Kentucky Traveling and Tourism 101
Well-known for the Kentucky Derby and bourbon, Kentucky has several things to offer to the visitor. Louisville, in particular, is full of culture, hotels, museums, and art galleries. If you are planning a trip to Kentucky, the following are several places which you shouldn’t miss on your next visit:
Family Diners
Kentucky is full of wonderful food and is known for its diners such as Wagner’s which has existed since 1922 and is famous for its southern hospitality. Visitors can find jockeys dining in the restaurant and can learn about the history of horse racing which is written across the diner’s walls along with past winner’s pictures.
New Louisville
New Louisville is a fast paced area which is known for its trendiness, culture, and art. This location is known for Museum Row, the Muhammad Ali Center, the Frazier History Museum, the Louisville Slugger Museum, several art galleries such as the Art Ecology Gallery, as well an interactive science center.
Old Louisville
The area of Old Louisville used to contain distilleries, barrel makers, tobacco product manufacturers, as well as meat processors. Today, the area contains numerous iron façade buildings along with Old Seelbach Hotel, which is where the Great Gatsby was set as well as where Al Capone dined on a regular basis.
This hotel is ranked as the best hotel in America by the readers of Conde Nast Travelers. It contains 91 rooms and is a boutique luxury hotel that is accompanied by a beautiful art gallery which contains works of Yinka Shonibare, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Andrew Serrano just to name a few.
Muhammad Ali Center
The Muhammad Ali Center is an interactive museum in which visitors can box with Muhammad Ali and can watch the famous boxer’s most intense bout against opponent George Foreman, which took place in Zaire in 1974.
Listen to Bluegrass
The official music of Kentucky is bluegrass with My Old Kentucky Home by Stephen Foster and Blue Moon of Kentucky by Bill Monroe being the well-known state songs. Live music can be enjoyed while visiting the Bluegrass Brewing Company which is located in Louisville as well as the ROMP or River of Music Party which takes place each year in July in Owensboro. This town also contains the International Bluegrass Music Museum.
Enjoy Some State Bourbon
There are dozens of tasting tours and distilleries that are available to the visitor to Kentucky. A wonderful location to visit is the family owned distillery near Bardstown known as Heaven Hill. Despite this, almost every bar in the area will serve bourbon, from Maker’s Mark to Jim Beam.
Summer Water Sports
There are many water based activities you can do in Kentucky during the hot summers. For example, swimming, canoeing, wakeboarding, kayaking and jet skiing are some of the more popular activities. Make sure you buy the proper gear and stay safe whenever in the water.
Here are a few places where you can enjoy these activities: Russell Sims Aquatic Center, Canoe Kentucky, Green River Lake, and Shanty Hollow Lake are just a few of the places where you can have fun and cool off at the same time.
Enjoy Scenic Drives
Kentucky boasts a number of gorgeous grass hills, picturesque horse farms with dry-stone walls and fences, old churches, and rustic barns. One of the most famous scenic drives is Old Frankfort Pike which consists of 30 miles of twisting roads that pass through quiet countrysides that contain beautiful sights throughout the year. The spring is best with the area bursting with cherry blossoms and redbuds.
Kentucky is a state which is brimming with culture and style, from its bluegrass music and country landscapes to its art galleries and interactive science museum. The above list is by no means comprehensive but consists of locations which should not be missed during a visit to this beautiful American state.