During a recent trip to my Appalachian hometown, I had a revelation:

Everything looks the same, more or less, but there are some substantial differences.

We attended a ceremony at Alice Lloyd College, where I saw the building that once housed my great-grandmother's office still standing and put to new use.

We visited a fancy, newish restaurant in my home county, where I was delighted to find a delicious menu and a healthy appreciation of our native spirit -- a far cry from the dry county votes of my childhood.

And, as I left the mountains on Sunday morning, I ran across a barn -- formerly, the Appalachian countryside's in-house billboard service for tobacco branding -- advocating smoking cessation.

It's clear, the place that we've been told will never change is changing. It's retaining the best of the old mountain ways while adapting to the times. And, here at HerKentucky, we're thrilled to partake in the best of the new Appalachia. We'll be bringing you our newest city guide, HerAppalachia, on a semi-weekly basis, celebrating our favorite places and events. And we'd love to hear what you're loving about Appalachia lately!