Louisville

And Louisville did not disappoint. On September 17th, we arrived at our destination, the Hampton Inn in Louisville. How to pronounce the city's name is the subject of debate, especially among the locals and visitors alike. However you say it, Louisville is now officially my favorite city! It has just the right blend of a small city atmosphere and a cosmopolitan vibe. People are friendly and proud to talk about their hometown. The downtown area goes out of its way to offer a safe and friendly environment. What city has people, known as Ambassadors, wearing bright yellow shirts, whose only job is to provide hospitality to visitors, residents and employees? Louisville does! It has a beautiful riverfront, where we took an evening Riverboat dinner cruise - complete with a band playing oldies. Louisville is proud to be the home of the Louisville Slugger - bats are still produced right here in downtown. The tour we took was led by a very informative guide who gave a start-to-finish look at the production of these legendary bats. We walked off with mini bats as mementos.  

The city has a healthy arts and music scene and boasts a plethora of wonderful eateries. - everything from high-end gourmet to down-home barbecue. There were so many choices of restaurants, we decided to stay close to our hotel and enjoyed a great dinner at Doc Crow's, a Southern Smokehouse.

It is rather easy to get around Louisville - one asset is their Trolley System. They not only look charming, but they are incredibly convenient. We also benefited from one of the services the Hampton Inn offered -a free shuttle service for their guests anywhere in the city. Make your request and you will be taken; call when ready and you will be picked up. 

This city also has a reverence for preservation; it has held onto some of the most beautiful architectural examples of both homes and commercial buildings. Louisville has a rich history and shows deep respect and pride for it. We took a wonderful self-guided tour of some of the neighborhoods whose homes have existed for 150 years. Of course, Terry cannot pass up an opportunity to see anything related to trains, whether or not they are currently running. He found the old L & N Railroad building which now houses the bus depot. But the structure and remnants of its glorious past are still present.

Then, of course, there are horses and bourbon. Churchill Downs, the racetrack that claims the Kentucky Derby, offered a fascinating tour. It was such an experience to be standing in that place that we had only "vistited" via television. Our downtown Bourbon experience consisted of a lunch at Makers Mark Bourbon House and Lounge. Terry & I went so far as to have salads and Iced Tea - we are on the edge! We enjoyed Bourbon in the form of chocolate covered bourbon balls, which by the way, were scrumptious. A quick stop at the Jim Beam Distillery outside of Louisville was the final stop before heading further south. Two + days is nowhere near enough time to explore this special city; I hope to have a chance to do so again.