We are touring the Bour. Trail the first week of October and wanted to play it by ear as far as accomodations were concerned. We did not want to spend alot of money on hotel rooms but wanted something clean, nice and affordable that is centrally located along the trail. I also was interested in touring Churchill Downs during our 4 day visit as well. Can anyone give me some suggestions on which town to start the tour in and go from there? We are so excited!
Thanks, in advance!
Playing our trip by ear
Do you mean the Bourbon Trail?
Playing our trip by ear
Yes, it is the Bourbon Trail.
The official site and map:
http://www.kentuckybourbontrail.com/#map
You%26#39;ll see that the places are not far away from each other. I suggest taking time to see sights such as My Old KY Home in Bardstown (charming town) and see the Ky Horse park in Lexington or perhaps arrange a tour of a horse farm. Shaker Village is not far from the trail and might be a fun place to spend a night. Definitely include Louisville in your trip, as we have lots going on here in October. The first weekend is the legendary St James Art Fair in downtown Louisville
http://www.stjamescourtartshow.com
If the weather is nice, the state is really pretty at that time of year.
got beat to the punch slightly. The St. James Art Show is in Old Louisville the first weekend in October. It%26#39;s an event I try to always attend if possible. Keep in mind it gets very crowded. Churchill Downs is far down enough from St. James Court that you should not have parking problems there, but traffic around the Old Louisville area will be disrupted due to the show. They have amazing stuff, some very expensive, others more moderate. We love to shop for Christmas presents there.
Re: the Bourbon Trail, be advised that not all of the distilleries have great tours.The Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles in Woodford County near Lexington has a great tour and an excellent museum. Your timing for early October is fortuitous because Keeneland Race Course%26#39;s Fall Meeting starts on October 3rd. Keeneland is one of the finest race tracks in the world. It is absolutely beautiful. Keeneland is maybe 15 miles down Rt 60 from WR Distillery. The level of racng is matched only by Saratoga.
You can still visit Churchill Downs although the track won%26#39;t be open for the Fall meeting until Keeneland closes. The KY Derby Museum is well worth a visit.
Maker%26#39;s Mark distillery in Loretto offers a nice tour. I believe the Jim Beam Distillery offers only a film and visitors center, i.e. you won%26#39;t see anything being produced. Check to see if I%26#39;m correct.
If you don%26#39;t mind motels you should be able to find a low cost Ramada otr something like that in Frankfort area or outside The Ville.
I think you should consider staying in the bardstown area. It is in the center of the bourbon country and it is about 45 minutes from the Downs. There are several Bed %26amp; Breakfasts in the area you should consider, all providing not only lodging but they will include breakfast in the morning. Check out the Nelson County Tourism website for suggestions on things to do and places to stay. We have stayed at Springhill Winery and not only did we tour the distilleries we also got to taste some great wines.
Thanks for the advise. We actually have an elderly aunt that lives in Bardstown but not sure if staying with them is an option. We also wanted to experience the local cuisine and other things since I am a SC girl and have never been to KY. Does any have any advise on a starting point on where to start with distillery tours? Can this be done in one day or would it take several days to visit? My BF is a bourbon drinker and I am not but this trip is mostly for his enjoyment as we are headed to Holbox Island in January. Thanks to everyone!
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