Amish donuts and wildflowers: sweeten your spring

Ya’ll – we are so excited about the feeling this road-trip brings! Combining Amish donuts and beautiful spring wildflowers, in Mammoth Cave National Park and other Kentucky spots, is such a fun package.  Here’s some suggestions.

First of all, using Interstate 65 as a base road to jump off of, we suggest two Amish bakeries that are just a few miles off the Munfordville and Horse Cave exits.  R&S Bakery and Grocery is located at 235 Irvin Cemetery Road in Horse Cave, it’s about halfway between exit 65 and exit 58 – so either route is a good one. If you’re driving south, hop off exit 65.  If you’re coming from the south, zip off exit 58.  The second bakery, right off exit 58 in Horse Cave is Farmwald’s Restaurant and Bakery.  Both are Amish owned and operated, where all of the donuts are made in house daily.  We can’t suggest a favorite because they are both just delicious!  Plus, both bakeries prepare so many other great options that you’ll want to check out.  Pies, whoopie pies, fried pies, cookies, cheesecakes, sweet breads, savory breads, sour dough loaves and SO much more.  It’s just a little slice of heaven in the center of the state. 

Since there are two great Amish bakeries in this one space, we suggest starting and ending your travels with them, fueling your wildflower adventures in between!

There are a few great trails in the area where spring wildflowers can be seen.  For an accessible trail, we suggest the walking trail (asphalt) at Green River Park and Arboretum in Munfordville – which does lead into a more strenuous 4 mile hiking trail, the Jenny Wilson Byrd Hiking Trail that runs along the banks of the Green River to the Harry Wilson Park at Johnson Springs. If you plan to take the Jenny you might want to pack some hiking poles, there are some cables to help with the sudden elevation shifts along the river. Also, if when you’re on your way through Munfordville, be on the look out for their beautiful cherry blossoms blooming.  If you’re there at the right time, they are beautiful in the spring.

Another accessible trail is the Echo River Springs Loop Trail (concrete) inside Mammoth Cave National Park and the Sloan’s Pond Trail (boardwalk) inside the Park as well.  Trail information about the Park can be found here.  Another trail, well known for wildflowers is the Cedar Sink Trail inside the Park.  It does include metal stairs into the “sink” and back out – this is an area of the trail rich with wildflowers, so don’t miss it.  

Also, a little bit further off the Interstate 65 corridor is the Brigadoon State Nature Preserve. It’s acres of old growth forest and the spring wildflowers along this trail, that borders Barren River Lake, are plentiful. We have recently written a blog about this area, so you can read more about it here before you plan your travels. 

And don’t forget to stop by the second bakery after your wildflower adventures.  You’re going to need to fuel back up!

Just in case you need a nap and some accommodations after two bakery trips, we love the Horse Cave KOA and all of their options.  They have tent camping sites, RV sites, cabins, treehouses, teepees and conestoga wagons as well.  SO much fun.  Their reservation website can be found here.  And information about Hart County dining and more can be found here.

Thanks for reading.  We appreciate you being interested in our travel journals.