Louisville is located next to the Ohio River and is the largest city in Kentucky. The city was founded in 1778 and named after King Louis XVI of France. It came to be because of the Falls of the Ohio, which are the only major obstruction between the Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico requiring portage. The portage settlement grew to eventually become Louisville.
Kentucky offers something for everyone; outdoor recreation including caves, lakes, state parks and the Appalachian Mountains. For some its about higher education, medicine, fine arts and their food scene. Kentucky has a unique heritage highlighting horses, bourbon and moonshine. Whatever your interest, Kentucky seems to have something for most.
James Beam Distilling
Jim Beam is one of the best selling whiskeys in the world. Since 1785, seven generations of Beams have been making whisky, only interrupted by Prohibition. In 1943, they changed the brand name to Jim Beam. In 2014, it was purchased by Suntory Holdings, a Japanese company, and has continued to prosper.
They recently did a multi-million dollar remodel to their tasting room and built a restaurant. Their food and drink selection were outstanding and the restaurant atmosphere was cozy, yet contemporary with lots of windows. We enjoyed a couple of their bourbons on the rocks with a chocolate delicacy called bourbon balls, a delicious pairing.
Bardstown
We had lunch at Bardstown Bourbon Company. They are a Napa Valley style distillery offering a full service bar, library of vintage bourbons, and a restaurant in a contemporary style. Their sample of Kentucky hams and cheese board along with a couple of their bourbons on ice were delicious.
Downtown Bardstown is charming and the area is known for bourbon production.
Louisville
It is a friendly city that holds frequent festivals to keep life entertaining, like while we were there, goat races in the middle of downtown in the winter. Just a reason to get out of the house for polka music, beer, and bratwurst. Louisville is a university town and a major medical community that is rich in sports, restaurants, arts, playhouses, distilleries and horse racing. It’s a powerhouse for only the 43rd largest city in the country.
There are an incredible number of things to see and do around the city. A week is just enough to get a taste of the town, but not enough to see most of the main attractions.
Kentucky is a southern state and is culturally southern with southern dialects, cuisine, bluegrass, and evangelical populations; yet distinctly different than the Deep South.
Louisville South KOA
We’ve stayed here before. Our site had a great view into the trees and was spacious. From Land Between the Lakes, it was a 3 hour drive.
A four leaf clover.
Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory
The factory is in downtown Louisville. In the late 1800s, 17yo Bud Hillerich, whose family owned a woodworking shop, was watching local legend Pete Browning play baseball. Pete broke his bat, so Bud offered to make him a new one. Pete loved it after scoring 3 runs during the next game. Pete’s nickname was “The Louisville Slugger”. The name stuck with the bat and became their registered trademark in 1894. Buds’ family business got into bat making and the rest is history.
The tour goes through the factory where elm billets are lathed into bats. It was an enjoyable visit.
Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville
In the mid 1800s Louisville needed a cemetery. Cave Hill was a farm with rolling hills and was very picturesque. A garden cemetery was a new style that was emerging at the time.
The landscape gardeners embellished the cemetery with exotic trees, shrubs, and ponds.
Marble workers and sculptures created beautiful artworks that have made this a very unique cemetery.
We only drove through about a third of the cemetery because a number of funerals were in progress during our visit. There are recognizable people buried here like Muhammad Ali and Colonel Harland Sanders, but the number of monuments is overwhelming.
The grounds are peaceful and a great place to just reflect on and appreciate life.
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a small friendly town across the Ohio River. It’s away from the congestion of Louisville’s traffic, parking and crowds. When you can’t find a restaurant reservation, Jeffersonville is the place to go for service and better prices.
Bernheim Forest
Bernheim is a great place to get away from the crowds and enjoy hiking trails, large grassy areas, trees and spring flowers.
The magnolia, apple and cherry trees were in bloom.
Even though nighttime temperatures were in the twenties and the trees were just starting to bud, soon enough, the days will be hot and humid with evenings filled with fireflies and maybe a mint julep.
