Looking for a way to drink like a local? Then grab an Ale 8 One. It’s not moonshine, but a fizzy non-alcoholic soft drink that practically outsells Coke or Pepsi in this part of the state. Locals tell stories about it being the first drink in their sippy cup when they were weaned. The drink is sold in cans and...
History buffs can’t miss the opportunity to tour the home and grounds of the famous Kentucky statesman who served both in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Henry Clay, who was also Secretary of State, resided in this 18- room Italianate-style house from 1806 until his death in 1852. The original plantation sprawled over 600 acres and...
Housed in an old school building, the Athens Schoolhouse Antique Show is a huge show features 150 to 170 dealers one weekend each month. It really is a big show, so plan your time accordingly. Check their website for dates. Free parking.
About 15,000 years ago, this area was populated by mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, and bison that were attracted by the warm salt springs. They lived and died here, making the grounds a smorgasbord of paleontology fossils. The 564 acre park includes a museum that exhibits some of these fossils and a life-sized diorama that shows how some of the animals...
If you don’t have much time to see the area, call Blue Grass Tours and let them do all the work. They have all sorts of tours to get you to the sights you want to see. One of their most popular tours, Horses, Hooch and History, is a great intro to the region. Their fun and knowledgeable drivers make...
Visit the battlefield and pay your respects to the 60 Kentucky pioneers who died as a result of an ambush by Native Americans and British soldiers on August 19, 1782. The loss of these men, one of whom was Daniel Boone’s son, killed ten percent of Kentucky’s population at the time. Stay for a weekend at the 32 Room Lodge...
As Daniel Boone blazed a trail through Kentucky, when he got to this lovely place along the Kentucky River, he stopped. It was here that Daniel and his friends decided to put down roots and create Fort Boonesborough, which is now a State Park. The park offers nature trails, mini golf, an outdoor pool with water slides and a sandy...
Although this Spanish Mission-style building looks like it should be in Southern California, the home of Four Roses Distillery is gorgeous no matter what state it is in. Built in 1911, you’ll find it on the National Register of Historic Places. You can tour the facilities and see all the behind-the-scenes action that takes place to create Four Roses Bourbons....
Keeneland Race Track is the essence of what is beautiful about Kentucky thoroughbred racing. It is only open for racing for three weeks in April and three weeks in October, so if you want to go, plan accordingly. The track and limestone grandstand, which were built in 1936, are beautiful no matter which time of year you attend. You don’t...
The Kentucky Horse Park is a working horse farm sprawling over 1200 acres of Kentucky Bluegrass. Come out and spend the day wandering through museums, shows and the sensational grounds. Horseback riding is offered at an additional fee. The Visitor’s Center is the perfect place to learn about everything the park has to offer. It is also where you will...
Right off the Berea exit on I-75, you need to stop at this 25,000-square-foot showroom chock full of the finest Kentucky arts and crafts products. Everything in the store has faced a jury and been deemed acceptable, which means you are looking at high quality, as well as beautiful, merchandise. They have a helpful visitors center too, loaded with brochures...
Steeped in history, Lexington and the surrounding area have a lot to brag about. The Lexington History Museum is home to all kinds of artifacts, some dating back to the late 1700s, that all help to tell the story. Housed in the former Fayette County Courthouse, it’s worth a stop just to see this amazing building which opened in 1900....
Tour the girlhood home of Mary Todd, who grew up to be Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. The Georgian home, built in 1806 is filled with period pieces, some that belonged to the Todd family. It feels so real you start to expect someone to come down the staircase in a hoop skirt. The third floor is full of Lincoln memorabilia, a...
When James Harrod built the first settlement in Kentucky in 1771, it looked exactly like the full-scale replica you can visit today. Tour the cabins and watch interpreters performing pioneer tasks like weaving and broom making. The park also has the cabin where Abe Lincoln’s parents were wed and the Mansion Museum which is loaded with Native American and Civil...
After a full life of racing and breeding, a thoroughbred is entitled to spend his golden years just hanging out in his paddock. No demands, no time clock to punch, just days of munching grass and swishing flies with his tail. One of the nicest retirement homes for these big boys is Old Friends. Just north of Lexington in the...
Completed in 1830, this building was used as the Kentucky state capitol for about 80 years. Built in the Greek Revival style, which was new to Kentucky at the time, the building features a self-supporting marble staircase. This architectural marvel is held together with pressure and precision. Tour the House and Senate chambers furnished with 1830s reproduction desks and chairs...
Perryville Battlefield is the site of Kentucky’s largest and bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The rolling Kentucky bluegrass was the setting for 22,000 Union soldiers to battle nearly 17,000 Confederates, way back on October 8, 1862. The park includes burial grounds and monuments to both armies, plus a museum. Battle re-enactments take place in early October.
Founded in 1950, Pioneer Playhouse is the oldest outdoor theater in the state. Visitors come for the plays, dramas, comedies, and musical performances, but the fried chicken and barbeque pork dinners are nothing to shy away from either. As you know, the show must go on. And it does, rain or shine, but they move indoors if rain is a...
Although most horse racing in Kentucky involves thoroughbreds, The Red Mile specializes in harness racing, which is a horse pulling a two-wheeled cart, called a sulkie, around the track. The Red Mile is the second oldest track in the country, and it deserves a little bit of your homage as well. The recently renovated track now includes 900 Instant Racing® terminals,...
The Thoroughbred Center is a horse’s introduction into the world of racing. This is where they learn all about the track, even how to enter a starting gate. And you’ll learn too. They offer a 2-hour bus or van tour where you can cover the 240-acre property touring the tracks, barns and paddocks. You have to get on and off...