Skip the Cooking and Head to a Kentucky State Park for a Huge Thanksgiving Feast

Thanksgiving. Right there in the name, the purpose of one of our most beloved holidays is proclaimed. And, of course, we show our thanks by preparing and devouring the biggest home-cooked meal of the year. Or maybe, just maybe, you let someone else do it. More and more, recently, that's become a popular option.

Based on examples given by friends of mine, choosing to dine out for Thanksgiving, whether you have your meal on the holiday or not, stems from how close Christmas is on the calendar. I don't have a big family, so I take my cues from those who do, and I get it. Two enormous family gatherings a month (or less) apart? It can be overwhelming.

It's why restaurants, more and more these days, remain open on Turkey Day. It's also why Kentucky State Parks trot out a gigantic buffet. If you're looking for a combination of a family get-together and not sweating it out in the kitchen, maybe it's a Kentucky state park to the rescue.

Kentucky State Parks' Thanksgiving Feasts

As is their tradition, Kentucky's state parks (Barren River Lake, Buckhorn Lake, Carter Caves, Dale Hollow Lake, General Butler, Greenbo Lake, Kentucky Dam Village, Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland, Natural Bridge, Pennyrile Forest, Pine Mountain, and Rough River Dam) will be serving Thanksgiving feasts on November 27th. Take a look at the menu as you mouth waters.

(I find "chef's choice" super-intriguing.)

State park buffets knock it out of the park anyway, but on Thanksgiving? Hold me back. If you plan to visit a Kentucky state park for Thanksgiving dinner, reservations are required, and you can the numbers of each state park at parks.ky.gov/thanksgiving.