Our 25th is coming up next week and we decided we’d like to head down to bourbon country. We enjoy history, natural beauty and like to try regional foods.
Any suggestions on cool places you’ve visited personally?
Mammoth Cave is really neat. I’ve done the really long tour (I can’t remember the name) and found it fascinating.
I also really like the Louisville Slugger museum, but I’m a huge baseball fan, so that might be more niche.
The Jim Beam distillery. Free tours and
FREE SAMPLES!
I’ve always wanted to visit some of the distilleries on the bourbon trail.
We stayed in Bardstown a couple times while passing through. Cute little town with lots of history and less than an hour from a few distilleries. It’s the site of “My Old Kentucky Home” on the back of the State’s commemorative quarter.
Another vote for Mammoth Caves.
If you’re into cars, there’s the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.
Corvette Museum and Assembly plant tour, Bowling Green
Whiskey Museum, Bardstown
Kentucky Down Under, Horse Cave (just south of Mammoth Cave)
Happy Anniversary!
As for the Bourbon Trail, the one that I would consider unmissable is Woodford Reserve, between Lexington and Versailles (and thats ver-SAYLES here–there are historic reasons). The drive out takes you through iconic horse country, and the place itself is gorgeous. Tours can be a little crowded–try to go on a weekday.
Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and Four Roses are all great visits. Makers Mark is a little slick these days, but worth a visit. The Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown is fun–they have a HUGE gift shop with a barrel-shaped tasting room with some good tastings. Old Forester just opened a brand new distillery on the spot in downtown Louisville where they used to be 100 years ago; I’m checking it out this weekend.
Churchill Downs, Louisville’s thoroughbred track where the Derby is, runs most of the summer. It’s not as awesome as Keeneland, the track in Lexington only open in April and October, but it’s a good place to spend an afternoon.
Foodwise in the Lexington area you’ll want to hit up some of Ouita Michel’s restaurants. She is absolutely the soul of Kentucky cuisine. Holly Hill Inn in Midway (about 20 minutes outside Lexington) is her flagship, and I’d call it comfortable fine dining. Best restaurant in the state, IMNSHO. Honeywood is in Lexington and is a little more casual and much bigger, but the menu is fabulous and very Kentucky-centric. She has some more casual places (Windy Corner, Wallace Station, Smithtown Seafood x2) that are all excellent. Other great spots in Lexington include Lockbox and Azur.
I don’t keep up with Louisville’s culinary scene as much, but it’s hard to go terribly wrong. These days it’s the kind of place where bad restaurants don’t last very long. I will say that I never leave town without a cocktail at Proof on Main, downtown.
As for natural beauty, head about an hour southeast of Lexington to the Red River Gorge. Rock climbers go apeshit for the place, but there are also tons of hiking trails both in the Gorge and in Natural Bridge State Park.
Hope that helps!