Kentucky is closer than you think. You’ll discover a rich, historical region with fascinating cities, rolling hills and a large helping of southern hospitality. And talking of helpings – not only is there a delicious culinary movement putting a new twist on traditional cuisine; this is also the home of mouth-watering fried chicken. Chefs like the famous Edward Lee are flocking to Kentucky which holds the perfect setting for the farm-to-table movement. Louisville boasts an award-winning restaurant scene, Owensboro holds the secret to BBQ and eastern Kentucky’s Appalachian food traditions are flourishing.
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From relaxing on a lazy, last-century riverboat cruise to the heart-thumping exhilaration of high-stakes horse racing – Kentucky has activities galore! And from the majestic Ohio River to the world’s most famous horse country to the legendary BourbonTrail - Kentucky satisfies almost every taste.
Only 160kms separate Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington (the cities which house the state’s three major airports). Air Canada has daily direct flights from Toronto into Cincinnati in Northern Kentucky, and there are also flights into both Louisville and Lexington. All this easy access makes Kentucky a great weekend get-away destination. And if you are planning on driving south this travel season, it is less than a 9-hour drive from southern Ontario to northern Kentucky. So don’t just drive through Kentucky – it is well worth a stop off the I-75 to explore its many attractions.
The Bluegrass State is alive with music, arts and culture. Kentucky is, of course, home to bluegrass music and there are plenty of opportunities to take in a show or attend a festival like ROMP in Owensboro to enjoy Kentucky’s iconic sound. It’s a subgenre of country music, inspired by the music of the Appalachian Mountains with Scottish and Irish roots mixed with Afro-American and jazz influences.
You can learn more at venues throughout the State, and at the International Bluegrass Museum in Owensboro. Icons like Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass and blues player W.C. Handy, found great inspiration in Kentucky. Today artists like My Morning Jacket, Sundy Best, Sturgill Simpson and Cage the Elephant are making national waves. No matter the genre, Kentucky has a show that fits your taste and a wide range of festivals to choose from.
Paducah, Kentucky is a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art with the National Quilt Museum and Artists in Residence programs. And Berea is home to a number of artists where visitors can have hands-on experiences with the artisans. You also won’t run short of fascinating and unique museums – Kentucky has everything from the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green to the Vent Haven Museum in Fort Mitchell, the world’s only museum dedicated to ventriloquism! Plus there are festivals galore through the State all year round. To plan your visit to coincide with a Kentucky Festival – consult the calendar of events at www.kentuckytourism.com.
The beautiful Kentucky landscapes vary from rolling countryside with picturesque horse farms to mountains, rivers and forests which are a wonderful adventure playground. There are nearly 900,000 acres of national forest, thousands of kilometres of rivers and more than 50 fishing and boating lakes. Mammoth Caves in Kentucky are the largest cave system in the world and you can take exciting underground tours there. And spectacular Cumberland Falls are known as the “Niagara of the South”.
The Lincoln family lived at Knob Creek, Kentucky for five years, furnishing Abraham Lincoln with his earliest memories. His birth place is now preserved as a National Historic Park. Kentucky is also home to lovely historic mansions, including the family home of Lincoln’s wife Mary, and it is alive with fascinating sites and stories from Civil War days and the Underground Railway.
95% of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky and more and more boutique distilleries are opening every year. Take the legendary Kentucky Bourbon Trail through the heart of Bourbon Country and stop in on nine distilleries including Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and Woodford Reserve. The Bourbon Trail through Central Kentucky allows you to experience the bourbon making process, view the facilities, take in the amazingly beautiful surrounding landscapes, and stick around for an after-tour bourbon tasting. Giving you all the more reason to take a vacation stop in Kentucky!
Northern Kentucky is located right on the Ohio River, which runs for over 950kms along Kentucky's northern border with Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying that "The Ohio is the most beautiful river on earth” and the region is rich in history. Currently there is a Renaissance of the riverfront on both sides of the Ohio River. Riverfront Commons, a biking and walking trail that is over 11 miles long, will link the river cities and provide even better access alongside and across the river. Bike rental stations are located throughout the riverfront areas, and each side of the river is accessible through walkable bridges.
Visitors also have a chance to embark on water adventures with BB Riverboats, or to walk through the Newport Aquarium. The Aquarium has fascinating themed galleries including: Frog Bog, 'Gator Bayou, Jellyfish Gallery, Coral Reef, Shark Central, Dangerous and Deadly, Kingdom of Penguins and more. The Shark Bridge is one-of-a-kind experience (and the only one of its kind in North America) where you can walk on a suspension bridge just inches above nearly two dozen sharks. This V-shaped rope bridge is 160kms long and suspended over the open water of the 385,000 gallon exhibit “Surrounded by Sharks”.
If you want to get closer to the Ohio River - Ride the Duck provide the only amphibious tour in the area and one of the most unique travel experiences. Tour the streets of Newport and Cincinnati and then splash straight into the Ohio River. For a gentler experience - BB Riverboats offer sightseeing and dinner cruises on the Ohio River. Their flagship Belle of Cincinnati is a majestic and ornate beauty with lavish Victorian decor sumptuous detail that once again takes you back in time.
