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September 11-14
(that’s Monday thru Thursday before the United)
Experience more of Kentucky with Joe Parlanti as he leads visits to other Kentucky attractions before the United. Here’s an overview of the plans.
Fees and costs for the Tour:
Tour tickets must be purchased months in advance, so Joe requests a prepayment of $50/person to cover some (or all) of the tickets. If additional fees are required, he’ll collect them at the start of the trip.
Additionally, each person will cover their own cost(s) for lodging, meals, beverages, etc. If you miss the date, you’re welcome to tag along, but it’s likely you won’t be able to get in on the tours.
Here’s the current plan
Monday
Gather at our “host hotel.” This is the Home2 Suites Lexington / Keeneland Airport, 960 Midnight Pass, Lexington, KY. Make your reservations at their website: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lexkeht-home2-suites-lexington-keeneland-airport/. Use TEAE for the event rate. This will be the central hub for the activities of the week. Our first official event will be a welcome dinner. So we can see who’s in our group and grouse about travel wins and losses.
Tuesday
First, we’ll visit and tour Keeneland, an internationally renowned racecourse and the Thoroughbred industry’s leading auction house. Founded in 1936, Keeneland’s mission is to continually invest in the industry and to preserve the tradition of Thoroughbred racing.
Lunch will be at Wallace Station “where the food still comes from the garden and is made by loving hands.”
In the afternoon, we’ll tour the Buffalo Trace Distillery. “Throughout the challenges of floods, fires, tornadoes and even Prohibition, the American family-owned Buffalo Trace Distillery has never compromised.”
Back at the hotel we’ll leave some time to relax (and maybe nap) before dinner in the Lexington Distillery District. The former James E. Pepper Distillery property, which closed in 1958, was revitalized in 2008. Today you’ll find two working bourbon distilleries on the historic site, plus, an easily walkable area with its diverse food and drink offerings.
We’ll have beers at Ethereal Brewing, dinner at Goodfellas Pizzeria and dessert at Crank and Book Ice Cream Lounge; all within walking distance in the District.
Wednesday
Wednesday we’ll have breakfast/coffee at Brevede Coffee Co before taking off for a Claiborne Farm visit. That’s the home and final resting place of the 1973 Triple Crown Winner, Secretariat.
Windy Corner Market is an indoor market with shelves full of local goodies and a menu featuring Po-Boy sandwiches, burgers, salads, seafood, bakery goodies, soft-serve ice cream and more. It will be a great place for lunch.
In the afternoon we’ll tour the Lexington Brewing and Distillery Co for two tours in one. The first era of the Lexington Brewing Co. began in the 1890s and came to a halt during Prohibition, changing ownership several times in the decades that followed. It was revived and rebuilt beginning in 1999, but it’s the first new distillery built in Lexington in more than 100 years. They also brew Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale® using freshly decanted bourbon barrels.
Joe’s working on plans for dinner on Wednesday. Either Dudley’s on Short named Southern Living’s Best of the South — Restaurant: Kentucky in 2017 and 2019 or Frank & Dino’s: for hand-crafted southern Italian recipes in downtown Lexington
After dinner, there will be drinks at local bar within walking distance from dinner.
Thursday
Thursday morning we’ll meet at the hotel for breakfast before heading off to Bowling Green for the start of United 40! That’s a trip of about 2.5 hours (161 miles) You could elect to stop at Mammoth Cave (which could be part of your choice of activities during the weekend) or Maker’s Mark Distillery, if you haven’t had enough!