In honor of their trip to the NCAA men’s basketball championship game and since all eyes will again be on the city in less than a month for the Kentucky Derby, I thought it was a good time to write about Louisville, KY.  I grew up just about an hour and a half away though I can’t say I have spent much time in the city myself.  There wasn’t much going on to attract attention to visitors.  It has in recent years however, been growing itself into much more of a destination, and I even know of some friends who decided to travel to Louisville instead of Vegas for their bachelor and bachelorette parties!  Quite the difference.

While Louisville has done a great job at increasing the attractiveness for the evening crowd, they haven’t ignored family friendly activities.  This is Midwestern horse country after all.  I would venture to guess one of the first things that may come to mind when hearing Louisville is the Louisville Slugger baseball bat.  They have a museum and also offer factory tours, you can even test out the ‘Slugger’ in their batting cages.  After baseball bats, you may next think about Churchill Downs where the Kentucky Derby is run each year.  There are many lesser races run throughout the year and even if there aren’t any races while you are visiting, you can always check out the museum and gift shop.  The city has also created a man made cavern if you aren’t planning to make it farther south to Mammoth Cave.  The Louisville Mega Cavern started as a limestone quarry and has over the years undergone many transformations to eventually become a tourist attraction (one that I may have to check out the next time I’m in town).  The cavern partially travels underneath another attraction in Louisville….the Zoo!

I have only managed to take a small chip out of the iceberg of things to do and see in Louisville.  There are parks, a Science Center, a developed waterfront, golf courses, other museums and historical sites, and of course the food.  🙂  If you’re looking for something different for your next vacation consider a trip to the Bluegrass State.