The riverfront revitalization is just one of a number of new and exciting developments in this part of Kentucky. Newport on the Levee has just undergone a $60 million dollar renovation and is now as much about entertainment as it is about shopping. The latest northern addition to the Kentucky bourbon adventure is the New Riff Distillery. Also new in North Kentucky is the Ark Encounter - a one-of-a-kind themed in Williamstown. It presents a number of biblically themed events in an entertaining, educational and immersive way - centered on a full-size, all-wood Ark.
No matter what time you visit you will find festivals galore in Kentucky. The Midwest's premier music event - the P&G Music Festival Weekend - is in Cincinnati (July 27-30, 2017). Music acts Usher, Mary J Blige and many more will highlight a weekend full of music in the Northern Kentucky area.
In recent years the booming restaurant scene has delivered everything from gourmet hot dogs and French pot ice cream to Bouillabaisse and celebrity steaks. So whether you are a first-time visitor looking for local favourite, or a bona fide food fan searching out a delectable plate of something trendy - you're sure to find a dish that titillates your taste buds. And to wash it down - in a delightful way - order from a tantalizing list of local, expertly crafted beers and cocktails.
However, Northern Kentucky offers a look back as well as forwards, with everything from Underground Railroad sites to the Cathedral of Basilica of the Assumption to Gangster Tours in the city of Newport.
Going back in time - long before Las Vegas called itself “Sin City” – the original Sin City was Newport, Kentucky. In the days of Prohibition, this was a centre of gambling and illegal alcohol and you can explore this dark history on a Gangster Tour. Walk the streets where the mob made their millions, gamblers lost their lives, and ladies of the night earned their reputations. Visit an old casino to learn about the historic significance of Newport, and how this little town gave birth to the modern day gaming industry.
After your Gangster Tour - walk on the side of the Angels and visit St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption located in Covington. This 100-year-old cathedral is an example of French-Gothic architecture resembling Notre Dame in Paris and it has the World’s Largest Hand-Blown Stained Glass Window.
Another interesting chapter of history is celebrated in the National Underground Railroad Museum in downtown Maysville. Visit the museum to view artifacts that chronicle the life on the Underground Railroad as slaves moved north in search of emancipation in Canada. The museum experience also provides an understanding as to how something as simple as the Ohio River could be a major obstacle to freedom.
Louisville is in the heart of Bourbon Country - and is home to the most exciting two minutes in sports, the Kentucky Derby. This eclectic, southern city offers world-class dining, bourbon experiences and museums centered on greats like Muhammad Ali.
The downtown is buzzing with spas, boutiques, art galleries, nightlife, theatres, the opera house and all kinds of live music. It is also a city of green spaces and soon the Louisville Loop will connect the city’s parks by a paved walkway from the Jefferson Memorial Forest all the way to Waterfront Park.
Louisville is a welcoming city and no doubt its famous Southern hospitality is one of the reasons that Travel + Leisure recently named it “One of the Friendliest Cities in America.” There are several events this year to check out as excellent opportunities to experience the people and the culture of the city. There is the "I Am Ali" Festival, which is a new festival this year, plus the upcoming “Hunger Games” exhibit at the Frazier History Museum (Jennifer Lawrence is a Louisville native). In addition the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Derby Festival and the Urban Bourbon Experience are not to be missed.
Louisville also has its share of history. Here you will find the historic Belle of Louisville - the oldest operating steamboat in the United States. And the neighborhood of Old Louisville is one of the largest historic preservation districts in the US, with one of the greatest collections of preserved Victorian architecture in the country.
Louisville is where you can celebrate Kentucky’s fine Bourbon! Follow the Urban Bourbon Trail, a collection of city-wide bars which serve at least 50 different kinds of bourbon. And did you know that Kentucky also produces wine? Old 502 Winery is located in the heart of downtown Louisville. This is the oldest winery in the United States and was created by the personal winemaker to the Marquis de Lafayette. The building that houses the retail area was built in 1880.
Louisville is also gaining a growing reputation for its cuisine. The range of restaurants includes elegant white-tablecloth establishments, intriguing ethnic places and creative bistros. In fact, the restaurant community is so unique that a group of approximately 50 independent restaurateurs have joined forces calling themselves the “Louisville Originals”. From Fodor’s to Travel + Leisure Magazine to Lonely Planet and Saveur - Louisville’s culinary reputation has been racking up the accolades. Exciting culinary leaders from James Beard nominated chefs to new innovators have been putting their distinctive spin on Louisville style - namely Southerness, likely with a bourbon twist.
Louisville often seems to combine the old and the new – and no better example than the Speed Art Museum. After a 3-year multi-million renovation, the state’s largest art museum is preparing to open its doors this Spring and new, state-of-the art design will be married with the building’s historic 1920’s past.
In downtown Louisville, you’ll find the museum district has a range of exciting and unusual museums, including two interactive sports museums: the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory and the Muhammad Ali Center.
