The Bluegrass Music Symposium
HOTEL
The conference hotel is the Holiday Inn -University Plaza in Bowling Green. We have a discount conference rate of $85 a night plus tax. Be sure you request the block listed Bluegrass Music Symposium. The hotel's general contact information is: www.holidayinnbowlinggreen.com 270-745-0088.
Click here to make your Symposium booking online (custom form will provide discount).
The special symposium rate is valid from Sept. 8 to Sept. 11, 2005. If you wish to extend your stay outside of these dates, you will need to book a separate reservation on the web or contact us directly at (+1) (270) 7450088 Ext: 1008.
Please make reservations as soon as possible. The special rate will be available as long as the hotel has rooms available, up to and including 15-Aug-2005.
(Note: Despite its name, the hotel is not on campus, nor is it within walking distance of the conference site. We are currently looking for possible limited shuttling options.)
AIRPORTS
Nashville International Airport is the closest destination served by the major airlines. Bowling Green is about 75 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee, and can be reached directly by Interstate 65 (directions below). As of this writing, a commercial ground-transportation shuttle is available for Bowling Green: Airport Shuttle of Bowling Green, (270) 996-1227.
Occasionally, one can find better connections or cheaper fares to the Louisville airport. Bowling Green is about 120 miles south of Louisville, and can also be reached directly by I-65. If you choose to arrive in Louisville, do keep in mind that Louisville is in the Eastern US Time Zone, and Bowling Green is in the Central Time Zone: 12:00 noon in Louisville is 11:00 AM in Bowling Green.
DIRECTIONS
Directions from Nashville International Airport to Holiday Inn University Plaza, Bowling Green, Kentucky:
Exit Nashville International Airport I-40 West to Nashville, less than 1 mile.
Exit I-40 onto BRILEY Parkway/TN-155 North. 10.0 miles.
Merge onto I-65 North, via EXIT 16A toward LOUISVILLE. 53.2 miles.
Take the US-231 exit- EXIT 22- toward BOWLING GREEN/SCOTTSVILLE. 0.3 miles.
Turn SHARP LEFT onto US-231 N/SCOTTSVILLE RD. 2.4 miles.
Turn RIGHT onto WILKINSON TRACE. Less than 0.1 mile you will see the Holiday Inn Sign.
End at University Plaza
1021 Wilkinson Trace
Bowling Green, KY 42103-2445
Directions from Holiday Inn University Plaza to Kentucky Library and Museum (Kentucky Building), Western Kentucky University:
Exit Holiday Inn North/West on Wilkinson Trace
Turn RIGHT onto Scottsville Road.
Turn LEFT onto 31W Bypass (Stoplight is #1).
Turn RIGHT onto University Drive, which will join Rt. 68/80.
Follow this street to the Kentucky Building. Just past Diddle Arena and the Parking Structure (both on your right), you will cross a lighted intersection (Morgantown Rd.) then the road divides and you bear right. The Kentucky Building comes up quickly on your right, just beyond the small log cabin.
There is visitor parking on the left and right of Kentucky Street.
Directions from Nashville International Airport to Kentucky Museum/Library, Western Kentucky University:
From I-65 North, take Exit 20 to the William H. Natcher Parkway (formerly the Green River Parkway). Take Exit 4 and turn right onto 31-W (There is a sign for Western Kentucky University).
Take 31-W to University Boulevard and turn left. Follow this street to the Kentucky Building. It will join Rt. 68 /80.
Just past Diddle Arena and the Parking Structure (both on your right), you will cross a lighted intersection (Morgantown Rd.), then the road divides and you bear right. The Kentucky Building comes up quickly on your right, just beyond the small log cabin. There is visitor parking on the left and right. The Kentucky Building is four miles from Exit 4.
Directions to Kentucky Museum/Library from Natcher Parkway Southbound:
Take Exit 7 from the William H. Natcher Parkway (formerly the Green River Parkway) into Bowling Green.
Follow Highway 880 to Morgantown Road.
Turn LEFT on Morgantown Road.
Turn LEFT onto University Boulevard (Rt. 68 / 80). The road divides almost immediately, and you bear right. The Kentucky Building comes up quickly on your right, just beyond the small log cabin.There is visitor parking on the left and right.
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY MAPS
Campus: <www.wku.edu/Tour/campusmap.html> . Kentucky Library and Museum is building #1, Garrett Conference Center (location of keynote address), is building #42 on map, Van Meter Auditorium (location of J.D. Crowe concert) is building #43.
