Three Days in Lexington and Georgetown Kentucky

By Tab Hauser
GoNOMAD Senior Writer

While the central part of Blue Grass state of Kentucky is mostly known for its horses and bourbon, there are other worthwhile experiences to be had.

A three-day itinerary should include visits to historic landmark mansions and a 7.5 million square foot car factory to watch 2000 cars per day being produced.

Lexington and Georgetown

Two cities make up the hub of attractions in Central Kentucky. Lexington, the larger of the two, has a population of 321,000. Georgetown, its neighbor to the north has about 37,000 people.

Lexington has the busyness and extra cultural things you would expect from a city this size. Georgetown feels like a quaint city in the country with an old main street to stroll.

No Horsing Around

The mission statement of Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Kentucky says exactly what this organization is about.

“To provide a dignified retirement to thoroughbreds who’s racing and breeding careers have come to an end. By promoting these once-celebrated horses through a campaign of education and tourism, our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of equine aftercare”

Old Friends started when retired Boston Globe film critic, Michael Blowen learned of an old Kentucky Derby winner that was to be sent to a kill pen for processing. He thought this was wrong and in 2003 with one horse and a leased paddock started Old Friends. Today he is on 236 acres with a herd of 240 retired racehorses.

At Old Friends you get up close and personal with a “living hall of famer”. Visitors are given a bag of carrots and introduced to several of these beautiful creatures. Michael took us around to show us his favorites and when he got near their fences some just wanted to nuzzle the long necks up to him.

These former champions are kept in large paddocks having one to two horses in them. There is plenty of room for them to roam or run or visit “a friend” at the next paddock as we witnessed. Michael says “For their entire life these horses were told what to do, when to wake up, eat, train, run, breed, and rest. At Old Friends, they do whatever they want, and sleep well out in the open”

During our tour, we were introduced to the champions who greeted us at the fences. Guests on tour get to see the spotless stabiles (that are barely used) and the cemetery.

Old Friends receives 20,000 visitors a year and relies on donations. To book a tour or donate go to www.oldfriendsequine.org

Keeneland Race Track

Keeneland was established in 1936 for Thoroughbred racing. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

There is a dirt track on the outside and a turf track on the inside that is used during their spring and autumn race season. Keeneland is rated amongst the top 10 racetracks in America.

Queen Elizabeth II was a fan here and an annual race was named after her.During the racing season, Keeneland is the place to see and be seen.

The fun starts with tail-gating where you will see people enjoying anything from charcuterie and fine wine, to beer and grilled meats.Many also come dressed to impress.

For men that can be sharp-looking jackets and ties. Many of the ladies can be seen wearing pretty dresses and mini-skirts, cowboy boots, and colorful hats.

Upon entering the track buy a program or you will be a bit lost. If you know nothing about gambling on horses see one of the “betogolists”. They are there to help understand the process.

A friendly cashier helped me with the betting lingo. Not knowing anything about racing I kept my bets to $5 per race each race choosing a horse by a name or number I liked. Not something the betologists recommend. (I won $20 that day!).

Keeneland’s other division is the world’s largest horse auction house held three times a year. Champions sold here have won hundreds of the best titles in the world. Information on horse auctions, tickets to the races, or touring the track and compound can be found athttps://www.keeneland.com

If you are looking for additional horse experiences consider visiting Kentucky Horse Park

Bourbon’s Birthplace

The common belief is that in the late 1700’s Baptist Minister Reverend Elijah Craig in Georgetown invented bourbon by aging corn whiskey in barrels.

The best way to learn about and taste this true American spirit is with a behind-the-scenes tour (sometimes called the Hard Hat Tour) at theBuffalo Trace Distillery.

Buffalo Trace is one the oldest continually-operated distilleries dating back over 200 years. (During prohibition they distilled for “medicinal” purposes.)

The behind-the-scenes tour takes you to different old brick buildings to witness the various stages of bourbon production. A first fun stop was where the “white dog” or clear ethanol corn spirit was drained into large barrels.

Freddie our guide, poured a little unaged whiskey into our cupped hands. He asked us to give it a little taste and then clap our hands.

The taste was harsh but after clapping, the liquid evaporated instantly leaving a sweet corn smell on our hands.

We learned that it was only after the ethanol was poured into the barrels that this spirit could officially be called bourbon.

Here guests were given a chance to seal the barrel using a mallet to smash a large wooden plug into the bung hole of the barrel.

What we sealed that day will be bottled in 5 to 20 years depending on what brand they turn this bourbon into. We then watched the barrels roll out using gravity to the aging buildings.

At the aging warehouse, there was an interesting exhibit of four barrels showing how much bourbon evaporates over 18 years.

The 18-year-old barrel had over 60% evaporated which is one reason it is expensive.Our tour continued to a bottling room, followed by a visit to the tasting room.

The tasting room was set up with their vodka, three bourbons, a cream bourbon, and Freddie’s root beer named after our guide.

Freddie taught us the best way to sample the bourbons and discussed the difference in smoothness and aging.

He then had us mix the cream bourbon with root beer for a sweet treat.

The tour ended with a visit to their large gift shop having a frenzy of people buying anything Buffalo Trace themed. Their lower-cost bourbon was selling almost as fast as it was placed on the shelves.

