Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Famous for
Horses, bluegrass music, basketball, bourbon, caves
Ongoing internal conflict
North vs South allegiance during the Civil War
Driving distances
Louisville to Lexington 77 miles, Lexington to Mammoth Cave
National Park 135 miles
TOP OF CHAPTER
Louisville
Best known as the home of the Kentucky Derby, Louisville (or Louahvul, as the locals
say) is handsome and underrated. A major Ohio River shipping center during the days of
westward expansion, Kentucky's largest city is on the come up, with hip bars, superb
farm-to-table restaurants, and an engaging, young and increasingly progressive popula-
tion. It's a fun place to spend a few days, checking out the museums, wandering the old
neighborhoods, and sipping some bourbon.
Sights & Activities
The Victorian-era
Old Louisville
neighborhood, just south of downtown, is well worth a
stroll. Don't miss
St James Court
, just off Magnolia Ave, with its utterly charming gas
area open for tours, including Thomas Edison's old shotgun cottage.
Churchill Downs
RACETRACK
(
www.churchilldowns.com
;
700 Central Ave)
On the first Saturday in May, a who's who of
upper-crust America puts on their searsucker suits and most flamboyant hats and des-
cends for the 'greatest two minutes in sports,' the Kentucky Derby. After the race, the
crowd sings 'My Old Kentucky Home' and watches as the winning horse is covered in a
blanket of roses. Then they party.
Actually, they've been partying for a while. The
Kentucky Derby Festival
(
www.kdf.org
)
, which includes a balloon race, a marathon, and the largest fireworks dis-
play in North America, starts two weeks before the big event. Most seats at the derby are
by invitation only or have been reserved years in advance. On Derby Day, $50 gets you
into the infield, which is a debaucherous rave with no seats. It's so crowded you won't
see much of the race. Not that you'll mind. If you are a conniseur of the thoroughbreads,
