Extended Weekend Getaways 
In 2005, an American romantic tragicomedy film was written and directed by Cameron Crowe starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. Alec Baldwin has a small role as a CEO of an athletic shoe company and Susan Sarandon appears as a grieving widow. The movie’s title comes from its primary location, Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Before visiting the area for the first time, it would be useful to watch the movie first, available on Netflix. Fired from his job as a shoe designer, the main character Drew tries to kill himself. But he gets a new lease on life when he returns to his hometown for a funeral.
Historic Downtown Elizabethtown is a place where the past, present, and future intersect. Historic Downtown Elizabethtown is home to the Brown-Pusey House, the Historic State Theater, the Hardin County Playhouse, the Hardin County History Museum, “The Cannonball,” and many eateries, art galleries, and boutiques. Elizabethtown’s Freeman Lake Park, top feature photo, is home to three historical structures. There’s the Lincoln Heritage House: a double log house crafted in part by Abraham Lincoln’s father, Thomas Lincoln. Next door, you’ll see a restored one-room schoolhouse which was built with handmade shingles in 1892. Fishing, walking trails, boating, picnic shelters, disc golf, lighted tennis complex and a bandstand.
The Harden County Museum (shown above header) is a part of the official Lincoln Trail through Kentucky. View the Lincoln room and learn about Hardin County’s history beginning with Native Americans. Pioneer relics form a collective memory of cabin life in the wilderness of the Kentucky frontier. Through a variety of permanent and rotating exhibits, as well as speakers, tours and promotions, the history museum strives to promote knowledge and appreciation for area heritage. Operating hours are Tues. – Sat. from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Chase away your winter blues in downtown Elizabethtown for February’s Second Saturday of “Wine About Winter!” Visit downtown shops for sweet treats and deals just in time for Valentine’s Day and enjoy $5 wine/craft beer flights at participating downtown locations.
Topnotch entertainment is in store for you at the State Theatre where well-known performers will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. General admission starts at $33. A Tribute to the Everly Brothers is on the schedule for Feb. 4. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit online at https://thestate270.org/category/upcoming-events/ Coming to the Hardin County Playhouse in March is the classic play, “Diary of Anne Frank.”
Rediscover 100 years of Fort Knox history
Just 15 miles north of Elizabethtown, is Fort Knox…It’s a particularly special year for Fort Knox, as 2018 is the Army post’s centennial. The Radcliff/Fort Knox Community exalts military heritage, natural beauty and southern hospitality! Centrally located, the area offers groups and leisure travelers an opportunity to visit attractions in North Central Kentucky while staying in a community known for its rich history and welcoming spirit. Anyone requesting an installation entry pass must present their state-issued driver’s license or identification card to the Visitor Center security officer. (Note the popular Patton Museum is currently closed for renovations until May Fort Knox is perhaps best-known for the United States Bullion Depository, or “Gold Vault”, as it is affectionately called by millions around the world. The facility, with its security systems shrouded in secrecy, houses the largest portion of the United States’ gold reserve. Access inside depository is restricted.