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July 21, 2006
Roaming in the Bluegrass State
Kentucky whets the appetite with warm weather, rustic farmland,
horses and bourbon.
DAVE GORDON
While Elvis and Neil Diamond recorded the songs "Kentucky
Rain" and "Kentucky Woman," respectively, they're
probably not up there with the most famous parts of the Bluegrass
State. It's best known for its horses, bourbon, caves, Louisville
Sluggers and being the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln. And I figured
if it's good enough for the King and the Jazz Singer to croon about,
it's worth checking out.
What better way to began my three-day trip than to get drunk? You
can literally spend the day getting shickered on the famous Bourbon
Trail, choosing from about a dozen bourbon distilleries dotting
the Kentucky landscape which are open for tours: Buffalo Trace,
Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark and
others. They are located in and around the Lexington, Frankfort
and Louisville areas, 20 minutes in just about any direction. I
chose to visit Buffalo Trace.
The tour takes you through the historical brick or wood buildings
that house the aging barrels, as you take in the strong, oak-scented
air. Tens of thousands of barrels simply sit there – some for
up to 23 years. The state's native limestone water is said to add
a unique flavor to Kentucky bourbon. In fact, legally, it can only
be called bourbon if it's made in Kentucky. Another requirement
is that it be made with at least 51 per cent corn.
The Buffalo Trace tour takes you inside the bottling plant, where
20 or so workers fill and cork the bottles, mostly by hand, with
minor help from a conveyor belt and simple machinery. Of course,
as the tour ends, the sampling bar is what everyone most looks forward
to, where products new and old can be taste-tested and savored.
For some more drink and good times, there's Fourth Street Live,
downtown Louisville's popular nightlife section. It's a cacophony
of bars, cigar clubs, bourbon lounges and restaurants. Very often,
there'll be an outdoor concert in the evenings.
Although there won't be bourbon on the menu, you can find the lone
kosher restaurant in the state in Louisville, at the Jewish community
centre, which has separate dairy and meat take-out. My wife and
I tried the home-made burger and the fresh-cut fries. It was a nice
surprise to see our food was made from scratch and not from prefab
commercial packages.
Also in Louisville, there's Churchill Downs, home of the famous
Kentucky Derby. Getting there "early" means an 11 a.m.
start time, and there are races about every 20 minutes. After each
race, you can get up close when the horses are guided through a
slow walk-around, on a small outdoor track. Though the walking track
is fenced in, onlookers can get mere feet away from the gorgeously
groomed racehorses. It costs just a few bucks to watch races and
you can stay there as long as you want, but the minimum bets are
$50 US.
The Kentucky Derby is part of the trio of annual horse races, called
the Triple Crown, that includes the Preakness and Belmont. The last
horse to win all three races was Affirmed, in 1978.
If you want to hop on a horse yourself, Jesse James Riding Stables
is one of the largest riding stables in Kentucky. Driving through
Kentucky is just as much fun and, as the weather is generally warm
year-round, it's easy to spot cattle grazing, blooming trees or
wildlife in green fields just outside the cities. Along the Kentucky
River are some great campsites, fishing spots and state-preserved
beaches and shores. These are great places to perch, get a tan or
cook your catch.
For further nature adventures, Blanton Forest, at 3,090 acres, contains
trees three to four feet in diameter, towering up to seven storeys,
with varieties like sugar maple, poplar, oaks, hemlocks, beech and
magnolia. A trail system that's slightly more than seven kilometres
in length is open to the public.
Kentucky is filled with all kinds of caves and a simple search on
the Internet brings up myriad cave tours. Outlaw Cave, for instance,
offers a 35-minute guided tour filled with stalactites, stalagmites
and unbelievable (and colorful) rock formations. According to local
legend, famous outlaws such as Jesse James wandered the area in
the late 1800s. Though there is no "bat cave" in Kentucky
to my knowledge, my wife and I did spot a few small furry black
flying creatures on our cave tour.
But perhaps the most famous bat in the world can be found in an
assembly plant in Louisville. You'll know you've arrived at the
Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory when you see what it calls
"the world's biggest bat" outside. Made of steel, it weighs
more than six tonnes and stands 120 feet tall, a scale replica of
Babe Ruth's 34-inch Louisville Slugger.
Guides and exhibits explain how a bat turns from a chunk of bulky
wood to its finished lacquer. The actual bats swung by Ty Cobb,
Ted Williams, Henry "Hank" Aaron and others are on display.
You can also order your own bat, personalized and customized, on
the premises. After the 30-minute tour, which includes a batting
cage, an historical video and a crawl through a giant limestone
ball glove, visitors receive a miniature souvenir bat.
Though it's mostly tourist-oriented, Kentucky is never artificial
or banal – and with enough variety to pack into a few days,
it left me wanting more.
Dave Gordon is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn, N.Y.
His work can be found in the National Post, Toronto Sun and
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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