Bourbons of the Bluegrass - Distillery Tours
Tour a Bluegrass bourbon distillery and you'll not only learn how bourbon is made, but you'll start to understand why the "good old whiskey of old Kentucky" has inspired pride, passion (and even poetry) among Kentuckians. Bourbon is America's only native spirit. And almost all bourbon— 95% according to the Kentucky Distillers Association — is produced in Kentucky. According to the association, 529,000 barrels of bourbon began the aging process in Kentucky in 1996.
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Golf in the Bluegrass
What’s the best reason to plan a golf outing in the Bluegrass? Is it that you can play at championship-caliber courses — some designed by the sport’s top course architects — for a mere pittance of what you’d pay elsewhere? Maybe it’s the extended season. Weather permitting (and it frequently does), you can hit the links year-round. No matter what brings you to the Lexington area, once you take a look at the excellent selection of public and semi-private courses, you’ll be glad you brought along your clubs. And, in enjoying golf in the Bluegrass, you’ll find yourself in good historic company.
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Online Traveler
The ideal time to visit Lexington is a beautiful fall Saturday when you can attend racing at the fall meet at Keeneland and then attend a University of Kentucky night football game at Commonwealth stadium. This is also the time when restaurants and hotels are most likely to be full, so advance reservations are recommended. Spring is another excellent time to visit. In the winter season, Kentuckians will be found glued to their televisions or radio's watching the basketball wildcats, or commenting on the last game. Home games at Rupp arena are usually sold out, but tickets can usually be found, especially when Kentucky plays a game while the students are on Christmas break.
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Kentucky's Horse Park is one of the most beautiful places to visit. The addmission is not too bad to see the things you will be exposed too. The neatest thing is to watch the early morning putting on of the harness of the great horse including the Clyedales. The number of different breeds are huge. Education abounds through the park along with riding the wagons pulled by the giants of horses. You also (and this I loved) can take a tour from the horse park to some of the famous "horse farms" in the Kentucky bluegrass. Smarty Jones is one of my favorites and he was on the tour. Excitement was all around. So if you love, or even like horses don't miss out on a great place that will call you back time and again with all the splendor of the Bluegrass of Kentucky.
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While on my way to see ekoostik hookah, I found that Lexington is a great mix of country and city life. When driving in to the city you see endless horse farms and land. Then once you get ino the city it all changes! As we drove closer to the the University of Kentucky (located in Lexington) more and more lights and people and places kept popping up. There was a mass of restaurants, bars, shops, and clubs. The streets were crowded with all sorts of people going from one place to another. I must say I was surprised. And the concert was great too!
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All around this area you will see farms lined with drystone fences. This is said to be the largest network of such fences in the US. They are similiar to ones you see in the British Isles in that they have no mortar but are stacked in precise manner to maintain their stability. Some were built in the late 18th century by Scottish and Ulster settlers but most were built by Irish immigrants in the early to mid-19th century. A society exists today to preserve this art, teaching a new generation to build them.
VirtualTourist.com User
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Welcome to Lexington Kentucky
 Located in the heart of the Bluegrass, Lexington is home to legendary horses, breathtaking landscapes and a culture rich in tradition. Experience the sights and sounds of Lexington’s Bluegrass Region and create memories to last a lifetime with visits to the Kentucky Horse Park, historic bourbon distilleries, majestic horse farms and inspiring historic sites. Indulge in our delightful regional cuisine and enjoy our warm southern hospitality. In the fall of 2010, Lexington will welcome the world to the Kentucky Horse Park, the first North American site of the FEI World Equestrian Games. Escape the ordinary and experience Lexington’s Bluegrass Region.
www.visitlex.com
Spring Meet at Keeneland Race Course
Annual - April 2009
 In Kentucky there is nothing like a nice warm Spring day at Keeneland Racetrack. Speculate, socialize, or just soak in the atmosphere at the nation's only English-style Thoroughbred race track. This is the perfect event to bring your whole family to as well as all of your friends. Watch the beautiful creatures race around the track as you enjoy each others company right here in Lexington, KY.
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Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill
 Discover America’s largest restored Shaker community, where a remarkable society once flourished and where today, you can experience a true national treasure. This 3,000 acre National Historic Landmark charms guests with distinct Shaker style and the beauty of Lexington’s Bluegrass Region. A stay at the Inn offers peaceful accommodations, gracious dining, exceptional shopping, historical activities and invigorating recreation.
