First, let me give you a brief introduction to what the Bourbon Trail is [because I had no idea before we arrived but it’s information that proved helpful during our stay].

Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail Intro

• This is a program sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association to promote the bourbon whisky industry in Kentucky.
• The trail consists of 18 distilleries located in Central Kentucky [Lexington & Louisville areas].
• The distilleries offer tours, tastings, gift shops and often times lounges to enjoy their handcrafted cocktails.
• To do a tour, [our experience is that] in most cases, you need to make your reservations at least 3-months in advance to secure a spot and costs range from $15 to $32 per person.
• Of course, you can visit the distillery and see if they have any “last minute” cancellations or enjoy a tasting at the tasting bar or lounge.

In advance, we made reservations for our chosen few, then we attacked the experience two-fold by staying in both Lexington and Louisville to be closer to our intended targets. Of course, we had to pepper in a few other adventures along the way.

Week 1: Lexington

• Buffalo Trace
• Woodford Reserve
• Lexington Brewery & Distillery
• Castle & Key

Week 2: Louisville

• Angel’s Envy
• Old Forester

To mix it up, our other adventures went like this

• Ark Encounter
• Legacy Trail Biking
• Dix Creek Paddle
• Big 4 Bridge Walk & Photo Session
• Tioga Falls Hike
• Louisville Loop Biking

Dining included:

• Mami Monchitas [Lexington]
• Cliffside [Lexington]
• Kabob House [Louisville]
• Mussels & Burger Bar [Louisville]

RV Spots:

• Elkhorn Creek RV Park [Frankfort]
• Louisville South KOA Holiday [Shepherdsville, KY]

Lexington

Buffalo Trace Distilling

This was our first stop and a definite initiation into how popular the craze is around Bourbon.  Buffalo Trace Distillery, known as the “oldest continuous distillery still operating” is one of the most popular distilleries in the area does NOT take part in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Association so the tours, if you can snag one, are free.  This distillery brand has many highly sought after bourbons [W.L. Weller Special Reserve, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch, Eagle Rare and Blanton’s] that are extremely hard to find in the stores because of demand and supply. 

On our Trace Tour we were greeted by a bubbly and knowledgeable guide, we were taken around the complex amidst the path of rolling bourbon barrels, production, and assembly buildings.  The tour is rounded out by a tasting.  It was then that we fully grasped how sought after their bourbons were. 

Because of the limited quantities of their whiskey’s, they only offer a few of the brands for tastings and purchasing in the Visitor’s Center.  This is our understanding of how the sales work:

Buffalo Trace can be purchased 1-per day, per person.  Wheatley Vodka and various mixers can be purchased in unlimited supply but every purchase is tracked by your Driver’s License.

Each day they release one of the more sought-after brands on a rotation that is updated at buffalotracedaily.com between 8 – 9 AM ET.  If you arrive to the distillery early enough you can snag 1-bottle per person, every 90-days.  Again, tracked through your Driver’s License and the respite is affectionately called “Bourbon Jail”. We were in the area long enough and stood in line each morning chatting with other bourbon lovers that we were able to snag a bottle of each brand.  It was a lot of fun.

Fun Fact:
In the days of prohibition, Buffalo Trace was able to continue production as bourbon was considered a medicine and they were able to secure special licensing.
Did you know your local barber, veterinarian, doctor, chiropractor and dentist could all give the entire family a Rx, including infants and maybe even your dog!
You could secure a new Rx once a week!

Woodford Reserve

Consistently, this was a tour that was highly recommend when talking to other Bourbon enthusiasts. The Path to Flavor Tour itself was $32 per person. Although it was an informative tour and quite inclusive of the process and production we felt a little let down after the FREE tour at Buffalo Trace.  Also, since you are able to purchase Woodford Reserve in any liquor store, there weren’t any price incentives to buy at the Gift Shop unless you wanted to make a special label with your name or something of the sort.

The major plus for Woodford Reserve was the location as it was a pleasant drive in the middle of horse country.  We opted to leave Woodford Reserve with only the tour and experience under our belt.

