Kentucky—land of bourbon and home of the famous derby—is also host to Fort Knox, an Army post that hosts the Army’s Human Resource Center of Excellence. The Human Resources Command (HRC), the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC), the Army Accessions Command, the Cadet Command, and dozens of other tenant organizations are all located at Fort Knox. And, yes, the gold is kept here. The United States Bullion Depository, a reinforced vault building, stores a large portion of our nation’s gold reserves.

Fort Knox is about an hour from Louisville, home to Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, the Muhammad Ali Center, and several other major attractions. Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Nashville are each about two and a half hours away and make for fun weekend trips.

In this part of the country, you’re either “red” or “blue”—that is, you root for either the University of Louisville or the University of Kentucky. Choose your team, wear your colors, and prepare to do a lot of cheering! High school sports are also big in the area, so expect to hear a lot about the local teams (Meade County Pride! Greenwave Nation!) and see large crowds at Friday night games.

The area and the base both have a low key vibe. People report that it is a great spot to slow down and enjoy family time. The area is safe and convenient, and many are surprised to find the area a desirable spot for retirement.