I have a bad habit of living places and failing to visit major sights. I saved St. Louis’s Arch for the last half year of college and have yet to see Cahokia Mounds. While studying abroad in Geneva, I went to two museums and never set foot in the UN (although I did have lunch at the UNHCR). I planned for a year to bike from my village in Togo to nearby waterfalls in Benin, but never did it. And the major venues, restaurants and historical sights I missed in my six months in New Orleans make up a list too embarrassing to even begin listing.
I’ve been in Louisville for almost a year now and I’ve seen the Colonel’s grave, been to a Bats game, listened to live music at Waterfront Park, eaten at Proof on Main (and been in the men’s bathroom at 21C), bet on races at Churchill Downs (no Derby, though) and picked blueberries at Huber’s. Yet there are many places I keep thinking about that could easily get pushed aside and go the way of the Beninese waterfalls.
So as Gabe and I headed out of state for our 4th of July weekend, we made a list. I’ve added to it, taking some recommendations from Louisville Magazine’s “50 Things Every Louisvillian Should Do” (June 2010). We’ve since been to Frankfort and Lexington (despite the title of this post, the list includes things outside of Louisville), but these To Dos remain:
Kentucky's capitol (in Frankfort, in case you forgot)
- at least one distillery tour. We’d like to do the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, but I think visiting at least one distillery is a more realistic goal.
- Bernheim Forest - I like hiking. I’ve done zero hiking since last August.
- Falls of the Ohio – I’d like to see fossils, since I can’t see any falls.
- Mammoth Cave - According to the website, this is the world’s longest known cave system. True story: I’ve never been in a cave. Ok, that’s not a true story, but I’ve never been in a cave like this.
- Cincinnati – they have Trader Joe’s there
- the Old Seelbach Bar – F. Scott Fitzgerald drank here and featured it in The Great Gatsby. Louisville Magazine says I’m supposed to drink a Manhattan here, but I think I’ll just have the bourbon on ice.
- both the First Friday Trolley Hop and the Frankfort Avenue Trolley Hop (beware of the trolley clang if you follow this link)
- a drag show at Connection
- bike at least part of the Louisville Loop, which will one day be a connected 100-mile trail
- the Muhammad Ali Center
- the Louisville Zoo - I always have mixed feelings visiting zoos, but I’ll go to any city’s zoo at least once.
What else? The Kentucky State Fair is on the agenda for August, but am I missing something you love about the area (notice that “the area” can extend to Cincinnati)? And if any of my three readers are interested in helping an item on this list happen (Gabe has been to some places and is less interested in others), let me know. I plan on being here for a while yet, but that’s the same thing I said about the waterfalls.
I still haven’t been to the Falls or to the drag show at Connections. I’d be happy to do both or either with you. Definitely don’t miss the distilleries– fall would be a LOVELY time to go– or the Ali Museum (even if you didn’t, as I did, grow up idolizing Ali, the museum is gorgeous, interactive, and surprisingly not an exercise in hero-worshipping). The Slugger museum is surprisingly good. As is the Speed. And as long as you’re including Cincy, the bar at the Hilton Netherland Plaza downtown is, to me, hands-down the most beautiful bar in the Midwest– perhaps even the most beautiful bar I’ve been to in the US. (I’m sifting through my barhopping history and can’t come up with one that beats it.)
I knew you’d come through on this one. I forgot to list Slugger Museum and the Speed in my “did it” list. I’m thinking a Friday night Connections trip for when you’re back in town/before school starts?
I am the same way… been living in London for how many years now? Still haven’t visited most of the museums, or done any of the major touristy things. I’ve only been to a handful of shows as well. Don’t get me started on New York…. more than half my life there and you think I ever went up the Empire State? Good for you for having a list though. Stick to it!