Planning a visit along the Bourbon Trail? You’ll be working your way through Lebanon Kentucky, a quaint little town with hidden historical gems, like Henley’s Restaurant or the Fagan Reservoir. Although some of the sites are off of the beaten path, they’re easy to find. Here’s some of the sites we found.
Our first stop was Penn’s Store, the oldest general store in the country owned by the same family. Originally built in 1845, it was purchased by Gabriel Jackson Penn in 1850. Today the store is owned by the 5th generation of Penns’ and is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays and Sundays. The current owner, Jeanne, explains the store has seen many changes since she was a girl. Once the surrounding area was a thriving farming community. When the crops failed, most of her generation moved away. She is the only one who has returned. The shop is still set up as it was in the older days, with rustic countertops, a candy display in glass jars, and merchandise lining the walls.
We were greeted by the two (friendly) yellow labs who live at the store, and as a result of their friendliness, are often picked up by strangers. If you’re hungry, Penn’s Store is known for their bologna sandwiches and cold drinks are available. The entire building was damaged by flooding a few years ago and took two years to repair and air conditioning is a recent addition, added in 1997. If you have to use the restroom, Penn’s Privy was added in 1992. It’s the first and only restroom they’ve ever had!
Our next stop was the Independent Stave Company Cooperage factory. Offering free tours at 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM Monday through Friday, ISC shows how barrels are made for the different bourbon distilleries in the area. We watched as a worker was able to put together a barrel in minutes and then followed the process for barrel inspection and repair until the barrel was ready to be shipped. Barrels made for different companies have different char levels on the inside to create the unique flavors each distiller is known for producing.
ISC has been a family owned and operated business since its’ inception in 1912. I was surprised to learn none of the materials are wasted. Everything from wood chips to unusable staves are recycled in some way. Fun Fact: You can tell if an ISC barrel is made at their Kentucky plant by checking the metal ring around the top half of the barrel.
Looking for a quick lunch or dinner while in Lebanon Kentucky? Stop by Ragetti’s Italian Restaurant. We sampled the Mostaccioli, including penne pasta smothered with homemade meat sauce and melted mozzarella cheese and the Manicotti, a dish of homemade crepes filled with cheese, then baked and covered with meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Both dishes were huge. My Mostaccioli could easily have served two, and was topped with tons of gooey melted cheese. Both meals were served with garlic bread.
We spent the night at the Hampton Inn, which included free wi-fi and a continental breakfast, before journeying to our next destination. I recommend calling ahead to make reservations as rooms are limited in Lebanon and they sell out quickly.
Check out these sites in Lebanon Kentucky:
If you are interested in learning more about these restaurants, visit the tourism page of Lebanon,VisitLebanonKY.Com.
If ever I am going to visit that place, I want to eat at that restaurant. The Mostaccioli looks so good.
I’ve never been to Lebanon, Kentucky before! It’s a really peaceful place, perfect if you want to get away from it all even just for the weekend! It’s a place I’d love to go to, especially since the food looks great!
This place looks like peaceful. I want to bring my family here and have a vacation for a month.
What a charming little town. We are only a few hours from there, so we should give it a look see.
What a quaint place! I would love to visit Penn’s Store. So much history there, I’m sure!
Looks like such a lovely trip. Would love to visit here sometime.
Lebanon Kentucky looks like a cute place to visit.
Your pictures really are captivating.
Lebanon looks really nice and beautiful as a travel destination and as a possible home investment. Penn’s store sounds like a very rich and historical place, I would probably be very proud of it even if I’m just someone who lives nearby. And those barrels sure look very fruitful and elegant for its wood casing.
I can imagine the beauty of Kentucky. Those barrels look beautiful. I love old barrels. Would love a few for storage. Filled with wine and then for decoration after. LOL
Wow, I like seeing natural scenery. What a very calm atmosphere. I want to visit Kentucky one of these days.
I would love to visit this part of Kentucky!! Looks like a lot of fun things to do, the food looks amazing!
If I ever happen to visit that area I know where I’m going to stay and visit. Great post.
Ahh! nature! I really love going and blending in nature.
Looks like a great place to visit. We have plans to visit Kentucky next summer so will add this to the list of stops.
OH wow, I would love to go to Kentucky one day, sounds amazing!
What a fun summer trip! I would love to visit one day, I have never been to any of these places before.
That Manacotti looks delicious! Great find on this little hidden gems.
I’d love to check out an old general store like that. Stores were so different in the old days. The factory visit sounded great too!
What beautiful pictures! I love quaint out-of-the-way places. Now I want to go on vacation.
I live in Ohio so we are not too far from Kentucky. A trip to Lebanon would be a nice weekend get-a-way for the family. The mostaccioli looks sooo delicious by the way!
My family and I were just in Louisville, KY (which is also a lovely place) and we plan to go back sometime. The next time we travel to Kentucky we will surely have to visit Lebanon as well.
What a beautiful place to visit! I would think touring a bourbon distillery would be an absolute must while in Kentucky.
Looks and sounds like a great place to visit! I will have to check it out on a road trip!
I’ve never been to Kentucky, but this sounds like a lovely town. I love all the photos. I’d love to take the family on a nice vacation to this state!
I’ve always wanted to visit Kentucky. All the photos I’ve seen are just gorgeous. I really would love to visit each of these sites one day.
I was born and raised in northern KY. Its so weird to see pictures of places I have been too a million times. You put it into a new light, beautiful.
I have some friends who’ve been to Lebanon, and they’re always saying we should go. You have convinced me that they’re right!
So many neat places to check out! I haven’t been to Kentucky in years. And I love the labs!
I cannot wait to go back and check out some of these places that I’ve been reading! I have not been to Kentucky since I was a little kid!
What a beautiful place to visit. Penn’s General store is just adorable. I would definitely love to try Ragetti’s restaurant. It looks amazing. Fun trip.
Isn’t Penn’s adorable? I would love to spend hours in there looking at everything 🙂
If I am ever in the area, I will definitely stop and eat at Ragetti’s Italian Restaurant!! That Mostaccioli looks AWESOME.