Kentucky is a great place to visit for all sorts of reasons. Depending on how long you want to stay in or around Louisville, there are several excursions to take. Here are a few suggestions.
If you're looking for breakfast on Saturday morning, we recommend the following restaurants, in order or fanciness. (All times from the Seelbach.)
Kentucky is the home of bourbon and distilleries love to show guests around. We recommend you go to a few to compare. The distilleries are generally clumped around Lousiville, Bardstown, and Versailles (pronounced ver-SAYLZ; you're not in France!). What follows are some distilleries and "bourbon experiences" in each region.
The Bardstown and Versailles clusters require driving. One option is to rent a limo for a day, which can run between $50 and $100 per person depending on how fancy you want to be and how many people are going. If you would like to sign up for a limo with other wedding guests, please fill out this survey and the grooms will coordinate.
There are several micro-distilleries and "bourbon experiences" very close to Downtown Louisville. Ride hailing will probably be sufficient to get around.
Bardstown is about 45 minutes from Downtown Louisville and the distilleries are a bit farther apart from each other. On the other hand, it is home to more active distilleries than downtown, and you just might prefer their bourbons.
Versailles is about an hour from Downtown Louisville and the distilleries are a bit farther apart from each other. Like the options in Bardstown, however, it is home to more active distilleries than downtown. It's also Kevin's favorite cluster.
Kentucky is also the center of the world's thoroughbred industry. The highlights are two major racetracks as well as several major farms. Some of the industry is in Louisville, but much of it is in Lexington, a little over an hour east of downtown. Here are some potential things to see.
The home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is probably the most famous horse racetrack. On October 27, however, there will be no live racing, but it is open for tours, including the Derby museum. (If you stick around until the next weekend, though, the Breeder's Cup will be racing on the first Friday and Saturday in November.)
The lesser known but probably more important track is Keeneland, located in Lexington. All October racing in Kentucky happens at Keeneland's Fall Meet. From October 5 through October 27, there are live races every day except Monday and Tuesday. Tours are also avaiable if booked ahead of time at Keeneland's website. If you're willing to get up a bit early, the behind-the-scenes racing tour is excellent. Note that Keeneland is (as of early February) finalizing their April through December schedule and anticipates it being posted by late February.
There are several horse farms in the Lexington area, including the farm where American Pharoah, the last Triple Crown winner, hangs out and collects stud fees. (Unfortunately, his farm reports that in October American Pharoh "will be travelling for the southern hemisphere breeding season and will not be included in tours," but others will still be around!). We're a little early to book fall tours of horse farms at the moment, but keep them in mind if you're going to Keeneland.
College basketball is a huge part of the Kentucky psyche. The schedules for University of Kentucky and University of Louisville basketball aren't out yet. However, the last Friday of October typically has UofL and UK playing exhibition games. We'll update this space when the schedules are released.
Louisville has several great museums that Kevin remembers from his childhood. They are all located within walking or cabbing distance from the Seelbach, and so can make for a relaxing Saturday.
One of Louisville's primary exports is Louisville Slugger baseball bats. The factory has a museum attached to it, showcasing many of the bats used by baseball's greatest players.
Kevin loves science museums. Like all science museums, this one is aimed at kids, but it makes it no less fun.
The Speed Museum is the largest art museum in the Louisville area, located on the University of Louisville's campus. A free highlights tour occurs on Saturdays at 1pm.
Louisville is home to some great restaurants. They tend to be located in either Downtown Louisville or a couple miles away on Bardstown Road. Here are a few suggestions.
If you're sticking around for a little longer, consider some of the outdoor activities in Kentucky. These include Mammoth Cave, Natural Bridge (and the nearby sandstone climbing), and parts of the Appalachian Trail.