.  Whether on display in a themed exhibit or in a shop setting, you’ll find great artisan works and information about artisans themselves and the materials they use to create their work.  At the Center, you’ll find superbly crafted glass, pottery, woodworking, metal work, paper, jewelry, specialty foods, music and books-works by over 650 Kentucky artisans living all across the Commonwealth.

Returning to Boone Tavern you enjoy another four course dinner of Southern favorites, another great meal and another night of gracious hospitality.

After dinner enjoy music by Donna & Lewis Lamb (as available).  This father daughter team duo have been preserving teaching and sharing traditional Appalachian Music for many years.  With Donna on guitar and Lewis on fiddle your feet don’t stand a chance of standing still! (B,D)

After breakfast you depart for home. (B)