Distillery District in Lexington, Kentucky Tempts with Bourbon, Craft Beer, Handcrafted Ice Cream and Entertainment

Distillery District in Lexington, Kentucky Tempts with Bourbon, Craft Beer, Handcrafted Ice Cream and Entertainment

Ice Cream, bourbon and beer, oh my! Distillery District in Lexington, Kentucky tempts visitors with all sorts of sights, flavors and experiences including our explorations of the day -- ice cream, beer and bourbon. However, the entertainment district is full with much more!

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Refreshing Meal After a Long Road Trip at Shakespeare and Co. on Lexington, Kentucky

Refreshing Meal After a Long Road Trip at Shakespeare and Co. on Lexington, Kentucky

We arrived in Lexington, Kentucky after a long nine hour drive from Annapolis. So, we were quite tired. We did a quick search of restaurants near our hotel and found that Shakespeare and Co. seemed to be a favorite with a menu featuring cafe selections with a few elements reflecting Middle Eastern flare. We were intrigued and it appeared there would be something refreshing to eat after a long ride. So, we went to check it out.

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Hiking to the Kentucky River at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Near Lexington

Hiking to the Kentucky River at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary in Lexington, Kentucky

After lingering a couple of days in Maryland, we finished our spring road trip in Lexington, Kentucky. Before our trip, I learned about Raven Run Nature Sanctuary just on the outskirts of Lexington. The preserve featured meadows, woodlands and streams offering an idyllic opportunity to begin our day in Lexington with the tranquility and grace of nature just waking up to spring.

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Louisville Eats and Other Finds

We always eat well when we are in Louisville and there never is a shortage of wonderful establishments to try. On this trip, we visited two of our favorites and tried a sampling of other restaurants which I must say are now new favorites. We also discovered some great areas for shopping for local products near some of these eateries as well.

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Exploring Under Louisville at Louisville Mega Cavern

**Disclosure: Thank you to Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau for providing us with museum and attractions visits so that we can bring these reviews to you. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Ropes course. Underground. Sign me up! That is what I felt when I learned about Louisville Mega Cavern! When we travel, we are always on the hunt for the unusual and unique attractions and Louisville Mega Cavern is certainly one of them!

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Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs for Families

**Disclosure: Thank you to Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau for providing us with museum and attractions visits so that we can bring these reviews to you. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

For five weeks of the year, 3-year-old thoroughbreds take center stage during the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. The races are quick but they do generate magnificent fanfare. The Kentucky Derby is an important part of the pulse of Louisville, so a visit to the Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs was on our agenda for our Louisville vacation.

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A Family Visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum is a Home Run!

**Disclosure: Thank you to Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau for providing us with museum and attractions visits so that we can bring these reviews to you. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

You don't get any more American than baseball! While in Louisville, families can experience firsthand an American creation that has helped many a legend in their journeys towards greatness--the Louisville Slugger!

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Step Into History at the Frazier History Museum {Louisville}

The Frazier History Museum has a partnership with the Royal Armouries Museum

**Disclosure: We did receive complimentary admission to the Frazier History Museum in order to bring you this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

When traveling, we love to visit historic museums that establish a foundation of the history and culture of the region. Throughout the course of my adventures, I have found that you can often miss quite a bit about an area without some understanding of how the region evolved.

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Old Time Charm at the Seelbach Hilton in Louisville

Sometimes, the hotel is part of the adventure. During our Louisville vacation, we seized the opportunity to stay at the Seelbach Hilton which quickly brought us back to 1900's splendor. Brothers and German immigrants Otto and Louis Seelbach envisioned a hotel transporting the grandeur of European hotels to America. They were able to capture this magnificence by importing the finest marbles, bronzes, textiles and hardwoods from Europe and the West Indies. The hotel opened with a 5-hour public inspection in 1905 that drew an incredible crowd of 25,000 people.