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Historic Railroad Street in Midway
 Midway is located in the northern section of Woodford county in the famous "Bluegrass" region of Kentucky, an area noted for its fine farms which produce tobacco, corn, cattle and horses. The major streets of Midway were named in honor of the railroads first officials. Many homes and businesses in Midway are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1978).
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Winery Tours
 Come to Lexington, KY and enjoy the fruits of a lesser known Kentucky tradition: winemaking. Central Kentucky was the site of the first commercial vineyard in the United States. You can tour Talon Winery, Equus Run, or Chrisman Mill to delight in this wonderful learning experience as well as a little wine tasting. Don't let your thirst for knowledge consume you, come on over and enjoy some wine in Lexington, KY.
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Kentucky Horse Park
 The Kentucky Horse Park is strictly hands on. Touch the horses, smell the hay. See the history and majesty of the horse. This place is for all your sense. Most places can only tell you stories and legends. At the Kentucky Horse Park one might trot right by you.
Whether you are a competitor or just spectator, the sport of the horse is alive and well at the Kentucky Horse Park.
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Hiking at Raven Run
 Raven Run is a unique, 734-acre nature sanctuary dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the Kentucky River Palisades and early Kentucky history. Over 10 miles of hiking trails provide access to streams, meadows and woodlands characteristic of the area. Numerous 19th century remnants of early settlers, as well as over 600 species of plants, allow visitors to become acquainted with and appreciate the natural world. Raven Run also accommodates over 200 species of birds throughout the year.
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Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
 On October 8, 1862, Watkins and 18,000 Confederates clashed with 20,000 Union troops on the hills outside of Perryville. Nearly 7,500 soldiers were killed and wounded in Kentucky’s largest Civil War battle. The Confederate failure to attain a decisive victory kept Kentucky in Union hands for the remainder of the war and marked the last major incursion of Confederate forces into the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Today Perryville is one of the most pristine battlefields in the nation. The presence of the battlefield, coupled with historic Merchants’ Row, the town’s antebellum commercial district, makes Perryville the ideal place to study 19th-century military and civilian life.
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Thomas D. Clark History Center
 Journey through time in A Kentucky Journey permanent exhibition, reflecting over 12,000 years of Kentucky history. The Keeneland Changing Exhibits Gallery presents a variety of temporary exhibits. Trace your family’s roots in the KHS Library. Take home something uniquely Kentucky from the 1792 Store.
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Tour Private Horse Farm
 Beautiful horse farms have been part of the Bluegrass since the region was first settled. So have horse farm visitors. Early 19th-century travelers remarked on the beautiful country estates of the Bluegrass noting, as one put it, “a handsome horse is the highest pride of a Kentuckian.” When great 20th-century Thoroughbred Man o' War retired to stud in the Bluegrass, visitors from around the world flocked to see him. Man o' War's groom, Will Harbut, kept ledgers for visitors to sign. When Man o' War died in 1947, there were 63 ledgers containing over 1.3 million names. Ready to do your part to uphold this great Bluegrass tradition? Visiting a horse farm while you're in town is a uniquely Bluegrass kind of experience you'll long remember.
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Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau
301 East Vine Street
Lexington, Kentucky. USA 40507-1513
Lu Ann Pelle
Director of Information Services
Tel: (859) 244-7737
Toll Free: (800) 845-3959
Fax: (859) 254-4555
Email: lap@visitlex.com
Web: visitlex.com
Charlotte Nichols
Group Tour Assistance
Tel: (859) 244-7705
Toll Free: (800) 848-1224
Fax: (859) 254-4555
Email: grptour@visitlex.com
Niki Heichelbech
Media/Communications Manager
Tel: (859)244-7707
Toll Free: (800) 848-1224
Email: lexmedia@visitlex.com
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Breakfast at the Keeneland Track Kitchen
You don't have to be a horseman to enjoy the food at Keeneland's track kitchen--but you might end up sitting near a famous jockey, trainer or owner when you do. The track kitchen is open year-round, except for major holidays and opens daily at 6 a.m. The kitchen is located near the barn area; follow the signage or look for the black water tower.
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