KENTUCKY DERBY LOUISVILLE

1 SHELBYVILLE / LOUISVILLE

We depart this morning traveling through West Virginia and into Kentucky where we will stop at the Jeptha Creed Distillery in Shelbyville. In this new farm to bottle Distillery, you enjoy an evening on the patio with a Barbecue dinner and live Country Music. There will be dancing and distillery tours – plus a bourbon tasting opportunity. This is one of the most modern bourbon distilleries in Kentucky and we have a festive evening planned here to kick-off the events to the Derby. Afterwards, we will head to our hotel where we will spend the next three nights near Louisville.

2 LOUISVILLE SLUGGER

We have a packed series of events planned for today, We will visit several locations, like the Louisville Slugger Museum. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to love the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory. This iconic museum is linked to legends and it is one of Louisville’s best known tourist attractions. This tour is fascinating with interactive exhibits and Baseball History.

Another location we will visit today is the Undulata Farms, a Saddlebred Horse Farm. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places this is where Civil War veteran Harry Weissinger and his sons once bred the great stallion, American Born. This is a private residence and horse training farm, Here we will tour the first two floors of the family home, the horse training facility and actually see training in progress. At this time of the year it is also possible to see a new foal up close and personal.

We will be stopping for lunch today at the banquet room of Claudia Sanders Dinner House. This restaurant is a replica of the elegant, old home opened by Colonel Sanders of KFC fame, in 1959. It was from this very building that Kentucky Fried Chicken grew into a world-wide organization.

Then its on to visit is the Derby Hat Boutique, where you can buy hats and accessories. Having just the Right derby hat, with the right accessories is a very important part of the Kentucky Derby Experience. You have to dress for the Win, the Place, and The Show. After touring we will return to the hotel to rest up.

We will wrap up the evening with an “Off to the Races” dinner party. The meal is a special “Taste of Kentucky” menu. A plated meal of renowned Kentucky favorites complimented with Derby Pie for dessert. The Derby Museum’s Master of Ceremonies takes over during dinner with Derby Racing fun. We have three pre-recorded horse races that will be projected on the big screen. Consider this a warm up to the big race tomorrow. It’s a chance to make a few bets, cheer for a favorite and share a few laughs. You will be rolling in the aisles with fun.

3 RIVERBOAT RACE / KENTUCKY DERBY

Today’s first event is the Derby Day Riverboat Race, it doesn’t get any better than this! Once onboard there is complimentary coffee and tea, or start the festivities with a Bloody Mary or Champagne Mimosa from the cash bar. Once underway we have experts providing a few insider tips on the Derby Race. They will talk about the Horses, how they run in different conditions, who has the post and what that means, plus information on the trainers, their Derby History and more. You also enjoy a seminar on how to place a real bet at Churchill Downs. At the end of the “How to Bet” lesson, our two private Sternwheelers will turn downstream and with those big red paddlewheels kicking up a feather trail of whitewater they race each other back to Louisville.

Next is the highlight of your trip, The Kentucky Derby. You will be at The Derby all day. Here you can enjoy crowd watching, sample a mint julep and place a few bets. This is one of the world’s greatest and most celebrated sporting events, “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” and you are on hand to experience it all.

4 HOME

This morning with hat boxes and suitcases loaded, we depart for home with another event checked off the Bucket List, With wonderful memories of Louisville & the Bluegrass state.