“In the cold Kentucky Rain” is probably not the best way to entice visitors to visit the state of Kentucky. Recorded in 1969 and released 11 months later in 1970, for many, this is their favourite Elvis song, so much so that it earned a place on the CD “Elvis with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: The Wonder of You“. Enjoy this version with images of Kentucky.
Visitors to Kentucky are typically drawn to the state for one of three reasons: sports, cars and whisky. Not necessarily in that order. For horse racing fans all around the world.
Most people will have heard of the Kentucky Derby even if they haven’t actually seen the race. The race itself is the oldest continuously held sporting event in the USA, first taking place in 1975. The race typically takes place on the 1st Saturday in May. Held at the Churchill Downs racetrack is only 10 minutes from downtown Louisville, the race itself last approximately 2 minutes. Horses are competing for a prize of US$2 million,
Racing typically takes place from Thursday through Sundays. However you can take a range of guided tours of the track and its facilites everyday of the week. Right next door you can also visit the Kentucky Derby Museum. Your admission ticket to the museum includes a walking tour of the racetrack. So make sure if you book a guided tour ticket you can getting to see other parts of the track! One racetrack not enough then head off to Keeneland in Lexington for a further equine fix. A visit here at the time of writing was listed as the No.2 thing to do in Kentucky on Tripadvisor.
No self-confessed car enthusiast could visit Kentucky and not visit the National Corvette Museum. Within the museum there are a number areas which focus on various aspects of Corvette History. One of the favourite areas for visitors is the Nostalgia Area where you can walk down Main Street and see a mid-20th century barbershop. Visit a 1960s Chevrolet dealer or the St Louis production line. There are a variety of events and car shows throughout the year so check before you visit.
Of course you can’t visit Kentucky without stopping off at one of the many bourbon distilleries. Bourbon is a way of life here. The distilleries are numerous and almost all are open for visits. The Kentucky tourism website lists 62 of them. You can find a number of tours including some that will take you to 20 of them. You start off on a walking tour, whether you are still able to walk at the end of the day is up to you.
We started off with music and this where we will finish our short trip to Kentucky, many of the bars where you will experiencing your bourbon or whiskey will have local live music, so check out the local schedules when you arrive.
Contact Maggie today to find out when you book your trip to Kentucky to avoid the rain. She can book those tours for you in advance so you can relax and just turn up.
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