Salute and Stay
Salute America's Bravest at our Military attractions
The Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau offers travelers a new ‘Salute and Stay’ Military Attraction Itinerary as a reason to consider Bowling Green, Ky. for a Veterans Day trip or their next getaway.
Designed to offer visitors a variety of unique experiences that both educate and entertain all ages, ‘Salute and Stay’ includes stops at some familiar Bowling Green landmarks as well as new sites like the Aviation Heritage Park, recently featured on CBS Evening News.These attractions offer engaging and interactive explorations into US military history.
Visitors can tailor their stops to include sites such as:
• Aviation Heritage Park – This outdoor plaza features a fully restored F-4D Phantom airplane flown by Bowling Green native General Dan Cherry who was recently joined by Nguyen Hong My, the Vietnamese pilot whom he shot down while flying the Phantom in April of 1969. Their amazing story of reconciliation is told via radio broadcast that visitors can tune in to while touring the park, or guests in Bowling Green November 7, 2009 can hear the amazing story in person at Vets ‘n Vettes (more information below).
• Lost River Cave – This first stop on Bowling Green’s Civil War Discovery Trail includes entertaining stories of how Lost River Cave and Valley played host to Civil War soldiers. Visitors can explore the valley’s beautiful hiking trails and take Kentucky’s only underground boat tour.
• Kentucky Library & Museum – Located on the campus of Western Kentucky University, the Kentucky Library & Museum features artifacts including John Hunt Morgan’s saddle, a simulated Civil War campsite, slave cabin, Victorian photo studio and more. Nearby Ft. Lytle features remnants of the original fortification among embankments and trenches.
• National Corvette Museum – Visitors will enjoy cruising over to the National Corvette Museum, a 115,000 square foot tribute to America’s sports car, where they are welcomed by the military-themed scale model Corvette. On permanent display is one of Chuck Jeager’s pace cars, driven by the retired USAF General who was the first pilot to break the speed of sound.
Other sites on the itinerary include the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, which currently hosts a Civil War Medal of Honor. The Warren County Courthouse in Bowling Green’s historic downtown features a bronze memorial that pays tribute to each military branch. The 125-foot Guthrie Bell Tower on Western Kentucky University’s campus honors all who lost their lives in the line of duty. In addition, a Veteran’s Memorial Plaza and a Confederate Monument in Fairview Cemetery remember local fallen soldiers.
Visitors honoring Veterans Day with a ‘Salute and Stay’ in Bowling Green can enjoy the National Corvette Museum’s Vets ‘n Vettes November 5-7, three days of activities celebrating the freedoms gained by American soldiers. Participants can take a scenic drive to nearby Fort Knox and the Patton Museum on Friday (Corvette not required) before taking part in the downtown Bowling Green Veteran’s Day Parade Saturday morning.
The entire month of November is Military Appreciation at the Corvette Museum, with free admission for military and their families (active military free every day.) Lost River Cave & Valley is offering free boat tours November 6-8 for retired military (active military free every day), and nearby Mammoth Cave National Park offers free selected tours on Veterans Day, November 11, for all military members and their families. For a complete list of area military discounts, visit www.visitbgky.com/military.
