Did You Know Kentucky Has Its Very Own ‘Grand Canyon’?

I have no idea what's on your bucket list, and I probably never will. But I can still urge you to include a visit to the Grand Canyon. I haven't been in a really long time, but I will never forget how literally breathtaking the experience was.

I'm not joking. When I approached the edge, it absolutely took my breath away. "Stunning" barely cuts it as a description. Anyway, you've seen it a million times on the screen of your choice, or even in books, if you want to go back that far. But you should see it in person.

Until you get there, you might be much closer to a couple of other "Grand Canyons" this country and this region have to offer. One of them is in southern Illinois; the other, which has been dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the South," is part of one of the only two interstate parks in the United States. The other is Interstate Park, which straddles Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Grand Canyon of the South

This particular "Grand Canyon" is actually Breaks Canyon, a must-see stop during any visit to Breaks Interstate Park ("The Breaks" for short), half of which is in Kentucky and half of which is in Virginia. Here's your bird's-eye view.

As you might imagine, hikers are in love with The Breaks, and when the weather cooperates, you'll run into a lot of them. Zipliners are also big fans...again, not surprising.

Spring has sprung, and there's a whole lot of "Grand Canyon" waiting for you in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia.