When we told people we were going to Louisville, KY for the weekend, we received every response from “why on earth would you choose to go there?” to “sounds like fun!”. We wanted a quick get away, so we chose a city within driving distance and one that wouldn’t be too much of a distraction from good conversation and quality time. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect, but hoped it was more than just bluegrass music and horses. What we found was a culturally vibrant city full of rich history and a future full of hope.
We drove into Louisville on Interstate 65 North and spotted two bourbon distilleries before even entering city limits. In case you didn’t know, bourbon is like water in Kentucky, where they distill 95% of the world’s bourbon. Louisville alone produces a third of Kentucky’s bourbon supply. So if you’re a bourbon fan, you should definitely make plans to visit Louisville. In fact, the city has its own urban bourbon trail with over 30 different restaurants and bars showcasing Kentucky’s world renowned bourbon. Since we aren’t really bourbon fanatics, we skipped the distillery tours and opted to simply try bourbon based cocktails at local bars instead. We learned from one local bartender that all bourbon is whiskey, but not every whiskey is bourbon. I appreciate a knowledgeable bartender and now consider myself a mini bourbon fan after enjoying drinks such as the old fashioned, mint julep lemonade and Kentucky blackberry mule at various local bars and restaurants. We did walk into the Evan Williams distillery, which is in the heart of downtown. Like many other distilleries, it has its own quaint bar, but this one also has a small lounge that showcases prohibition themed movies such as “The Untouchables”.
Before we explored the cityscape though, we checked into our home for the next couple of days. We chose a cute Bed & Bike we found on Airbnb. Each apartment came with two bikes, helmets and locks to cruise around the city. We never actually used them, but the idea was cute. The B&B is located in the downtown “New Louisville” neighborhood known as NuLu, was surrounded by local shops, used bookstores, spas, art galleries, restaurants and bars. The Taste Fine Wines and Bourbons bar, offered a nice selection of bourbons and wines. The bartenders were super friendly and greeted many patrons by name as they walked through the door. While participating in a wine tasting, we noticed an extremely long line forming outside for the ice cream shop next door. So in true food lovers fashion we decided to spend the next 30 minutes waiting to see if the ice cream at Louisville Creamery had magical powers or if they were giving it away for free. We ordered the blackberry ice cream and a bourbon shake. The ice cream was decent, definitely not worth the wait, but the bourbon shake was delicious. Other spots in the area were really lively, like the Garage Bar, which is an old gas station turned bar. The gas pumps, garages and a few 80s vehicles still remain. The two story Red Tree Furniture sold vintage pieces and specialty gifts. The shop had a unique flair with a beautiful courtyard that took me back to New Orleans. They also offered beer and wine on Fridays. The Grind, a NuLu burger joint featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drives and Dives offered some of the best burgers we’d ever had. We had the B&B, which came with brie cheese, smoked bacon and habanero jam and the Chain, which was a classic American burger with a smoky flavored kick. For sides we ordered the spicy vinegar based Broccoli salad and the Disco Fries with cheese sauce, caramelized onions and the grind’s special sauce. If you get the Broccoli salad tell them to skip the mayo and serve your salad room temperature, it will make a huge difference. We went back for more burgers before leaving, but as the saying goes, it’s never as good as the first time. However, the first visit was magical so I’d say give it a try. My only complaint about Nulu is that the shops close around 5pm, which is way too early.
The same can be said about neighboring Butchertown. I mean, we thought it was a ghost town; every time we went it was really dead. Maybe around 10am is when it gets lively, but I’d say you can skip it and spend that time somewhere else. We decided to visit 4th Street Live on the 4th of July (see what I did there?). This section of downtown is considered Louisville‘s entertainment district. It brings locals and visitors together in a casual, fun, outdoor atmosphere. This downtown gem consisted of various clubs, bars, restaurants and even entertainment such as bowling, arcades and a stage in the middle of the blocked off street for live performances. Our first stop while on 4th street was at Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse. The scent of the smoked meat just drew us in and the food was pretty decent. As we were leaving we met some strangers from Indianapolis that drove down for the day. Turns out they were originally from the south and before we knew it, in true southern fashion, we were exchanging hugs and laughs. We decided to hangout on 4th for a little bit and stopped to get some fudge and more bourbon milkshakes. At the checkout counter, we were greeted by a serenading fudge maker with her own fan club. This is one example of the 4th Street vibe. You just weren’t sure what you’d run into, but it was very laid-back, unpretentious and free.
