Map Dot, Kentucky

When Cory Ramsey asked me how I take my coffee, it was then that I knew we would be friends.

Ramsey, born in Hickman, Kentucky, population 2,000, was raised as a true country boy fishing on the Mississippi River. His love of the outdoors, especially the scenery of his home state, stayed with him through college at Western Kentucky University. Some years after graduating when Ramsey was working in Bowling Green he got the news that he was being laid off. Not knowing what to do with this newly found free time and unsure of his next step, he stepped outside.

"I just picked up and went. I was hiking all the state parks, finding new trails, spending hours online looking at where I could go and... just start driving."


What began as a way to actively kill time got social media all a-buzz. Ramsey's past in journalism gave him the voice, marketing skills, and the contacts to build a large social media following and put his name and brand out in state publications.
"All of this led to writing for the state tourism blog, Get out Kentucky. I was the original blogger when that first started up. I worked with Frankfort there. But when they caught wind of what I was doing with my free time, it turned into something bigger."
Cory started visiting state parks as a VIP writer/blogger (aka: livin' the dream). He was then featured in Kentucky Living as somewhat of a state celebrity...we found his face on a magazine in City Hall!

"KET found out about it and put me on with Dave [Shuffett]. I stay in contact with those folks...there's always a possibility of doing something with them in the future."

And this is where the "Map Dot Stuff," as Ramsey casually refers to it, begins.

"It was kind of a spin-off of the hiking. As I began traveling, I saw that Kentucky is predominantly small towns; little map dot places. When I contrasted that with what I saw in the way of Kentucky Tourism in Frankfort, it didn't match up."

What Ramsey noticed was that the nationally-promoted Kentucky "brand" didn't fit with what he had observed first-hand in his travels. The recognizable "face" of Kentucky is horses and bourbon, two really lucrative and unique assets to our state. While the image adds an air of prestige to the Bluegrass, Ramsey's campaign was to pull the focus back to the tiny dots on the map.

"Let's create this alternative to show what else is out there."

Just as the idea for Map Dot, Kentucky was forming, Ramsey, now employed in Bowling Green, was balancing a non-negotiable 7-day work week with traveling the state...not for the faint of heart.

"Psychologically, I needed a break. I would take mini-vacations every morning. I would get up, hit the road, act like I didn't have to work, and at about noon, I would circle back around to Bowling Green and clock in."

After doing that for several months and having snapped approximately 2,000 photos from his travels, he created the Facebook page that would celebrate the "Map Dot towns." He launched Map Dot, Kentucky.

"It launched and struck gold. Since August, it has gained 7,000 followers. It go so big that I couldn't do it alone, so I involved three of my friends and now it has taken on a reality show set up... We are a road-trippin' crew goin' places. We head out in the morning, take pictures of road signs along the way, find someone, get a story, snap a few more pictures, and put it on the Facebook page."

As easy-breezy as he makes it sound, Ramsey and his crew are doing something important. The pictures and stories he posts connect with people on a deeply emotional level. The sense of community Map Dot, Kentucky has created is different than any other widely popular Kentucky-themed brand.

After our chat, Cory and I took the camera and went on a walk. He is an old pro at posing for photos, and I got a little bit bossy with my "Stand there! Smile. Move left. Stand here! Ooh, let's go here next..." But I think he enjoyed himself!

Tomorrow, I'll be attending the 140th Annual Kentucky Derby for the first time in my 23 years as a Kentuckian! I'll be in correspondence with Map Dot, Kentucky for live derby coverage and I couldn't be more excited.

Follow Map Dot on Facebook and Instagram (mapdotkentucky) to keep up with Derby Coverage and beyond. Ramsey and his crew are posting photos every day as they continue traveling across the beautiful Bluegrass.