People on our special tour were given a voucher to purchase one bottle of their limited-production 10-year-old Eagle Rare.

Website

Castle and Key Distillery

TheCastle and Key Distilleryis a fine place to visit if you want to see a smaller, less busy distillery. Castle and Key was first distilled in 1819.

The castle was built in 1887 and became a destination place with a natural spring pool and garden. The distillery sits on 113 acres that include gardens, historic buildings, and a little nature.

I recommend booking the one-hour Distillery Experience. This is a historical and detailed tour taking you through the entire castle and nearby grounds.

The tour ends at the bar where you can try their draft cocktails, bourbon, or crafted gins.Our favorite part of the tour was walking up to the second level steel graded floor and smelling the sweet open mash under our noses bubbling up.

From that level, you can see the old stills and much of the operation.

If you pass on the tour I recommend buying a drink and strolling by the spring house and castle before sitting by the creek. The gift shop is in their former boiler room. www.castleandkey.com

Toyota Factory Tour

It was in 1988 that Toyota opened its first United States production facility in Georgetown, KY.

It is also Toyota’s largest car factory covering 1300 acres and employing 9500 workers. Anyone curious to see how 2000 cars are produced each day should book this free one-hour narrated tour.

Arriving at the visitor center, guests must store their cell phones and cameras.

Here you can see live video feeds of the factory and Toyota car #1 on display. Guests are then directed to a short feel-good video before being directed to narrated trams.On the tour, we saw car bodies of Camry’s and RAV4’s moving slowly on an assembly line and connected to its chassis.

In different areas we witnessed dozens of factory workers putting the cars together. Our drive around had to stop a few times to let the wheeled robots bring parts to the different assembly areas. The tour ended with the “white glove” inspectors who did a final paint and trim check. website

Ward Hall

Ward Hall is said to be the grandest Greek Revival antebellum mansion in Kentucky. It is also one of the most intact houses of its type in the country. This 12,000 square foot home, distinct with its 27-foot Corinthian fluted columns was completed in 1857.

It was built for Junius Ward, a member of a prominent and powerful family. He paid $50,000 in gold (today’s value at $1.7 million). In 1869 Mr. Ward declared bankruptcy due to the Civil War losses.

Guided tours start with the grand hallway between the wings where you learn of the history of the family and the mansion. Inside the rooms are period furniture along with some original pieces, portraits, and artifacts. The dining room is set up for a lavish dinner. Visitors should check the website and arrange an appointment.http://www.wardhall.net/

Mary Todd Lincoln House

In 1832, Robert Todd purchased a two-story, 14-room house in downtown Lexington. Mary Todd, one of his daughters, was just 14 years old at the time. She lived here for seven years before moving to Illinois to be with her sister. Three years later she married Abraham Lincoln. This house was visited by the Lincolns in 1847. The Mary Todd Lincoln House is the first historic home restored in honor of a first lady.

Visitors here do a self-tour with the help of docents around to point things out and answer questions.

Because there was a saved inventory list from the house auction, the curators knew how to furnish it with period pieces.

There are some original items owned by Mary that were donated by the Todd and Lincoln families.

Docents point out you are using the same banister that President Lincoln had his hands on.

An important part of the visit here talks about Mary’s 10 years of education (unusual for girls at the time) and dispels accusations and controversy about Mary Todd Lincoln’s later life.https://www.mtlhouse.org/

Kentucky Food

If you visit Georgetown see if you are lucky enough to be there when  Chef Justin Thompson is throwing his Seed to Feed charity dinner. He does several per year.

For these special events, Chef Justin invites top regional guest chefs who show their best using regional ingredients. Dinner also comes with a locally sourced bourbon cocktail as well as a keg from a nearby brewery.

Each dinner is located in a unique setting starting with music and passed-out gourmet hors d’oeuvres. Locations can be on a farm or in the middle of a quiet closed-off street. Tables are shared so people can get to know each other.

Money from the dinners has been donated to several area charities.If you cannot make the Seed to Feed dinner, definitely stop by Chef Justin’s restaurant in Georgetown called Local Feed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Check his web site on his opening days and hours.

https://www.localfeedky.com/dinnerseries

Rodney’s on Broadway is located in the historic section of Georgetown. It has an elegant setting about it. Stand-out dishes included their Woodford Reserve Shrimp and Scallops smothered in their tasty Woodford Reserve bourbon cream sauce, Twice grilled lamb chops and Panko Crusted Grouper Piccata. https://rodneysonbroadway.com/

Georgetown Local Brews and Lunch

If you want a switch from bourbon to beer, try Country Boy Brewing in Georgetown. They are one of the largest independent breweries in the state with a dozen beers on tap. It is also a good place for lunch.

GoNOMAD had an exclusive first tour at their upgraded 22,500-foot facility. We like their “minimalist” approach to brewing. countryboybrewing.com/

Tony’s of Lexington is a high-end steak house in downtown Lexington. It is a classy-looking place with polished hosts and servers.

Besides large steaks and the usual sides, there are pasta dishes done with chicken, shrimp, or vegetarian. Stroll the Distillery District while you are here.

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