After finding a quaint area to post up for some good people watching, the entertainment began. From street dancers to tipsy tourists, 4th Street felt like a big block party. Our plan was to head to the waterfront to watch the fireworks on the Ohio River and hear the live music (which was surprisingly not bluegrass!), but after an encounter with another interesting character in the bathroom, I found out we’d be able to see the fireworks from almost anywhere in the city. We decided to skip the crowd and hung out at this mini Beale Street a little while longer. We stopped at a hip/hop and R&B club called Virtue about a mile outside of downtown, but found it to be less appealing than it’s pictures and social media pages. We had a hard time finding any hip/hop/R&B/smooth jazz live music venue the entire time we visited, which I’d say is something the city lacks in terms of culture. Nevertheless, we were able to catch the fireworks as they lit up the sky on our ride back to the B&B.
Though we could’ve easily stayed in the loft style B&B all day, we both wanted to visit the Muhammad Ali Cultural Center. No Louisville visit would be complete without a tour of the Center, which was co-founded by Ali himself. One could easily spend a few hours in the Center, which captured the story of 3 time boxing heavy-weight champion of the world. There’s no way one could visit and not be moved or inspired to dream big and be a greater human being. The athleticism and discipline is evident in the way he trained and conquered his opponents in the boxing ring. He changed the world of boxing and set out to change the world around him. The tour began with a 15 minute film. We then delved into his formidable years, which were full of discipline and grit, because he set in his mind at a young age that he was going to be the world’s best heavy-weight boxer and he didn’t falter from his dream. Boxing enthusiasts can literally watch some of his best fights on various screens. The center also created a boxing ring and other equipment setup for individuals to participate in some mock training. It was really fun to get in the ring and dance around while repeating some of his famous, trash talking lines such as, “I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. My biggest take away though, was not his impressive skills in the ring, but rather the core principles he lived outside the ring: confidence, conviction, dedication, respect, giving and spirituality. I left having a deeper understanding of why so many people, from various walks of life and every corner of the world called him “The Greatest”. The Center, in true Ali fashion, didn’t just focus on him, his sports accomplishments, humanitarian achievements and social impact. The tour also encouraged visitors to identify their red bike moments, a reference to Ali’s red bike that was stolen as a child and as a result set his life on the path to boxing. The Red Bike Moment is a reminder to all of my fellow planners that life is meant to be unexpected so just be open to the paths yours takes. We watched several recorded Red Bike Moment videos from previous visitors, some young and some old. We made a commitment to revisit our dreams and simply do more in our own lives after leaving.
Overall, visiting Louisville got our left brains thinking and our right brains dreaming. We noticed how downtown Louisville, to include Museum Row, Whiskey Row, 4th Street Live, NuLu and Butchertown gave off a very interracial relationship and LGBTQ welcoming vibe. Almost every place we passed had rainbow flags displayed and the couples walking along the streets were so diverse. We wondered if this was new and a result of the gentrification that was taking place. Were many individuals leaving other high-cost cities and settling here, which was changing the vibe or were people actually changing and becoming more accepting and tolerant? Was this southern city really this open-minded or were there parts that we didn’t visit that were perhaps polar opposites? Was the city as diverse and open in terms of women, people of color, and the economically disadvantaged as well? One never really knows when simply visiting a city what it looks like when the city isn’t on vacation. On the way home we did a little research and found Louisville is plagued with economic disparities and racial issues. Though Louisville‘s reality was very depressing, we have a feeling the city is making strides and we were glad we got a glimpse of the change that hopefully won’t just be felt by us travelers passing through, but the locals as well.