The world lost Louisville native Muhammed Ali last year – and the city is remembering him with a new “Muhammad Ali Footsteps of Greatness Tour” as well as a new “I Am Ali” Festival. Inside the Muhammad Ali Center, you’ll have the chance to experience the heart of a champion. The center tells the story of the man born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. with art, multimedia and interactive exhibits such as shadow boxing and speed and heavy bags. The Ali Center’s innovative and immersive visitor experience carries on Muhammad Ali’s legacy and inspires exploration of the greatness within ourselves.
Marked by a 120 foot tall bat (a Guinness World Record) the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory offers baseball fans a one-of-a-kind experience with everything from batting cages to factory tours and personalized bats.
The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, also in the downtown Museum District, is dedicated to supporting and promoting art and craft excellence in Kentucky and is a great introduction to the charming arts and crafts that you will find throughout the State.
No visit to Louisville (or Kentucky for that matter) would be complete without the bucket-list experience of Churchill Downs, home of the world’s most famous thoroughbred horserace: the Kentucky Derby. The most prestigious horse race in America, and the first jewel of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is always held on the first Saturday in May.
Run at Churchill Downs every year since 1875, the Derby brings the world to Louisville for a week of excitement, suspense and spectacle. But any time of year you can join in the spectacle at the Kentucky Derby Museum, featuring "The Greatest Race," a 360-degree, high-definition video show.
Lexington is known as “Horse Capital of the World” for good reason. This southern city features stunning horse farms, Keeneland Race Course (home to Breeder’s Cup 2015) and the Kentucky Horse Park. Bourbon also flows through this beautiful town, with historic distilleries like Woodford Reserve only a short drive away. As well as being on the Bourbon Trail - Lexington is also on the very aptly named “Brewgrass Trail”. Kentucky has a flourishing Craft Beer scene that you can experience in breweries, brew pubs and “hop spots” throughout the city.
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The Lexington Distillery District on Manchester Street is a collection of old bourbon warehouses and buildings that were recently renovated and are now home to several new businesses. At their height in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Lexington distilleries produced more than 36,000 barrel of bourbon per year. Only the James E. Pepper Distillery survived Prohibition but by 1969 all the distilleries had ceased production and by the mid-1970s even the bonded warehouses were no longer used. Now craft distilleries are finding their way back to the area, but it is not just about Bourbon tasting (nice as it is). You’ll also find restaurants, gourmet ice cream, craft beer, live music and more!
The Brewgrass Trail takes you to breweries and bars that celebrate the fine craft beer scene in Kentucky. New this year is the Brewgrass Trail Passport. Have it stamped at each brewery you visit to receive a one-of-a-kind Brewgrass Trail t shirt for your efforts! You will also be able to buy a special Brewgrass Trail package at the soon to be opened 21c Lexington Hotel. The 21c Lexington Hotel will be a fascinating combination of boutique hotel and contemporary art museum and is sure to become the ‘in” place to stay in Lexington.
You will also want to explore the extraordinary equestrian heritage in the Lexington area. You can try your luck at Keeneland Race Course during a race meet, or tour the grounds any time of year. Alternatively, the Red Mile is the 2nd oldest harness racing track in the world and is host to the Kentucky Futurity, one of the three legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters. The race has taken place at the Red Mile since 1893. After a recent $42 million addition, the Red Mile is also Lexington’s newest entertainment venue. The addition features more than 900 instant racing terminals.
You can meet some of Kentucky’s thoroughbred four-footed celebrities in their own homes on a Horse Farm Tour. You won't believe the lifestyle of these incredibly valuable animals! Some tours even allow visitors the opportunity to take riding lessons. Now there’s a new comprehensive "Horse Country" tour that includes several horse farms and even a veterinary hospital in one easy reservation. And the countryside and picturesque farms are just gorgeous.
You can also get up close and personal with nearly 50 breeds of horses, plus enjoy the museums, art galleries, shows and demonstrations at the 1,200 acre Kentucky Horse Park. The American Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park shines a spotlight on Kentucky's native breed of horse. American Saddlebred horses from Kentucky have a long and distinguished history – for instance Generals on both sides of the American Civil War rode Saddlebreds.
Turning to history – several historic Lexington homes are open for tours and they showcase a variety of architectural styles, as well as the stories of some of Lexington's most influential and fascinating families and individuals.
One example is Ashland, the estate of Henry Clay, who was an important statesman and famous orator in early 19th-century American politics. A U.S. Senator, Speaker of the House, Secretary of State and three time Presidential candidate – the "Great Compromiser" as he was called – was much admired by Abraham Lincoln.
And Mary Todd, who would later become Mrs. Abraham Lincoln and one of America's most controversial First Ladies, was born in Lexington in 1818. The Mary Todd Lincoln House is where Mary lived until she was 21, when she went to Springfield, Illinois to live with her sister. She and Abraham Lincoln visited the house several times. Today, family pieces and period antiques as well as personal possessions of Mary Todd are on display.
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