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As the 37th smallest state by area, KY's size belies its prize. For this southeastern scrub is a massive gem ready to be mined by scrupulous tourists. More ironically, the biggest pieces can be chipped from the smallest settlements, many of which are gateways to natural, commercial, and historic wonders. Whether your idea of a gem is Lincoln's birthplace or mini Niagara Falls or a bourbon trail, they are compressed via the following 11 incredible vacation spots in Kentucky.

Hodgenville

As you might know, Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. As you might not know, Lincoln's birthplace is rural land near Hodgenville, which is preserved as the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. Though Lincoln's original log cabins are gone, the park showcases replicas called the Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home and the Symbolic Cabin. The latter, which represents his birth cabin and is made out of 1840s-era logs, is housed in the stately Memorial Building. Hodgenville proper also honors the consensus greatest president with The Lincoln Museum and multiple bronze Lincoln statues.

Newport

Newport straddles the Ohio River along the Kentucky-Ohio border. Though part of the massive Cincinnati metropolitan area, Newport is home to only about 14,000 people. Thus, as a small city with suburban grandeur, it boasts big attractions like the 4,000-square-foot taproom of the Wooden Cask Brewing Company, the 100,000-square-foot Newport Aquarium, and the 66,000-pound º£½ÇÉçÇø Peace Bell (currently in storage for repairs). Moreover, due to its strategic interstate position once exploited by organized criminals, Newport hosts the Newport Gangster Tour, which takes tourists down the mean streets of the Prohibition era.

Corbin

Kentucky boasts the Niagara of the South, Cumberland Falls. This 68-foot-tall, 125-foot-wide waterfall flows from the Cumberland River and headlines Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, which occupies the Daniel Boone National Forest. A chaser for this scenic cocktail is Corbin, where you can rest and refuel at such haunts as the Pinball Museum of Corbin, Smokey Bear's BBQ and Catering, and The Wrigley Taproom & Eatery. But Corbin's most finger lickin' attraction is the Harland Sanders Café and Museum, which preserves Colonel Sanders' original restaurant, AKA the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Bardstown

Just like KFC, bourbon is synonymous with Kentucky. Probably the best place to try genuine Kentucky bourbon is Bardstown, which calls itself the "Bourbon Capital of the º£½ÇÉçÇø." As proof, it notes the 11 distilleries within 16 miles of town. Chief among them are the Bardstown Bourbon Company, Maker's Mark Distillery, and James B. Beam Distilling Co. Fittingly, Bardstown is a major stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, which takes tourists to 60-plus bourbon-related sites across the state. For those who don't drink, don't worry. Such sites include fine dining restaurants and luxury hotels.

Cave City

True to its name, Cave City neighbors a cave, Mammoth Cave, which, true to its name, is the º£½ÇÉçÇø's longest known cave system. Tourists stop in Cave City before and after exploring Mammoth Cave in Mammoth Cave National Park. Underground are more than 400 miles of passageways; above-ground are over 52,000 acres of wilderness. Park guests choose between hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, paddling, boating, stargazing, and, of course, spelunking. Cave City guests choose between Dinosaur º£½ÇÉçÇø, Cave City Pizza, the Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum, and Crystal Onyx Cave, which is billed as not Mammoth but spectacular.

Berea

As the home of Berea College, a private liberal arts institution founded by an abolitionist, Berea is an artsy, liberal retreat in the backwoods of Kentucky. BC informed basically all attractions, ranging from the Tater Knob Pottery and Farm to the Log House Craft Gallery to the Kentucky Artisan Center. Sync up your visit with one of Berea's many annual events, especially the Berea Craft Festival that runs in July. After experiencing the "magic in the mountains," find magic in the sheets at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant. Built on the College Square in 1909, it is among Kentucky's most iconic lodgings.

Pleasant Hill

Shake up your Kentucky vacation at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. From 1805 to 1910, this Lexington-adjacent settlement served members of a Christian sect called Shakers. Now nearly extinct, Shakers thrived in the 19th century, which is evident in Pleasant Hill's preserved village. Across 3,000 acres you can find the Carpenters' Shop (c. 1815), Brethren's Bath House (c. 1860), Ministry's Workshop (c. 1821), and dozens of other relics. Unsurprisingly, the village and its contents are registered as a National Historic Landmark. Counterbalance your historic tour of Pleasant Hill with a modern jaunt through Lexington.

Williamstown

Another of Kentucky's Christian-based attractions is Ark Encounter, a 510-foot-long replica of Noah's Ark in the super-small city of Williamstown. Guests can tour the Ark, which contains three decks of exhibits on animals and biblical lore. Ark Encounter is but one of many sights in this bemusement/amusement park. Regardless of belief, you are bound to be entertained by either the Ark or Ararat Ridge Zoo or Screaming Eagle Ziplines and Aerial Adventures. If you really want to up the religious ante, travel about 40 minutes north to the Creation Museum.

Henderson

Northwestern Kentucky is an unsung tourist destination. This region is full of overlooked communities with underseen attractions. One of them is Henderson. Sitting on the banks of the Ohio River, this small city offers stunning views, especially from Audubon Mill Park and John James Audubon State Park (the titular naturalist lived for several years in Henderson). If scenic sightseeing works up your appetite, grab some unsung Henderson grub at Homer's Barbecue or Metzger's Tavern, the latter of which claims to be Kentucky's oldest operating tavern. Afterward, hop one city over to Owensboro to tour the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

Shepherdsville

Shepherdsville, a city of about 15,000 people, is flanked by two vastly different but equally alluring attractions. The first, Bernheim Forest and Arboretum, could not be more open: a 16,000ish-acre oasis meant to connect people to nature. The second, Fort Knox, could not be more closed. But despite being a highly restricted military base and bullion depository, it does let tourists access one site: the General George Patton Museum of Leadership. Although there are a "million things to do" at Bernheim, there is one really amazing thing to do at Fort Knox.

Slade

Cumberland Falls is not the only natural wonder in Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest. Located northeast of the falls near a community called Slade is the Red River Gorge Geological Area, which preserves around 29,000 acres of climbable canyons. Just around the corner is Natural Bridge State Park, a 65-foot-tall formation that can also be climbed — or reached by sky lift. Thankfully Slade is there to refuel adventurers with Miguel's Pizza Restaurant and the Thatcher BBQ Company. A tour of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo can cap off a wild and wonderful trip to KY's Boone-ies.

Make old Kentucky your home — at least for a week. During that time, you can cover most of the state, starting from Henderson in the west, continuing to Bardstown in the center, Newport in the north, Slade in the east, and finishing at Corbin in the south. But don't just stop at those destinations. Find all the other roc-KY, koo-KY, and fun-KY gems along the way in these 11 incredible vacation spots in Kentucky.