USA Travel Guide

I hope residents don’t object to this generalization, but in Kentucky they’ve got three things: thoroughbred horse racing, bluegrass music and bourbon. We’ve talked Kentucky thoroughbred racing in the past, and no doubt we’ll get to bluegrass sometime in the future, but for a fun afternoon post we’re thinking bourbon.

Explore this fine Kentucky tradition from seed to bottle at any of eight distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Here are two of our favorites:

Woodford Reserve
7855 McCracken Pike
Versailles, KY  40383
859-879-1812
Tours: Tuesday – Saturday

The historic Labrot & Graham’s Old Oscar Pepper Distillery, opened in 1812, and Woodford Reserve welcome guests for a fascinating in-depth tour of premium, small batch bourbon making. If the process itself is not as much a fascination for you, consider the “National Landmark” tour, which delves into the architectural and cultural history of the distillery. Bourbon sampling at the end of some tours (21 and up).

Maker’s Mark
3350 Burks Spring Road
Loretto, KY  40037
270-865-2099
Tours: Daily (closed Sundays in Jan/Feb)

See how the bottles get that iconic wax seal at the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, about an hour out from Lexington. Tour includes a look into several stages of the bourbon making process as well as stops at several other buildings on the grounds. The Old Gristmill was put into operation in 1805 and today is the oldest operating distillery still at its original site.

We chose these two, because they work well as trips out of Lexington, the nearest large city. For hotels in Lexington, we often stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Lexington Hotel. The property always has a fresh, inviting appeal that brings us back.

Note: Due to Terms of Use restrictions, we’re unable to provide links to the above attractions. A Google search should take care of it for you.

There are some that would argue that Kentucky is always scary – the horses, the devious glances, the accents – but here at USA Travel Guide, we know the real scares wait for October and relative newcomer to fright season: SCREAMPARK in Lexington, Kentucky.

SCREAMPARK hasn’t been around long, but it launched enough recurring nightmares for its debut season to earn America’s Best Haunts’ “Newcomer of the Year Award”, a prestigious-enough designation voted on by a panel of long-time haunt and scare-park experts.

We don’t really care about awards, but we do care about having a scary good time, and that’s what the folks at SCREAMPARK are all about.

This 50,000 sq. ft. park in the heart of downtown Lexington near Rupp Arena offers three mazes to enjoy. 

• Castle of Fear – you’re classic haunted castle, crawling with ghoulish knights, peasants and even the King. This is a jump-out maze, delightfully terrifying you with unexpected thrills.
• Insanity – Flicking on the disturbance meter, Insanity takes the form of a lab gone wrong. Now, monstrous mutants roam the halls, looking to claim their next victim. This one’s a bit more intense.
• The Abyss – Way scarier than Michael Biehn’s face, this Abyss is a pitch-black nightmare where you can never quite see the things that go bump in the night.

SCREAMPARK also features concessions and souvenir shop on-site.

The season doesn’t start until the 24^th, and unfortunately their still getting that whole Web site thing up and running. Descriptions and the calendar are up, but online ticket purchasing isn’t ready to go yet. On the bright side, being a newer park, you’re less likely to contend with sell-out crowds. You can wait for the box office in confidence most nights.

Check out their Web site.

For hotels in Lexington, Kentucky, we like the Hilton Garden Inn Lexington. It’s located fairly close to downtown and the event grounds.

Have fun!

These days Lexington, Kentucky is known for horse racing, museums and more horse racing. However, amidst the beautiful parks, prestigious institutions and general suburban sprawl is a beating heart of rich American history.

It’s certainly had the time. The town was established in 1782, a good ten years before the establishment of Kentucky, and it’s named for the Massachusetts town that hosted one of the first battles of the American Revolution. Talk about aligning yourself with American history.

It’s not fame by association only. Abraham Lincoln lived in Lexington for a time, as did his future wife Mary Todd. Confederate President Jefferson Davis attended Transylvania University*, and former Vice President John C. Breckenridge and famed U.S. Senator Henry Clay also called Lexington home. Simply put, American history buffs owe it to themselves to experience Lexington. Here are the highlights:

Hunt-Morgan House (Hopemont)
201 N Mill St.
Lexington, KY  40507

Although built by affluent Kentucky millionaire John Wesley Hunt in 1814, the most famous residents of Hopemont were a few steps down the family line. Hunt’s grandson, John Hunt Morgan, was a celebrated Confederate General, and his great-grandson, Thomas Hunt Morgan, is the only Kentuckian to win the Nobel Prize (in genetics, in case you asked).

