So here’s the deal, I always planned (and still do) to use this platform as a place to shed light and encourage women working through some of their darkest demons. I wanted to open a dialogue about topics that are, for lack of a better term, kept in the dark. And I plan to continue doing nothing short of that! But I too hope to expand in my writings and in what I’m able to share with those who care to play a piece in all of this– so here we are, my first take on a travel guide! Enjoy!
First up: Louisville, Kentucky
We set out for a long weekend, making the approximately five and a half hour trek through one construction site after another (thank you Michigan and Indiana). Recommendations aside, we didn’t know much about Louisville but knew that it was a drive-able distance and something that wouldn’t require taking too much time off of work. Overall, we had an awesome weekend and we can’t wait to explore more of Louisville another time. But for now, here are a few of my recommendations!
To Stay:
Let me dive right into our Air BnB (Thank you, Christine) because this place was incredible! For less than $250 and two nights the entire apartment was ours. Bed and Bike was clean, our host was hospitable, and as suggested, the Air BnB included complimentary bikes to explore the city with. We absolutely adored this chic apartment space to which was in walking (or riding) distance of many city attractions.
B&B has two separate locations, one in the Highlands (where we stayed) and another in the “Nulu” neighborhood which is a little closer to downtown.
To Do:
Speakeasies are one of our current obsessions so it was on the top of my list to find one in Louisville. And let me tell you, this place was a chart topper! Found in the stunning Omni Hotel, this hidden away (literally) gem was incredible. Pin + Proof didn’t require a password but it did require a bit of searching to find it. Once in, I fell in love. The space is beautifully crafted just like their signature cocktails. Booths line this quaint little bowling alley but quieter seats can be found further from the lanes.
A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages. These establishments became popular in the United States during the prohibition era when the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol was illegal.
Another stop on our tour-de-Loui was the Escape Room. Escape LOU is one of our favorites thus far. We ventured through the “Secret of Skully’s Cabin” in our FBI gear and although our first defeat, we did pretty well for just the two of us. Needless to say, wherever you are, if you like solving mysteries or finding clues, find an Escape Room nearest you!
On our last day, we stumbled upon the Waterfront Park and it was the best unexpected stop of the trip. (See pictures below!) We rented scooters through the Uber app (which is a super common way of traveling in Louisville) and scooted around the park– seriously, so much fun! If you’re looking for an awesome place to get in some walking, scooting or want to take in the incredible city scape views, don’t miss out on this spot.
Some of the other amenities Waterfront Park has to offer include: a splash pad, kayak tours, bike rentals, steamboat tours and occasional festivals/concerts.
To Eat & Drink:
First on the list, Impellizzeri’s Pizza, which happened to be conveniently located right next door to our apartment. Due to inclement weather our first night, we ordered in and it turned out to be one of our favorite meals of the weekend! Known for being the oldest pizza joint in town, Impellizzeri’s was absolutely delicious.
Whether you’re a coffee or a cookie gal/guy, Please & Thank You is for you. Luckily, I am both. HA! P&TY has three different locations in the Louisville area and serve, hands down, the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever tasted. Not to mention, they are literally the size of my head.
Now, if you know anything about Louisville.. or even if you don’t. You at least know that Kentucky is known for its bourbon whiskey. In fact, Kentucky is known as the World’s Bourbon Capital. Neither Thomas or I are big whiskey drinkers however, we knew we had to make a pit stop at at least one distillery on our trip. We chose to make a short trip to the Jim Bean Urban Stillhouse. It was quick, rather inexpensive and now we’ll forever have an engraved bottle of Jim Bean in our bar at home. (Forever because it will literally never get drank HA)
Side note: If you are really into whiskey, there are a TON of distilleries, museums and tours that are worth looking into.
A couple of our quicker, but definitely note-able spots we ventured to include Hopcat, The Eagle (to which has the BEST Bloody Mary I’ve ever tasted) of course, Orangetheory Fitness Highlands, The Door to Nowhere and the Mayan Cafe.
To Know:
Unbeknownst to us, most of Louisville’s attractions and restaurants are closed on Monday. Due to this unknown little tid-bit, we weren’t able to check out a couple of stops on my list.
All-in-all, Louisville was eventful, full of history and far from short of things to do! Below is a list of the places that we didn’t make it to but look forward to checking out on our next tour-de-Loui.