Lexington Brewery & Distilling

Located in the downtown district of Lexington, this is a newer, rebuilt facility which was quite different from the others we had visited.   You won’t need a reservation to tour this distinctive location and the cost is minimal, but it is worthwhile.

We had a pleasant and informative guide and an inclusive tasting of both beers and whiskey.

Castle & Key Distillery

One name we heard again and again for “must visit” Distilleries was Castle & Key.  Founded in 2014 it is the first new distillery in Kentucky in over a century.  They produce a variety of spirits, including bourbon, gin and vodka.  Although we did not partake in a tour, we visited the beautiful and historic grounds and did a tasting and enjoyed a crafted cocktail.

Originally built in 1887 by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. (think Buffalo Trace’s E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch), it quickly became one of the most successful distilleries in the world but along came prohibition in 1919 and the building fell into disrepair.  That was until it reopened in 2016 as Castle & Key, a premier tourist destination and sought after wedding venue.

Angel’s Envy

Their tagline is “finished not done” as it is Kentucky straight bourbon finished in port wine barrels by a family with long ties to the bourbon industry.

The tour facility in downtown Louisville is beautiful and distinct, the Signature Tour at $25 per person, gives you a behind the scenes look at the process and history and concludes with a tasting and a chance to try a signature cocktail in their incredible lounge (the only way you gain access to the lounge is via the tour).

For a price you can partake in a “bottle your own” experience or purchase bottles and souvenirs in the richly done Gift Shop.

Old Forester

Located very near Angel’s Envy in downtown Louisville, Old Forester offers the most inclusive tour we have experienced.  Known as the “First Bottled Bourbon“, their Distillery Tour is their most popular and includes a behind-the-scenes look at the distillery, starting with the grain, including the barrel making process and ending with the bottling process. 

Again, the building and everything is nicely done and impressive.

Michter’s

For Michter’s we only visited for a cocktail and tasting in the lounge.  Again, it was a short walk to the location down the streets of downtown Louisville and we enjoyed the experience in the small lounge with it’s retro appeal and the choices of cocktails.

Other Adventures included:

Ark Encounter

Also on the premises is a small, very well done zoo with tortoises, lemurs, sloths, giraffes, camels, zebras, goats, sheep, etc.

A zip line for the more adventurous, a 4-D theater, carousel, musical entertainment, food and ice cream and more.  Something for everyone.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit but felt that the price was a little steep at $59.95 per person plus $15 for parking for a 1-day experience. 

But if you are in the area for more than 1-day there are options for multi-day passes and they have a hotel right on the premises.

Biking

Legacy Trail

This is a 12-mile paved trail that connects downtown Lexington with the Kentucky Horse Park.  This trail is advertised as a popular and well maintained trail with a variety of scenery from parks and neighborhoods to horse farms and forests

We were not fans of this biking trail and here are the reasons why.

• In our opinion, we didn’t feel like it took us through neighborhoods or horse farms, which was our hope.  
• In order to enjoy the Horse Park, you would have to pay $16 per person to enter and peddle around the park.
• There was a large portion of the trail that took you along Interstate 75. 

We rode the trail until it ran out of sidewalk and was dumping you into the downtown where we would have had to cross busy roads so we turned around to get to our car.

In short, we like to ride to get away from the craziness and noise and this trail just didn’t provide us with any of that solitude or scenery.

Louisville Loop

This amazing shared use trail is a planned 100-mile system that will encircle Louisville made up of a combination of on-street paths, off-street paths and greenways.  Several segments are currently under construction and several segments are already completed. 

We originally didn’t offer much hope for this trail system as we had been disappointed by several of Kentucky’s multi-purpose trail systems.  With this in mind, we opted for a smaller segment in the Parklands of Floyds Fork. 

OMG!  We were amazed at the Parklands four major parks covering nearly 4,000-acres.  Not only is it the largest park system in Louisville, but it is also one of the largest urban parks in the United States.  Named after Floyds Fork, a tributary of the Ohio River that runs through the park.  The Parklands is a beautiful and diverse ecosystem that offers a variety of activities including hiking, biking, fishing, boating, camping and picnicking along with educational and event facilities.  A great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and escape into nature.