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A Weekend Exploring Louisville, Kentucky

During the Fourth of July weekend, our family headed to Louisville for a little adventure. Louisville is about a 5-5.5 hour drive from the Chicagoland area making the city a great option for a long weekend. The charming city, friendly residents, great food, inspiring cultural treasures and precious views of the Ohio River keep us coming back again and again! We have visited Louisville a few times during longer vacations to explore other places as well. So, it was wonderful to spend an entire three days exploring the city.

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Something for the Whole Family in Frankfort, Kentucky

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Chocolate. Shopping. Bourbon. History. You can find it all in Frankfort, Kentucky! Whenever we are in the area, a stop is a must. So, on our way back to Chicago from North Carolina we had to make a visit! The capital of Kentucky welcomes us with a pleasant downtown, a touch of colonial history and famous Kentucky bourbon!

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Mark's Feed Store {Louisville}

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Before traveling, we like to research the haunts of Adam Richman and Anthony Bourdain. Both men have brought the world of food to homes all over. So, we have fun trying some of the places that they have introduced to us. So far, the pair has not led us astray.

After reading Adam Richman's travel guide on the Travel Channel for Louisville, we visited Mark's Feed Store. Now, every visit to Louisville is not complete without a stop at Mark's Feed Store. In fact, Mark's Feed often inspires us to make a trip to Louisville!

Mark's Feed Store is a simple restaurant with delicious barbecue. When you enter the restaurant, you immediately relax in its down-home atmosphere. The staff is always pleasant and ready to help you make a choice. Mark's Feed Store specializes in BBQ using 3 signature sauces. With a simple yet adequately-sized menu, you will easily find a BBQ meal to fit your tastes.

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Weekend Trip to Kentucky---Fun, Fun, Fun!

We love to go to Kentucky when we have a long weekend. The people, the food, and the change of scenery are just what we need to get away. I thought that I would give everyone a little taste of what we love in Kentucky in case you are looking to get out of Dodge for a little bit. When we go, we usually spend a few nights in Louisville and go on a few little journeys from there. Since it is only about 5 - 5.5 hrs away from Chicagoland, depending on where you are, it make for a great long weekend escape.

The first time we took my daughter to Kentucky, we took her to My Old Kentucky Home, the home of Judge John Rowan. The home was built between 1795 and 1818 and is a beautiful Georgian style mansion. It is said to be the inspiration for Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home Good Night." I absolutely love touring old houses. However, this is hard to due with a young one. We chose this as my daughter's first house tour because the tour is short--only about 20 minutes. (She was 5 at the time) She did really well and loved the tour. She made it through the whole tour without touching anything to the very end---at which point she had to touch a lovely red velvet couch. The couch happened to be one that Andrew Jackson slept on so I think it was a good choice! The home is located in Bardstown, about an hour from Louisville. There are a number of other things to do in and around Bardstown--including the famed Bourbon Trail.

Whenever we are in Kentucky, we also like to stop in Frankfurt. While it is Kentucky's capital, it is not very large--which makes it easy to get around. One of our must-stops in Frankfurt--the Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory. The Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory is a family run business that was founded in 1919. What is the company most famous for--bourbon balls, of course! (And, they are fabulous!) We have been on the factory tour and loved it. In fact, after the tour, Mini-Mel decided that she wants to make candy for a living. The shop is really cute and has a lot of delicious confections! Well worth a visit-or two!

Frankfort

While in Frankfort, we also need to stop at the Completely Kentucky store. I absolutely love this store because it is full of crafts and other products made in Kentucky. When I travel, I love to buy thing that you can only get there. It adds something special to the product. We have purchased pottery, jewelry, candles, and candy from this store.

Another of our favorite spots is Henry's Ark in Prospect, Kentucky. Henry's Ark is an animal sanctuary and petting zoo. The sanctuary has an amazing number of animals--zebras, bison, yak, guinea pigs, rabbits, goats, peacocks, reindeer--quite an animal family! You can bring some carrots to find the animals. My daughter loved feeding the zebras. Admission is free but donations are welcome. Check here for more information. I love the mission of this place!

These are just a few of the gems we have found in Kentucky. After writing this post, I really would love to go again soon!

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