Frankfort Kentucky's Hidden Gem

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while since I told you about my adventures. As I said in my previous post, I've had a lot of changes happening in my life. But I'm back now! So expect to see more of me popping up in your email. If you haven't signed up to get email notifications, you totally should. Just type your email address in the box provided to the right of the page (you may have to scroll a little).

I recently went home to Kentucky due to a family emergency. I'm the type of person who likes to try to find the good in every bad situation, no matter how hard it may be. I guess the one good thing that came out of it is that I got to spend time with my family, which was nice. I haven't seen them in over a year now.

During my time at home I explored a lot with my mom. When we had the chance that is. We managed to find some pretty cool things and even met some pretty awesome people. All within a half hour of where I grew up. I guess it goes to show that every town has it's own hidden gems, even small ones.

Easily my favorite place that we found was this little shop in the historical part of Frankfort, not far from the old capitol. It's called Kentucky Knows! Now, if you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I am absolutely obsessed with coffee. Well, Kentucky Knows roasts their own coffee. That's cool and all, but there's something that really makes them stand out.

They allow their coffee beans to "sleep" in bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery. If you've ever been to Kentucky then you know that Kentucky is known for Horses and Bourbon. So you can only imagine how delicious the coffee is after being aged in these barrels. The coffee that is sold is always no more than 7 days old. So you know you're always getting the freshest coffee around.

Kentucky Knows offers a variety of flavors of their coffee. There is the Kentucky Bourbon Coffee, Carmelled Barrel Aged, Bourbon Cinnamon, and so many more.

You get to try a free cup when you come into the store.

Tony Davis, the owner, is a kind, welcoming and warm.

Tony Davis, the owner of Kentucky Knows

When we first walked in, he gave us a little tour and told us about the process of the coffee aging and told us about his woodworking. We stayed and talked to him for over an hour. At no point did we feel rushed or that he wanted us to leave. We felt completely welcome to stay as long as we wanted.

 He is a Marine Corp veteran. The discipline and patience he gained through his experience in service definitely shows in the amazing art he creates from the bourbon barrels after the coffee has aged. He makes absolutely amazing things. Everything is custom made to his customer's liking.

One of my favorite things he makes is his Kentucky Knows guy. Tony told us that he has always been within the barrels, that it just took them to let him out.

A barrel with the Kentucky Knows logo

Tony is planning to expand Kentucky Knows. He hopes to have live music for the community to enjoy, amongst many other great plans. So keep an eye out as he grows his business.

If you're ever in Kentucky, I highly recommend stopping by. It's definitely worth it! He creates so many things that I haven't shown you. So what are you waiting for? Go to Kentucky Knows!


www,kentuckyknows.com

Phone: 859-621-5261

337 West Broadway St
Frankfort, Ky 40601

The Best Coffee Shops in Kentucky

As you may know, when we travel we always try local coffee shops. We've visited over half of the country and have been to coffee shops in each place we visit.

I grew up in Kentucky and it will always be my home. So when we were there visiting family, I decided to try out some of the coffee shops around my small town. There are so many hidden gems you can find if you just look.

• Kentucky Coffee Tree

When we are in town we always make sure to make a stop here. It's one of my favorite coffee shops out of all the ones I've visited. The coffee is always delicious and the employees are so kind. 

Inside the coffeeshop, they have tall bookshelves that line the walls. All of the books are available for purchase next door at Poor Richard's Books. You can actually acess the bookstore through a joining door in the coffee shop. Poor Richard's Books has two floors. The upstairs floor is filled with antique books. There's even a huge window where you can look out over historic downtown Frankfort. 

There is another joining door that leads to store that sells local artwork. It's called Completely Kentucky.

If you're ever in Kentucky, you should definitely make a stop by.

235 W Broadway St
Frankfort Ky 40601

Mon - Wed: 6am - 9pm
Thu- Fri: 6am - 11pm
Sat: 8am - 10pm
Sun: 8am - 9pm

Phone: 502- 875- 3009

• Coffee Times

I tried this coffee shop for the first time in high school, when a good friend of mine took me. Even though I no longer live in the state, when I make it back home, I always stop by.
I absolutely love the coffee here and the employees are so helpful and friendly. They offer quite a few pastries (might I recommend the macroons?).
They even have a wall that has big jars filled with various types of teas.So there's a little something for everyone.

They have a community journal where anyone can write in it.

Connected to it, they have a shop where you can buy coffee mugs, coffee beans and pretty much anything else you need to make delicious coffee at home. Connected to their little shop, is a store called Street Scene. It's filled with all things vintage. Definitely a cool shop.

2571 Regency Rd
Lexington Ky 40503

Mon-Sat: 7:30am - 9 pm
Sun: 11am - 6pm

Phone: 859- 277- 9140

• Daily Offerings Coffee Roasters

We went to this coffee shop and we really enjoyed our time there. They roast their own coffee beans in store. They have a fairly large variety of drinks you can choose from.

The coffee itself is delicious and the employees are so kind and helpful. 

529 W Main St
Lexington Ky 40507

Mon-Fri: 7am - 8pm
Sat: 8am - 5pm
Sun: 9am - 5pm

Phone: 859- 368- 7906

• Highland Coffee Company

I first learned of this coffee shop because of a bumper sticker on a car. It said "I know where Highland Coffee is." I thought it was so witty that I just had to stop by. 

The atmosphere is super welcoming and warm. The coffee is delicious. They even offer three variations of Nitro Coffee. If you've never had Nitro coffee you should definitely try it. 

1140 Bardstown Rd
Louisville Ky 40204

Mon-Thurs: 6am - 10pm
Fri: 6am - 12am
Sat: 6:30am - 12am
Sun: 6:30am - 10pm

Phone: 502-451-4545

• Sixth and Main Coffeehouse

This coffee shop has some delicious coffee and honestly, some of the kindest employees. We sat and talked with Kathryn for quite a while.

There are shelves of books available for purchase, as well as various coffee mugs and local artwork. There are even two pokestops in the shop.

547 Main St
Shelbyville Ky 40065

Phone: 502- 647- 7751

• Southland Perk

This coffee shop just got a new owner, Luke Gifford. He is super friendly and makes delicious coffee. Cody actually got the opportunity to show him some magic tricks. We stayed and talked to Luke for well over 30 minutes. He even let us know of some local events that were going on.

There is a "Pay it Forward" bulletin board where you can purchase a coffee a coffee for someone and pin it to the board.

In a back room, they have an aquarium and the walls were chalkboards!

472 Southland Dr

Lexington Ky 40503

Mon-Thu: 7am - 6pm

Fri: 7am - 3pm

Sat: 9am - 3pm

Sun: Closed

Phone: 859- 260- 2005

What are your favorite coffee shops in Kentucky?