No Bah Humbug At Baugh Station

I’ve found several times this year that the road trip to the adventure is almost as good, or better than the adventure itself. Get off the four lane and away from the traffic lights long enough to look around, and you’ll notice Kentucky has some pretty good two-lane treats awaiting you for the holidays.

I was on a quest for three more hiking trips before the end of the year. Last year’s count was 57, and currently I sat at 55. Lake Malone State Park in Muhlenberg County was tapped as a choice for a late afternoon stroll close to the shortest day of the year. I was battling daylight to say the least. Having been to the state park several times over the past five years, I knew the 1.5 miles could be knocked out in ample time to avoid being left out in the dark.

I wanted to try something new and decided to take Interstate 65 south out of Bowling Green to Franklin and then highway 100 to Russellville, onward to 68/80 and 431 to Dunmor. But the road trip got off to a stall. Ten miles southbound from Bowling Green and traffic was stopped. The entire corridor threatened to back up clean to Chicago. Up about a quarter mile from where I sat was a u-turn opportunity, illegal as the sign may have boasted. I and a hundred other drivers took this and headed back to Bowling Green. Russellville Road would be my route instead.

On the way to Russellville I passed Amish furniture stores, signs to Shakertown at South Union, and multiple reminders I was passing Auburn, a casualty of the highway reroute several years ago. But the real treat is on 431 north of Russellville. It’s four lane for a while to accommodate the massive Logan Aluminum plant. Here’s a factory so big, it has its own fire department on site! A few miles north though and you’ll drive through tiny Lewisburg, proclaiming a status of “Purple Martin Capital of Kentucky.” I saw a mocking bird if that counts (but I’m not mocking…).

Baugh Station is where the scenery got good. Wait a minute though. Diamond Springs is the official name of the spot in the road. It hadn’t been named Baugh Station since 1901. All that remained now of the stagecoach stop namesake was a church with the title. Highway 431 from Baugh Station, er, Diamond Springs to Dunmor reminded me of the roads right outside Gatlinburg. Drive there and see for yourself. Tall ridges with a creek running near the road and tiny log cabins built right next to the steep hillside. The curves make a good handling car smile. I kept my hands at ten and two like the trooper suggested when I took a driving test 15 years ago. And within minutes, I was at the lake.

Lake Malone State Park is an awesome example of generosity in that it sits on land donated to the state by Mr. Malone and his wife in the 1960s. Fifty years later, the small park is still enjoyed by visitors from all over the region and continues to be one of my favorites. The blue water is comparable to Dale Hollow Lake, and the woodland trail close to the shoreline remind me of Grayson Lake State Park in Carter County. As per my hiking ritual by now, I walked the length, snapped a few pictures, and was soon enough back on the road to Corvette City by way of route 70 (that will have to be another blog).

Thanks Kentucky, for the Christmas Gift of a great December roadtrip!

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