We had tickets for the 2020 Kentucky Derby and Oaks that was canceled, and we had not planned to go this year. Three weeks before the race we received and email from Churchill Downs that offered us the opportunity to buy tickets for this year so we decided to go. We think it was a great decision as there were only 52,000 people there this year instead of the 150,000 that normally attend. We had plenty of room and were not crowded and since our tickets were all inclusive with food and beverage the lines were very short. We went all out and dressed for the races and Josie found a great hat at an antique store for the occasion. The weather was great both days and we had a fantastic time while checking off a bucket list event.
We stayed at the Campground at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. We took a very informative tour of the home that is said to have been the inspiration for the Stephen Foster song "My Old Kentucky Home." The lady who gave us the tour even sang it for us during the tour.
The nearby town, of Bardstown, is the County seat for Bourbon County and calls itself the Bourbon Capital. We had dinner one evening at the historic Old Talbott Tavern. We both ordered a Hot Brown, which was first served at the Brown Hotel in Louisville and is now considered a derby week tradition. On another evening we tried out a new brewery in town that had very good beer and food.
We drove over to the Capital of Frankfort one day, just so we could pick up a few pounds of Rebecca Ruth Bourbon Balls. We discovered them over 20 years ago and always have to stop in and pick some up.
All of the bourbon distillery tours are on hold due to covid but there are still opportunities to attend tastings by appointment only. So, I visited two of the distilleries on the Bourbon Trail that I had not been to before. Woodford Reserve and Heaven Hill. The rackhouses of Heaven Hill are right next to the Old Kentucky Home golf course, which I played one day. The park is very nice and Josie took advantage of the roads and trails to get in a walk each day.
We are now in Ohio for a few weeks before going to Michigan.
The nearby town, of Bardstown, is the County seat for Bourbon County and calls itself the Bourbon Capital. We had dinner one evening at the historic Old Talbott Tavern. We both ordered a Hot Brown, which was first served at the Brown Hotel in Louisville and is now considered a derby week tradition. On another evening we tried out a new brewery in town that had very good beer and food.
We drove over to the Capital of Frankfort one day, just so we could pick up a few pounds of Rebecca Ruth Bourbon Balls. We discovered them over 20 years ago and always have to stop in and pick some up.
All of the bourbon distillery tours are on hold due to covid but there are still opportunities to attend tastings by appointment only. So, I visited two of the distilleries on the Bourbon Trail that I had not been to before. Woodford Reserve and Heaven Hill. The rackhouses of Heaven Hill are right next to the Old Kentucky Home golf course, which I played one day. The park is very nice and Josie took advantage of the roads and trails to get in a walk each day.
We are now in Ohio for a few weeks before going to Michigan.