When trying to write up a travel bucket list, I asked my husband what places he would like to add to his bucket list. He only had two things that came to mind: 1) the Kentucky Derby, and 2) the Palio di Siena, which is a horse race in Siena, Italy. And, after a few years at looking at the Kentucky Derby, and putting it off because it was so expensive, I went ahead and booked it as a combined Valentine’s Day, Anniversary, and birthday present for my husband! We just returned from attending the 150th Kentucky Derby!
After arriving in Louisville, we headed to Museum Row, which is in the West Main District of the downtown. First, we went for a tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. It was interesting to learn how a piece of wood went from a forest to a baseball field, and the role that these bats have played in the history of baseball. It was fascinating to walk into the wood shop and watch as the lathe formed the wood into the shape of a baseball bat, and then watch as some of the bats were painted and custom made designs were applied to them. A private tour could lead you into the bat vault to see the bats that some of the heavy hitters used. At the end of our tour, we were given a mini-bat as a souvenir of our time there.
Another cool stop was the Frazier History Museum, across the street from the Louisville Slugger Museum. We meandered through three floors of Kentucky history to get to know the state a little better. I wish we would have had more time, because we were rushed a little bit and couldn’t read as much as we would have liked. We only had an hour, but I would recommend 2-3 hours for this museum. You start at the top floor and work your way down.
Some of the highlights were: Teddy Roosevelt’s “big stick”, Geronimo’s bow and arrows, items from the Civil War, items from the bourbon and tobacco industries, the 1875 arrest warrant for Mary Todd Lincoln, a Mauser that had belonged to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and lots of other historical items.
The next day, we enjoyed time at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks. We spent the whole day at the track, enjoying the races, watching people, sampling all the great food, and, of course, tasting Mint Juleps and Kentucky Lilies. We returned the next day for the Kentucky Derby. It was so interesting to see how many beautiful and outrageous hats and outfits there were! If you ever get a chance to go to the Kentucky Derby, you should definitely go!
Our last day, we did an all day tour called the “Best of Kentucky” through a company called Mint Julep Experiences. We went to a horse farm to see where thoroughbred champions are bred on Kentucky Bluegrass. We went to another farm for a wonderful Southern lunch. We finished the experience by touring a distillery and having a bourbon tasting.
After the tour, we walked around the downtown, seeing Fourth Street Live and Bourbon Row.
We ended the evening by going to the Brown Hotel, which is a beautiful, historic hotel that is known for creating an open-faced sandwich called the Hot Brown, and a dessert called the Derby Pie. I highly recommend both of those! Don’t miss out on them if you are in Louisville!
So, now that we have checked the Kentucky Derby off of my husband’s bucket list, I am hoping some day we have the opportunity to see the race in Siena!
Note: If you are wanting to see more pictures of our trip to Louisville, see my Facebook page here. I will also be posting more articles about the trip soon!
150th Kentucky Derby Products:
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