I have a lot of ties to the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, so seeing news about the Bluegrass state pop up on my Facebook timeline isn’t unusual. What was unusual was a web site someone shared touting the impending Kentucky Rushmore. That’s right, a larger than life monument to honor some of Kentucky’s most famous sons and daughters.
According to the Kentucky Rushmore website, the monument is just part of the larger Kentucky Wonders Project, the goal of which is to build a major tourist facility featuring local artists, a gift shop, the Kentucky Haunted Museum of Oddities, among other attractions. The focal point though is the Rushmore which will be a “large structure featuring effigies of Kentucky icons looming over I-65 which will be the premiere attraction of Kentucky Wonders.”
So who has been identified to grace the monument honoring the best and brightest of Kentucky history? Well voting is currently open on the Rushmore Facebook page, but the contenders are:
- Abraham “Honest Abe” Lincoln
- Colonel Sanders
- Muhammad Ali
- Secretariat
- Hunter S. Thompson
- Daniel Boone
- Loretta Lynn
- Floyd Collins
Currently the top five are: Lincoln, the Colonel, Ali, Thompson and Lynn. Personally, the idea of having a monument with Lincoln and Thompson next to each other is so hilarious, I hope this actually gets built. Imagine the merchandising potential, “Fear and Loathing in Cave City.”
And, if this is all legit, that’s what the effort is all about. To promote tourism in and around Cave City, Kentucky that moves beyond the normal visitors to Mammoth Cave. Having lived and traveled in Kentucky, I can tell you that besides the Cave, there’s not a whole lot to attract tourists to this small area of central Kentucky.
The co-creators of this quirky project are two guys, Will Russell and Lebowski Fest, who apparently lives in a Big Lebowski universe. According to their website, they are both entrepreneurs with a passion of supporting Kentucky artists and promoting the regional talents that make the state great.
The Kentucky Wonders Project definitely caught my attention and I wish them luck. I can’t wait to visit the Kentucky Rushmore and thank the Colonel for years of delicious chickeny goodness.
