With Missouri’s official launch into legal sports wagering in 2025, the Midwest’s entertainment map has shifted. The Show-Me State’s arrival in the regulated gaming arena puts it shoulder to shoulder with neighboring heavyweights like Illinois, Kansas, and Iowa. But legality is only part of the story. For sports fans, weekend travelers, and casual gamers alike, it’s about the full experience, convenience, pricing, culture, and game-day energy. From St. Joseph to the Bootheel, and across state lines into neighboring metros, the borderlines define more than geography. They now shape how and […]

The post On the Border: Missouri vs. Neighboring States for Sports Fans and Gamers appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

Kentucky, April 2025 – The Kentucky Department of Tourism is excited to highlight more than a dozen new trails and initiatives launched through multijurisdictional tourism collaborations over the past year and a half. These initiatives were developed and are operated by local destination marketing organization partners across the state. Projects were recipients of American Rescue Plan Act funding distributed by the Kentucky Department of Tourism. In total, $10 million was distributed to tourism commissions for the purpose of multi-jurisdictional collaborative destination marketing. For more information about this, click here. Some […]

The post New Collaborative Trails and Initiatives Launch in Kentucky appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

With the rise in small town tourism and a growing trend toward off-the-beaten-path experiences, Kentucky’s charming towns stand ready to offer unique and captivating adventures. These hidden gems combine rich history, vibrant culture, and local flavors to create unforgettable experiences. From picturesque landscapes to quirky cuisine, these destinations demonstrate that the best adventures often come in small packages. Berea: The Folk Arts and Crafts Capital of Kentucky Activity Highlights: Kentucky Artisan Center: Explore one-of-a-kind shopping and dining experiences at the Kentucky Artisan Center, showcasing the artworks of more than 800 […]

The post Explore Kentucky’s Hidden Gems: Top Small Towns for Unique Adventures appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

Lower Town Arts District in Paducah, Kentucky Paducah’s oldest neighborhood, Lower Town Arts District is famous for the award-winning Artist Relocation Program that prompted its colorful revitalization, which continues today with the Paducah School of Art & Design. The arts district is populated with working artists, students and artists-in-residence who add to the city’s vibrant artistic landscape. The work of Paducah’s resident artists can be viewed and purchased at various art galleries and collectives throughout the city including the Art Guild of Paducah, Yeiser Art Center and Bricolage Art Collective. […]

The post Top Arts Districts Across the US and Abroad appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

“A pioneering force in new music.” — Billboard on the Louisville Orchestra (March, 2023) — One of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders will serve as the setting for a once-in-a-lifetime experience on April 29, when members of the Louisville Orchestra join forces with cellist Yo-Yo Ma at Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park, the site of more than 400 miles of interwoven limestone caves and 100 miles of above-ground trails and rivers. Held inside the cave, the program will feature a site-specific composition by Louisville Orchestra Music Director Teddy Abrams […]

The post On April 29, Yo-Yo Ma and Louisville Orchestra Perform in Mammoth Cave National Park appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO – It was announced during a press conference that the Lake of the Ozarks will make a second attempt at breaking the current record for the largest official boat parade in the world on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The current record, according to Guinness World Records, stands at 1,180 vessels and was set in Terengganu, Malaysia in September 2014. Over the years, there have been many attempts to break the record by different cities, including last year’s attempt at the Lake of the Ozarks, but […]

The post Lake of the Ozarks sets its Sights on Breaking the World Record for the Largest Boat Parade appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (August 31, 2021) – September’s Bourbon Heritage Month is an ideal time to celebrate America’s only native spirit in Kentucky – where 95% of the special whiskey is made. Once considered the “Wall Street of Whiskey” Louisville has been a spirits-soaked civilization ever since Evan Williams first marketed his whiskey to the city in 1783. Up until the 1920’s, a portion of Main Street was known as “Whiskey Row” because of the more than 50 spirits related businesses that were operating there at the time. Thirteen years of […]

The post Celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month in Louisville with America’s only native spirit appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

