Exploring new places and meeting new people is something I absolutely love to do, so when I was given the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Louisville, Kentucky AND hang out with several of my fellow Macaroni Kid publisher moms, I was all in! Macaroni Kid was hosted by the city of Louisville and it’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and Wow! did they ever roll out the red carpet for us!
We stayed at the Aloft Louisville, a certified LEED hotel, whose sleek designs, keyless room entry and the most comfortable pillows in the world, make this upscale hotel, located on historic Whiskey Row, one of the most sought-after places to stay when in Louisville. We were within walking distance of numerous restaurants that showcased the local flavor of the city, Museum Row on Main and the River Walk that runs the length of the city alongside the Ohio River.
My horse-enthusiast husband, who jumped at the chance to chauffeur me to Louisville on the premise that he could spend most of the weekend at Churchill Downs, and I had a chance to explore part of the River Walk on our first evening in Louisville. When we came upon The Belle of Louisville, America's last true Mississippi River steamboat still in operation, we knew we had to experience this piece of history! With five minutes until the boat embarked on its two-hour cruise up the Ohio River, we got our tickets and were on our way! Not only did we enjoy a gorgeous sight-seeing tour of Louisville along the river, we experienced the warm hospitality of the locals.
On our second day in Louisville, the Macaroni Kid publishers were treated to a tour of the Louisville Mega Cavern. This cavern is not like the ones we have here in Virginia. The Mega Cavern is a man-made cavern that runs underneath the city of Louisville. What originally started out as a limestone quarry in the 1930’s, is now considered the largest building in Kentucky and is used primarily as a recycling and storage facility, with a BMX bike park, zip line and rope course...all underground! After we finished our tour of the cavern, we headed to Doc Crowe’s Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar for some authentic Louisville cuisine. From seafood to steak, Doc Crowe’s delivers with BBQ’s infused with local whiskeys and bourbons. I even tried grits for the first time ever and, when mixed with cheese and shrimp, is absolutely heavenly!
Our final day in Louisville found us having breakfast at Churchill Downs. We ate at the Track Kitchen, where the jockeys and trainers eat, which is located on the backstretch. Seeing that we were in Louisville a week before the renowned Kentucky Derby, we got to watch some of the Derby horses during their morning workouts during and after our breakfast. Then we were treated to a tour of Churchill Downs, followed by a presentation given by three-time Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
Before I made this trip to Louisville, I didn’t know much about the city and it’s history; however, now that I’ve seen all that Louisville has to offer and how welcoming and friendly the city is, I can’t wait to go back and visit again!
Visit gotolouisville.com to plan your next adventure!
The Louisville Area Convention & Visitors Center hosted Macaroni Kid for a weekend press trip. Meal and activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article and all opinions are that of the writer.
