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Being from Louisville, Kentucky moving to the University of Pikeville is a big difference. Coming from a place with tons of places to go out and eat, have fun or just hangout it is very different from Pikeville. My topic is going to focus on fun activities you can go out and do while at Pikeville. This could be for anyone, if one day on the weekend you are bored, this list can help generate ideas. This for me, is a good idea for anyone who comes from different parts of the state or the country. This list can help others who plan on coming to college here know what type of activities you have available when you are here. This college isn’t a big school like the University of Kentucky or West Virginia University where you have big crowds of people at basketball or football games. Personally, those games are fun and having so many people on campus compared to Pikeville makes a big difference. With those big colleges you usually are going to have plenty of things to do on or around campus because it’s a bigger school. That is why with Pikeville I wanted to figure out what places they have around here for people like me who come from bigger cities. For this, I am going to make a top 10 list of places to visit or activities to do while in Pikeville, this is my personal list so feel free to try any activity that sounds the best to you.

Below are my top 10 ranks of what you can adventure out and do in Pikeville:

1. Hatfield McCoy River Trails- For anyone who loves to be in or around water you can spend a whole weekend doing this. The river is good for canoes and kayaks. Many people spend their time kayaking and canoeing the whole day. The water has a great flow all summer, with the current not being to strong. The trip is just over 2 hours long and you will travel through some of the best scenery in Pikeville.
2. Fish trap Lake- To start, Fish Trap Lake is a man-made lake which started construction in 1962 and was eventually finished in 1968. The lake was also dedicated by President Lyndon Johnson. You can spend your day fishing on the water as long as you have a fishing license as the lake is home to a variety of fish. You can even spend a day having a nice little picknick with friends or family, with the views being amazing while you are enjoying the day.
3. White Lighting Ziplines- have your ever been ziplining? I recommend it because the views you have while ziplining are amazing. It is a beautiful site to see when you are that high up and riding above the mountains. Personally, I have been ziplining in Tennessee and it was one of the coolest things I have ever done. In Pikeville they have 7 lines that go up to or past 1,000 feet long which would be a fun experience. Also, while going through this experience you can learn some of the history about Hatfield and McCoy running moonshine in these exact mountains.
4. Appalachian Wireless Arena- The arena holds nearly 6,000 people for sporting events and 7,000 for concerts. The arena hosts several concerts over the years and feel like it would be a fun thing to do while at the university. They host a variety of artists and events in the arena, but it mostly being country artists. The arena is home to the boys’ and girls’ basketball team of Pikeville so you could also come for the day and some basketball for a couple hours. You will be supporting the university and your friends; they would love to see fellow friends/classmates at their games.
5. Bob Amos Park- Pikeville’s Bob Amos Park has anything you could want to do. The park is surrounded with a beautiful mountain scene that also includes a walking trail. The park has several trails, picnic areas and shelters. The park includes an outlook on the top of a mountain where you can overlook the city and see where the cut-through project took place. Other places near the park like the YMCA are there where you can go to work out, play basketball or swim. The park also has multiple baseball fields and is home to the Pikeville Bears football and soccer teams. One last thing you can do for fun with a ton of friends is go paintballing.
6. Hatfield and McCoy Historic Sites-If you are a history nerd or just like learning about history you can tour these places. It includes multiple historic sites in Pikeville for people to visit. You could probably get a better experience if you ask the locals about this type of stuff or have someone you know from here take you on tour. Not being from around here it would be a lot of new information and history about the city I would learn if I was to go out one day to do this.
7. Pikeville Drag Race Series- Locally taking place from the second Saturday in May until the second Saturday in October. Anyone who loves cars can attend and watch multiple cars drag race, maybe even enter your own car into some of the races. Many teens that I know like to go hangout and watch cars drag race in the evenings on the weekends.
8. H&M Stables- This horse stable is also home to a 2.5-mile horse trail. It also includes another trail that is near 3 miles long too. The horse trail includes a scenic look to while riding on the horse trail. The horses provided are trail experienced and are hand selected for rider experience to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable.
9. Hillbilly Days Festival- This is one of the biggest events held by Pikeville and thousands of people will attend it. Many people come from all across the United States to participate in this festival. The event his held in April each year and this year it was to take place on April 16th, 17th and 18th. The people come dressed as hillbillies and participate in all sorts of fun events held over the 3 days. They even will provide the people with plenty of food and drink booths.
10. Riverfill 10 Cinemas- A movie theater not far from campus is my last option. A movie theater is basic but who doesn’t love going to watch movies. Between the movies and the money spent on snacks is one of the best parts of going to the movies. If you are ever just bored, you can find a good movie and go watch it at this Cinema.

I also asked my roommate, Kole Whitley some questions about Pikeville and what he likes to do in his free time while at Pikeville.

1. What type of activities do you like to do for fun around here? “I like to ride my four-wheeler and dirt bike a lot. Before I used to race them in competitive races, so mostly that’s what I like to do. I also like playing basketball and spending time with friends doing whatever.”
2. Do you think Pikeville would benefit from having new activities? “Yes, I would think so. I do get bored sometimes. It would be cool to have a new place where I could gather up a bunch of friends at. It would also make a lot of money if the place is fun and everyone likes to go there.”
3. Out of my top 10, which is your favorite activity in Pikeville? “I would say that riding the trails is my favorite. I love riding dirt bikes and four wheelers. It is just a fun time and amazing to see everything in those trails.”

Sources:

1. “Pikeville City Attractions.”Pikeville Tourism, www.visitpikeville.com/attractions.
2. “THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Pikeville – 2020 (with Photos).”Tripadvisor,www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g39748-Activities-Pikeville_Kentucky.html.
3. “8 Must-Dos for First-Time Visitors: Pikeville-Pike County Kentucky.”TourPikeCounty.com, 25 Sept. 2020, tourpikecounty.com/8-must-dos-for-first-time-visitors-pikeville-pike-county-kentucky/.