Theresa Dowell Blackinton - Moon Spotlight Louisville & the Bourbon Trail

SPOTLIGHT

THERESA DOWELL BLACKINTON

Louisville (pronounce it LUH-vul if you want to sound like a local) is where the Fortune 500 meet the nations largest high school football game, where the first Saturday in May is marked by designer duds and ostentatious hats as well as cut-off shorts and bikini tops, and where the countrys best Victorian-era preservation district gets along neighborly with striking modern architecture.

Even to those who call it home, Louisville is a conundrum and a contradiction. Its a big city, the biggest in Kentucky, but its also city of neighborhoods where everyone is connected by far less than six degrees of separation. A hint of Midwestern modesty and Northern sensibility season the citys personality, thanks to its location at the falls of the Ohio River, but Southern hospitality is still the prevailing ingredient. Built on the backs of Irish, German, and other European immigrants as well as enslaved Africans, Louisville has also been influenced by Hispanic culture, as well as the traditions of more recent immigrants and refugees from Eastern Europe and Asia. In a state that paints itself red every election season, Louisville remains a solid dot of blue.

On paper, Louisville might not make sense, but hey, neither does love, and thats exactly what residents and visitors alike feel for the city. For some, the passion stems from Louisvilles big-city amenities. The Derby City is home to a performing arts scene that supports one of the nations most respected theater festivals, so many art galleries as to require two monthly trolley hops, research hospitals that perform groundbreaking work like the first hand transplant and first artificial heart transplant, more good restaurants than one could possibly hope to visit, and the headquarters of major corporations like Yum! Brands and UPS.

M Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory: Witness the transformation of a piece of ash wood into an iconic Louisville Slugger baseball bat on the factory tour, then relive magical moments in the history of Americas pastime in the museum ().

M Muhammad Ali Center: Far beyond a simple celebration of the boxing prowess of the self-proclaimed Greatest, this multimedia museum explores Alis controversial struggles as well as his humanitarian acts. It is a must whether youre a boxing fan or not ().

M Old Louisville Tours: The nations best preserved Victorian neighborhood, Old Louisville brims with houses that will make your jaw drop. Take a tour to really dive into the history and architecture of the area, or spend the night in one of the neighborhoods grand B&Bs ().

M Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs: Churchill Downs brims with atmosphere as the most historic thoroughbred racetrack in the world, and the adjoining Kentucky Derby Museum lets you experience the thrill of the races even when the track is dark ().

M Louisville Zoo: An award-winning gorilla exhibit brought the Louisville Zoo to the forefront for animal lovers, but the new arctic animals exhibit and the much loved Islands exhibit mean the gorillas have to share the spotlight ().

M First Friday Trolley Hop: Downtowns Main and Market Streets are home to an ever-expanding population of art galleries, all of which can be explored via trolley on the first Friday of the month, when many galleries host openings, offer snacks and drinks, and make artists available for conversation ().

M Kentucky Derby Festival: The most exciting two minutes in sports (also known as the Kentucky Derby) cap off not only a day of glamour, madness, and myth at Churchill Downs, but also a two-week party that takes over the entire city ().

M Kentucky State Fair: This annual August event draws people from all over the state to celebrate what makes Kentucky special, featuring everything from agricultural exhibits to arts and crafts competitions. Shows, concerts, midway rides, and more food than you can eat are all part of the tradition ().

M Olmsted Park System: In a city full of green spaces, the parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted stand out as hometown favorites. Follow the parkways from the open fields of Cherokee Park to the formal gardens of Shawnee Park to the forested hills of Iroquois Park ().

LOOK FOR M TO FIND RECOMMENDED SIGHTS, ACTIVITIES, DINING, AND LODGING.

For others, their affection for Louisville relates to its small-town charm and its ability to maintain a strong identity even as the city grows. They love that the first question Louisvillians ask when they meet each other is Where did you go to high school?, that the city supports its college sports teams with the same gusto as other cities support professional teams, that Heine Brothers is more popular than Starbucks, that downtowns golden-era hotels and Old Louisvilles Victorian mansions are as revered as any new development, and that the best museums celebrate local goodness like the Louisville Slugger and Muhammad Ali.

As for what puts Louisville on the worlds mapwell, its a little thing really, just a two-minute spectacle. Run every first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby and the accompanying two-week festival are the citys pride and joy and the states largest tourism event. Put it on your calendar, because its a spectacle that everyone should see at least once.

Whatever your tastes, Louisville will win you over. The old dames no one-hit wonder, and her charm is guaranteed to bring you back time and again.

PLANNING YOUR TIME

Louisvilles skyline, as seen from the Big 4 Bridge

Louisville tourism spikes in late April and early May, and for good reason. Many visitors plan their trips around the Kentucky Derby, which is always run on the first Saturday in May, and the Kentucky Derby Festival, which kicks off two weeks before Derby Day. Its a great time to visit. With a little luck, the weather is beautiful, with robin-egg blue skies, pleasantly warm days, and spring flowers painting the city with color. With everything spit-polished and shined, the city is prepared to win over the world. But beware, the weather doesnt always cooperate (both snowstorms and heat waves have been known to hit on Derby Day), hotel prices will be through the roof (if you can manage to secure a reservation at all), and restaurants will have long waits (show up well before youre hungry).

If youre not set on attending the Derby, choose another time to visit. Weather-wise, spring and fall are the most pleasant. Winters usually arent too bad, although the city does get socked with a major storm every few years. Summers are hot and humid, but theyre packed with things to do.