Theresa Dowell Blackinton was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent her childhood visiting the state’s attractions with her parents and three brothers. She left Kentucky to attend college at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and has been on the move ever since—living in Freiburg, Germany; Athens, Greece; Washington, DC; and Durham, North Carolina; and spending time in more than 50 countries. But she still considers the Bluegrass State home.

While researching this book, Theresa drove more than 8,000 miles to discover all that Kentucky has to offer. She visited the state’s deepest cave and its highest point, and stopped at just about everywhere in between. In the process, she was reminded of her home state’s interesting history and awesome natural beauty—but what she most enjoyed was getting to interact with Kentucky’s warm and welcoming people, all of whom had interesting stories to tell.

Theresa is also the author of Moon Take a Hike Washington DC and has written for multiple newspapers and magazines.