Journeys for Women
Kentucky: May 5-12, 2024
Kentucky: May 5-12, 2024
We spent a delightful week in Kentucky, staying the entire time at the historic Brown Hotel, with their excellent breakfasts. (Like a riverboat cruise on land!) On arrival in Louisville, we were met at the airport late evening by our amazing private guide for the week, John, and a luxury minibus. As it was the day after the Derby, huge urns of long-stemmed red roses were still on display in the airport and passersby were welcome to take a flower.
We jumped right in the first full day with a visit to the Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum. They have great displays, and you can even step into a batter's cage and get your picture taken. They also demonstrate how bats were hand-hewn until a couple of decades ago. The factory tour takes you step-by-step through the manufacturing process. Each major league player orders about 100 customized bats per year. Who knew? Later, we perused the local shops of Butchertown. That afternoon we had a private trolley tour, and enjoyed an included dinner at Proof on Main.
The next morning, we headed for the Derby Museum at Churchill Downs. There are two floors of exhibits and a 3D film, the Great Race. Everything you want to know about racing is there. After lunch nearby, we headed to Harrodsburg and the Shaker Village. We had a guided tour, followed by free time to explore the various buildings, gardens and gift shop. Dinner was included at the Village's own Trustees' Table.
The following morning, we drove to Lexington and visited Mill Ridge thoroughbred horse farm. During our tour, the owner stopped by and talked about his philosophy of boarding, raising, training and selling horses, as well as caring for the land. Stallions are kept in individual paddocks, and we saw one at his snack time. We also viewed mares in their stalls with newborn foals. Mill Ridge has raised more than one champion! After the visit, we drove to Frankfort and had an included lunch at Bourbon on Main. We went through the historic district and saw the Floral Clock on the capitol grounds. For "dessert" we toured Rebecca Ruth chocolates. It's a surprisingly small operation, with just 10 employees. We were given a sample of their famous bourbon balls at the end. Back in Louisville, we did a private bourbon tasting at Prohibition Craft Spirits. No one was drawn to purchase any, but you've got to try it in KY! Dinner was on our own that night, but half of us Lyfted to an Irish pub where we enjoyed both the food and the bluegrass music jamming.
The next day, we stuck close to Louisville, starting with a self-guided tour of the Mohammed Ali Center. There's so much more than boxing to learn about that man. After an included lunch at Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse, we spent time at the Speed Art Museum. They have a variety of exhibits, from ancient through modern, including their Kentucky one. That evening we enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Belle of Louisville's Mary Miller vessel.
The following afternoon, we drove out to Bardstown to My Old Kentucky Home. This mansion was built by the Rowan family in the early 1800's and is famous for its connection to Steven Foster. Our tour guides were in period costume and were steeped in the history of this home. What a sad life Foster had, despite his many famous songs. From there, we departed for the dinner train. It was a lovely journey with delicious food.
We capped off the week with an outing to Churchill Downs. We were in the Stakes room, where we partook of a nice buffet lunch and bet on five races. From our room, we were able to step just outside, as each race began, to an area overlooking the finish line. None of us were big winners, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The grand finale dinner was in a private room in our hotel, where we were served the famous Kentucky dish, Hot Brown. We didn't love it, but we could say we had another authentic Kentucky experience!
We jumped right in the first full day with a visit to the Louisville Slugger Factory & Museum. They have great displays, and you can even step into a batter's cage and get your picture taken. They also demonstrate how bats were hand-hewn until a couple of decades ago. The factory tour takes you step-by-step through the manufacturing process. Each major league player orders about 100 customized bats per year. Who knew? Later, we perused the local shops of Butchertown. That afternoon we had a private trolley tour, and enjoyed an included dinner at Proof on Main.
The next morning, we headed for the Derby Museum at Churchill Downs. There are two floors of exhibits and a 3D film, the Great Race. Everything you want to know about racing is there. After lunch nearby, we headed to Harrodsburg and the Shaker Village. We had a guided tour, followed by free time to explore the various buildings, gardens and gift shop. Dinner was included at the Village's own Trustees' Table.
The following morning, we drove to Lexington and visited Mill Ridge thoroughbred horse farm. During our tour, the owner stopped by and talked about his philosophy of boarding, raising, training and selling horses, as well as caring for the land. Stallions are kept in individual paddocks, and we saw one at his snack time. We also viewed mares in their stalls with newborn foals. Mill Ridge has raised more than one champion! After the visit, we drove to Frankfort and had an included lunch at Bourbon on Main. We went through the historic district and saw the Floral Clock on the capitol grounds. For "dessert" we toured Rebecca Ruth chocolates. It's a surprisingly small operation, with just 10 employees. We were given a sample of their famous bourbon balls at the end. Back in Louisville, we did a private bourbon tasting at Prohibition Craft Spirits. No one was drawn to purchase any, but you've got to try it in KY! Dinner was on our own that night, but half of us Lyfted to an Irish pub where we enjoyed both the food and the bluegrass music jamming.
The next day, we stuck close to Louisville, starting with a self-guided tour of the Mohammed Ali Center. There's so much more than boxing to learn about that man. After an included lunch at Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse, we spent time at the Speed Art Museum. They have a variety of exhibits, from ancient through modern, including their Kentucky one. That evening we enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Belle of Louisville's Mary Miller vessel.
The following afternoon, we drove out to Bardstown to My Old Kentucky Home. This mansion was built by the Rowan family in the early 1800's and is famous for its connection to Steven Foster. Our tour guides were in period costume and were steeped in the history of this home. What a sad life Foster had, despite his many famous songs. From there, we departed for the dinner train. It was a lovely journey with delicious food.
We capped off the week with an outing to Churchill Downs. We were in the Stakes room, where we partook of a nice buffet lunch and bet on five races. From our room, we were able to step just outside, as each race began, to an area overlooking the finish line. None of us were big winners, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The grand finale dinner was in a private room in our hotel, where we were served the famous Kentucky dish, Hot Brown. We didn't love it, but we could say we had another authentic Kentucky experience!