THIS IS NOT JUST A PARK.
THIS IS A NEW IDEA OF WHAT A PARK CAN BE.

-from the trailhead signage

In short, our 3-hour visit wasn’t long enough so we are already planning a trip back to the area to absorb everything this park system has to offer. 

Paddle

Dix River

This was an AWESOME 8-mile paddle trip and we highly recommend it. 

We put in at High Bridge Boat Ramp in Wilmore.  The ramp is easy to access and has plenty of parking spaces and it is free to park.  This is an excellent point to put in if you want to explore the Palisades which we covered in our previous blog post on Red River Gorge. 

But for today’s adventure we paddled a short distance, and the train was moving over the high bridge as we were under it.  VERY COOL!

It wasn’t even a mile and the fork to Dix River will be on your right.  You paddle about 3.8-miles until you reach the Hanging Fork that requires a quick portage over some small rapids.  Just past that you will see the spillway on your right which is a popular swimming spot but on this particular day the water wasn’t flowing over to create that cascading swimming hole.

We continued on about ¼-mile to the dam building and took some time to marvel at the craftsmanship and the beauty.

Heading back we rode down the small rapids and rounded out our day with a short swim in the lake before heading back to our car for a day well spent.

Walking

Big 4 Bridge Waterfront Park

The Big Four Bridge is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge spanning the Ohio River between Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana.  It is named after four railroads that once crossed the river on the bridge.  Now it is a popular tourist destination as it offers stunning views

Tioga Falls

This was a unique experience as the trail lies in an area of Fort Knox used for military training and was developed to share an area with a unique combination of natural beauty and nineteenth century history.

Sometimes the trail is closed to hikers during military training or during some hunting seasons. Visitors using the Tioga Trail are required to strictly follow the posted regulations outlined on site and below. Signs are conspicuously posted during times the trail is closed.

This 2-mile out/back hike is an easy hike on an historic path to a hidden waterfall. Near Fort Knox, Kentucky. The dirt road that you will walk on for the first bit has a interesting mailbox for the historic church, crossing the railroad tracks is exhilarating and the falls are beautiful.

Dining

A few of the local dining options that we enjoyed were:

Goodfellow’s Pizzeria [Lexington]

This was first suggested tous by a young fellow hiker on Auxier Ridge [covered in our Red River Gorge post] and then seconded by several other fellow campers.

It is a landmark in the Lexington area and besides from being very good, it is very affordable and located in a neat section of Lexington’s downtown district.

Mami Monchitas [Frankfort/Lexington]

Cliffside [Lexington]

Kabob House [Baxter Avenue, Louisville]

Mussels & Burger Bar [Louisville]

RV Parks

Elkhorn Creek RV Park

We enjoyed our stay at this very busy and well used RV park conveniently located to downtown Lexington and the Bourbon hotspots.

This is a very tight park with lots of family activities and since we were there during summer school break, it was very crowded.  We chose one of the spots along the river that provided ample room between sites and a lovely “creek” and golf course behind us.  It was easy to ignore the chaos going on around us with the serenity of the creek that became our “focal” point.  This was not a full-hookup site, however so not ideal for a long stay but completely fine for a short 7-day stay.

Louisville South KOA

Unfortunately, especially for a KOA Holiday, we don’t have much positive to say about this park. It is extremely tight, they have wedged in sites in every conceivable location. Even a premiere site like ours it wedged in with an uneven ground so we had to lots of tricks to get ourselves level. For the time of year it was extremely busy with large families, lots of dogs, the average/basic pool area was a zoo and well you get the picture. We would NOT return to this park when we return to Louisville.

In Closing

We enjoyed our short 2-week stay in Kentucky’s Bourbon District. We feel like we covered a lot of the highlights and we hope our reviews help you plan your visit.

Next, we move on to Michigan to spend the summer of 2023. Stay tuned for lots of posts and more importantly….. photographs by James Frazier (aka Mike).

Dream Big….Travel Far….Live Well

Photography

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