New exhibits showcase the area’s authentic history and uniqueness LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 19, 2020) – Louisville’s iconic attractions have stepped up to the plate by offering new exhibits for visitors to explore. Several even have educational components, which offer a helpful option during this year’s non-traditional virtual school days and upcoming holiday breaks. In addition, Louisville Tourism is offering a new promotion to area residents to save up to 50% off an overnight stay in a participating hotel, along with a $25 Visa gift card for dining or takeout from […]

The post Louisville Attractions Barrel Ahead appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the far west end of Richmond, Virginia, to an area called Short Pump, so named for a pump that was located at a tavern built by Revolutionary War veteran Robert Hyde Saunders. The affluent area is a shopper’s paradise, with shopping malls as far as the eye can see and the Hilton Richmond Short Pump Hotel & Spa, was a comfortable and convenient basecamp for exploring the small town of Ashland, located just 16 miles away. An added attraction is that the […]

The post A Journey to the Center of the Universe in Ashland, VA appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

The best place to walk in the footsteps of John Muir is Yosemite National Park, where the famed naturalist and conservationist hiked and climbed granite domes, lovingly surveyed plants and animals, studied with rapt eyes “cloud mountains” in the sky, and developed his passion for wild spaces. Another place that evokes feelings for one of the visionary creators of our national park system is his old home in Martinez, California, about an hour and a half east of San Francisco. The four-story Italianate-style house, built in the early 1880s, is […]

The post John Muir Slept Here appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

Just two blocks from the White House and within walking distance to everything the nation’s capitol has to offer, it’s easy to see why The Willard InterContinental in Washington DC is known as the “Residence of Presidents” and has remained an anchor in a town that’s undergone countless transformations over the hotel’s 200 year existence. In 1862, National Hawthorne wrote, “The Willard may be much more justly called the center of Washington and the Union than either the Capitol, The White House, or the State Department.”  Welcoming its first presidential […]

The post Celebrating The Willard InterContinential’s Rich Washington DC Heritage appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

Silver Dollar City’s Festival of Wonder Leads this Year’s Events BRANSON, MO. – The all-new Festival of Wonder in April, a new summer concert series and a big new Christmas expansion top the lineup for Silver Dollar City’s 2017 season in Branson, Mo., designated the Year of Food and Crafts. Come celebrate the art of American fine craftsmanship with new handcrafted treasures, new signature dining experiences with bold, innovative flavors and over 200 new specialty foods throughout the season. The new Festival of Wonder opens April 6 with amazing acts […]

The post More of What’s New in Branson for 2017 appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

Houston combines Texas authenticity with artistic flair. If you like cowboy boots and rodeo with your cutting-edge art scene, mosey on over. In addition to world-class museums, innovative visual experiences should please even self-proclaimed museum haters. The culinary panorama is in the spotlight, with over 10,000 restaurants to tickle your palate. From inexpensive neighborhood spots to chef-driven eateries drawing big spenders, you’ll never go hungry. Arts and Culture If you favor your travels liberally dusted with art, the Houston Museum District is home to a whopping 20 cultural gems, all […]

The post Guide to Houston, Texas appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

“Hippie” Jack Stoddart handed around a Mason jar of chilled moonshine as music filled the air. We were close to the main stage under the big tent during the second day of the September 2015 Jammin’ at Hippie Jack’s Americana Roots Music, Camping & Arts Festival in Overton County, Tennessee, the home of Americana Music: so delicious. This funky, progressive, and educational gathering of Americana roots musicians and enthusiasts served as the capstone of our arts, cuisine, and natural resources tour of the Upper Cumberland region. While that sip of home […]

The post Music, Music Every Where and a Sip of Tennessee Moonshine to Drink appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.

NEW YORK — There are 8 million stories in the Naked City; on this night, one of them is mine. The producers of The Moth Radio Hour have invited me to come to New York from Kentucky to tell a story at one of their Mainstage events at a Manhattan club, and I am feeling pretty naked myself. The emcee is about to call my name, and then I’ll be standing onstage before an audience filled with people who look as if they just came from the party scene in […]

The post A Kentucky Storyteller’s 30-year LDR with NYC appeared first on Dave's Travel Corner.