Campus parking: <www.wku.edu/Dept/Support/StuAffairs/police/GIpark.htm> (For parking near the Kentucky Museum and Library, just use the lots across the street. For evening events or other campus locations, consult this site.)
SOME RESTAURANTS WE LIKE
To keep the symposium on schedule, a light lunch will be served onsite (price is included in your registration fee). But for dinner, and for those of you staying over for a few days in Bowling Green, here are a few of the many restaurants and cafes you can choose from.
Note: Information is correct at the time of this writing. Restaurants appear and disappear in Bowling Green with blinding rapidity. We recommend that you call ahead.
Yuki Japanese Restaurant
(270) 746-6490
1945 Scottsville Road
Thoroughbred Square off Scottsville Rd. (behind Rafferty's).
Puerta Vallarta
3 locations: Scottsville Rd., Nashville Rd., 31-W Bypass
Tex-Mex fare.
Bread & Bagel
(270) 281-1473
871 Broadway
Open-air patio, bakery, coffee and espresso.
Saturday night features pizza, and an oldtime music jam. (Call ahead to confirm jam:)
440 Main
(270) 793-0450
Fountain Park Square, downtown
Upscale restaurant. On Fountain Square.
Taj Palace
(270) 842-2233
2800 Scottsville Road (Tower Place).
Next to Puerta Vallarta and behind Shoney's. Indian.
Royal Thai
(270) 781-8277
1971 Cave Mill Road (In front of K-Mart)
Mandolin
(270) 901-0875
712 Chestnut Street
Italian/European restaurant.
Brickyard Cafe
(270) 843-6431
1026 Chestnut Street.
Wood oven pizzas, pastas, and occasional Bosnian specials. Informal bistro atmosphere.
EVO
College Street, between 11th and 12th Avenues.
Trendiest new restaurant in town.
Taste Of Europe
10th Ave. and State Street, downtown.
Diner-style gyros and souvlaki. Just off Fountain Square.
Mariah's
(270) 842-6878
Corner of State Street and 8th Ave.
Burgers, Pizza, and Southern Cooking. One block from Fountain Square.
The Sicilian
(270) 782-6041
410 E. Main St.
Italian. On Fountain Square
BBQ Recommendations:
Bar-B-Que Inn
(270) 843-1324
1924 Russellville Road
Good buttermilk pie, and a formidable specialty called "the Blob."
Smoky Pig Bar-B-Que
(270) 781-1712
2520 Louisville Road
Serves beer.
Split Tree Barbecue
(270) 742-2268
about 8 mile south of Bowling Green on Scottsville Rd.
A local favorite, newly reopened.
VISITOR INFORMATION AND SOME LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Bowling Green Convention and Visitor's Bureau
270-782-0800 or 800-326-7465
www.visitbgky.com
International Bluegrass Music Museum, Owensboro, Kentucky:
1-888 MY BANJO
www.bluegrass-museum.org
Bill Monroe Homeplace, Rosine, Kentucky:
www.billmonroefoundation.com
Mammoth Cave National Park
800-967-2283
web site
Regional Cave Information
www.KyCaveRegion.org
National Corvette Museum
270-781-7973 or 800-53-VETTE
www.corvettemuseum.com
Riverview at Hobson Grove (historic home)
270-843-5565
web site
Shaker Museum at South Union
800-811-8379
www.shakermuseum.com
Lost River Cave & Valley (Bowling Green's "own" cave, with boat tour)
270-793-1023
www.lostrivercave.com
Kentucky Library and Museum (Kentucky Building)
270- 745-2592
web site
Drake Vintage Music
270-843-9376
7487 Plano Rd. (Rt. 622)
Mon.-Fri. 8:00-4:00, Saturday 9:00-12:00
78s, vinyl, cassettes, and select CDs. About a half-hour drive from Bowling Green, this record-store / curio-shop / post-office is well worth a visit, especially if proprietor Freeman Kitchens is in: he is an institution among collectors of country music, both for his varied stock and his encyclopedic knowledge, especially of all matters pertaining to the Carter Family. Take Scottsville Rd. south from Bowling Green, crossing the interstate. At traffic light #19, take a right on Plano Rd. (Rt. 622) and proceed through Plano and on to Drake. You will see a white church on your left and a small country store on your right; just past the country store is Drake Vintage Music. Call ahead first to make sure Mr. Kitchens is there.
MORE ABOUT KENTUCKY FOLKLIFE
Kentucky FolkWeb
For more information about the varieties of Kentucky folklife past and present, visit the new web resource Kentucky FolkWeb. The Kentucky FolkWeb is produced by the WKU Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology with support from the Kentucky Folklife Program.
www.kentuckyfolkweb.com