Kentucky

A Bourbon Trail Unlike Any Other

Kentucky produces the overwhelming majority of the world's bourbon, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail threads together celebrated distilleries from the rolling hills of Bardstown through Lexington's horse country and out to the forested ridges of the Knobs region. Tours at Maker's Mark, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve and dozens of craft producers reveal the art of the barrel, the rickhouse and the master distiller's nose. The town of Bardstown itself bills itself as the Bourbon Capital of the World, and it is not a claim many would challenge after a night of tastings along its historic main street.

Louisville and Lexington: Two Cities, Distinct Characters

Louisville pulses with creative energy along NuLu, its arts and dining precinct, while the Muhammad Ali Center pays stirring tribute to the city's most famous son. The Louisville Slugger Museum lets visitors hold a bat fresh off the lathe, and the waterfront comes alive in summer with festivals and river views across to Indiana. Lexington takes a quieter, collegiate tone, anchored by the University of Kentucky and surrounded by the horse farms that have shaped its identity for two centuries. Keeneland Racecourse offers racing in April and October in a setting of extraordinary elegance, and the Kentucky Horse Park to the north is a living museum of equine culture that captivates visitors of all ages.

Mountains, Caves and the Landscape Beneath Your Feet

Eastern Kentucky rises into the Appalachian Highlands where Red River Gorge cuts through ancient sandstone arches and Daniel Boone National Forest offers some of the finest hiking in the region. Mammoth Cave National Park in the central part of the state protects the longest known cave system on Earth, a subterranean world of cathedral chambers, underground rivers and formations that have been growing for millions of years. Paddlers find the Green River one of the most rewarding float trips in the country, threading through the cave country in near-perfect silence.