The beautiful building features several architectural flourishes of the antebellum style and today hosts a museum on the second floor. Tours offered Wednesday through Sunday. Learn more.

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It’s shaping up to be a rather eclectic week. Jazz, contemporary art, opera, and today we’ve got an interpretive history museum? I’m starting to wonder who’s really running this thing?

Tomorrow we’ll get back to more important things (like hamburgers), but for now let’s take a fascinating journey into the American past at the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, just outside of Lexington, Kentucky.

With 34 buildings and 3,000 acres of fitfully-restored farmland, the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, or Shakertown, is the largest restored Shaker community in America today. Like another of our favorite American history attractions, Colonial Williamsburg, the Shaker Village is more than a museum; it is a window into the people and places of another time, blending authentic architecture and artifacts with interpretive performance.

The most impressive attraction is likely the grounds themselves. You’re able to explore 14 original Shaker buildings and over 25 miles of iconic rock fences, also the largest collection in the country. During your tour, guided or not, you’ll learn about the life of the Shakers during the mid-19^th century first hand through the performances of costumed interpreters, whether they’re playing music, making brooms, blacksmithing or simply tending the gardens.

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I get stir-crazy just waiting for my TV shows to come back after the December break, so a hobby that you can only experience once or twice a year really isn’t the one for me. Then again, maybe that’s what makes live thoroughbred racing so sweet. The season may not last a month, but sometimes anticipation is the best thrill of all.

(Well, that and winning fat stacks of cash on a good bet.)

If you love the Sport of Kings but don’t have the luxury of live racing in your town, hop in your car and seek out Keeneland Racetrack in Lexington, Kentucky, the Horse Capital of the World. A historic racetrack dating back to 1935, Keeneland is beloved as much today as ever for preserving the humble sportsmanship and nostalgic majesty of the game.

Despite updates to the course, architecture and facilities, Keeneland still recalls the look and feel of thoroughbred racing from seventy years ago. For history buffs and racing enthusiasts, Keeneland is like two hobbies rolled up into one remarkable venue.

Alas, the season is short. Live racing at Keeneland Racetrack runs from April 3-24, 2009 with several daily meets. Mondays and Tuesdays are dark. Stakes races are held almost daily, including Grade I races the Ashland Stakes (04/04), Vinery Madison Stakes (04/09), and the Maker’s Mark Mile (04/10) and also several prep races for May’s Kentucky Derby. The Blue Grass Stakes would probably be the biggest. View the Keeneland Race Calendar for the full list.

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I live in a state that’s known for doing things big: big hair, big belt buckles, big chicken fried steaks. Another thing we do big is movie theatres. A quick drive up I-75 from Dallas to McKinney will take you by three megaplexes, each one of them stadium-seated 20+ screen goliaths and all in the space of 15-20 minutes. As a movie lover, I dig the convenience, but I’ve got to say I crave the personality of a boutique theatre.

One of the cooler theatres I know of is the Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky (that’s right, they’ve got more than horses). With a history dating back to 1921, back when a Wurlitzer Organ and modern ventilation system were major selling points, the theatre effortlessly exudes class, comfort and nostalgia for memories you may not even possess.

With only one screen in-house and another in the State Theatre next door, the Kentucky doesn’t compete with the multiplexes for the frenzied opening weekend crowd, and instead has established a beloved reputation as one of the state’s finest art and repertory theatres. From independent films to classics, the Kentucky is the kind of place that true cinemaniacs dream about.

In the 1980’s, the theatre introduced the midnight show to Lexington, and the tradition is going strong to this day. While the midnight show can be just about anything, from rare documentaries to concert films, nothing is more popular than the showing of infamous cult flick “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”, which is played at midnight once a month. If you’ve ever been fascinated by tales of notorious screenings – men dressed in drag, people reenacting the lines in real time, leather everywhere – this is the place to see it.

The Kentucky Theatre screens evening shows all week with additional afternoon presentations on weekends. At $4.50 – $6.50 per ticket, this place is as affordable as it is charming. Learn more about the Kentucky Theatre here.

For Lexington, KY hotels, we like the Hilton Garden Inn Lexington. Good location, complimentary high-speed Internet and a business-centric attitude keeping the price down. It’s a great choice.

Photo by Lee P. Thomas