Grammi, our youngest daughter, her family, and I continued our fun-loving caravan to Bardstown, Kentucky. This leg of the trip was dedicated to exploring and experiencing the rich history and unique flavors of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Known as the ‘Bourbon Capital of the World’, Bardstown and its surrounding areas of Lexington and Louisville proved to be the perfect backdrop, offering a charming mix of historic landmarks, quaint streets, and rolling countryside. My Old Kentucky Home State Park, nestled in the heart of this bourbon paradise, served as our convenient home base for the adventure.
To make the experience even more special, our oldest daughter, her husband, and his parents flew in from Florida to join us for the weekend. When Grammi and I began planning our summer trip a few months ago, I expressed my interest in exploring the Bourbon Trail. Since Grammi isn’t much of a bourbon drinker—preferring green tea—I doubted it would be fun to do solo. However, Grammi, always full of great ideas, suggested inviting our sons-in-law to join me. That simple suggestion sparked an unforgettable family adventure.
There are 18 official distilleries on the Bourbon Trail, as well as many smaller unofficial ones, each with its own story and unique twist on bourbon-making. With only three days to explore, we knew we couldn’t visit them all. To make the most of our time, our daughters created an itinerary on their phones. They first prioritized the distilleries we wanted to visit, ranking them in order of importance. Then, they mapped out the most efficient routes. My approach was more straightforward: let’s just see how many distilleries we can visit in a day and savor every moment.
Day 1
We kicked off our adventure by gathering at our campsite on Friday morning for a hearty breakfast. As mentioned in a previous post, we started a tradition of having at least one big breakfast at every campground, and this morning was perfect for that. Before hitting the trail, we prepared breakfast for eight, plus a bowl of oats and bananas for the little one. This initial gathering provided quality family time and set the stage for the exciting journey ahead.
Our first stop on the trail was the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Established in 1775, it is one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in the United States, having survived Prohibition by producing “medicinal whiskey.” Booking a tour in advance is essential; we tried to book six weeks ahead and still ended up on a waiting list. Unfortunately, we did not get the official tour, but that did not dampen our spirits.
Embarking on a self-guided stroll around the beautiful, rustic grounds, we watched as they rolled out newly filled oak barrels of bourbon. Rolling along a track resembling a small gauge train track, the barrels presumably headed to one of the many rickhouses for storage. We bellied-up for the free tasting, which was a delightful experience, allowing us to sample some of their finest bourbons, and we lost ourselves in the gift shop that was a treasure trove of all things bourbon. I could not resist purchasing my first bottle of Blanton’s single-barrel bourbon with the collectible bottle stopper.
Buffalo Trace’s ability to transform Kentucky bourbon culture into a family-friendly environment is exceptional. It reminds me of how years ago, Anheuser-Busch turned their beer manufacturing tours into the multi-million-dollar family amusement park known as Busch Gardens. While Buffalo Trace may not yet be an amusement park, their free tours, tastings, manicured landscape, and extensive gift shop suggest they might be well on their way.
Next on the bourbon tour was the charming Woodford Reserve Distillery. Nestled in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass region, this National Historic Landmark is known for its historic limestone buildings and copper pot stills. It stands as a testament to the rich heritage of Kentucky and the bourbon it produces.
The picturesque setting immediately captivated us. As we strolled through the beautifully maintained grounds, we were immersed in the serene landscape and historic architecture, with each step bringing a sense of wonder. We explored the grounds, visited the gift shop, and sat outside on their patio-deck while tasting a sample of their bourbon in the form of an old-fashioned drink. Though our visit was brief, Woodford Reserve Distillery left a lasting impression. The blend of its historical significance, beautiful setting, and quality bourbon made it a worthwhile stop on our distillery tour.
Four Roses was next on our list of distilleries to visit. With two locations—the Warehouse and Bottling Facility at Cox’s Creek, and the Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg—we chose to visit the historic Four Roses Distillery, built in 1910. This location features distinctive Spanish Mission-style architecture and is also designated a National Historic Landmark.
The recently renovated visitor center was a highlight with over 14,000 square feet of space. It boasts a retail gift shop filled with Four Roses products and other branded merchandise such as shirts, hats, and more. Additionally, the center includes four tasting rooms, a state-of-the-art bar offering cocktails and tastings of their current bourbon selections, and displays dedicated to showcasing the history of the Four Roses brand.
We arrived an hour before closing, just in time to browse the gift shop, explore the visitor center, and order a drink from the bar. We relaxed on a big, comfy sofa with our drinks, admiring the beautiful structure. However, we didn’t stay long, as there was one more distillery we wanted to visit before it closed.
Nearby was Wild Turkey Distillery, which luckily was open for another hour, giving us time to see the new visitor center. The Jimmy Russell Wild Turkey Experience, named for the legendary master distiller, is a stunning 12,000-square-foot modern facility. It features a new gift shop, tasting room and bar, and a cozy lounge called Generations, named for the three generations of the Russell family that have worked at Wild Turkey. We went to the tasting room, where there was an outdoor deck offering breathtaking views of the Kentucky River, and ordered a flight of Wild Turkey bourbons to sample.
As a special treat, as we were leaving, we spotted Jimmy Russell himself in the lobby, graciously signing bottles of Wild Turkey bourbon that customers had purchased. It was a fitting end to our visit.
With the ladies taking control of the car keys, and having seen enough bourbon distilleries for one day, they set their sights on Springhill Plantation B&B and Winery for a relaxing change of pace where we sampled a variety of delightful local wines. Who knew Kentucky could not only make quality bourbon but also make quality wine? We did our part to support the local economy and went home with a few bottles for later.
We had dinner reservations at the Old Talbott Inn located in Bardstown. The food was average at best, but the appeal of dining where numerous notable figures, including Daniel Boone, Abraham Lincoln, French King Louis-Philippe during his exile, Andrew Jackson, and outlaw Jesse James, had stayed was too much to pass up. Established in 1779, this historic inn and tavern has a rich history and is one of the oldest western stagecoach stops in America. One story at the inn is after a night of card playing and drinking, Jesse James is said to have fired a series of bullets into the wall. I saw the holes from this alleged event.
After finishing dinner, we went back to our campsite at My Old Kentucky Home State Park and sat around a campfire to savor the day. We accomplished quite a bit, but we only scratched the surface. We still had so much more we wanted to see and do. So off to bed and on to day two.
Day 2
We started the day by meeting up at Hadorn’s Bakery in downtown Bardstown. Wanting to get an early start, we opted for donuts from this highly touted third-generation family bakery instead of cooking breakfast.
With donut in hand, it was off to Maker’s Mark Distillery where we were greeted with meticulously maintained grounds. Slate gray buildings adorned with red shutters created a stunning picturesque backdrop. Maker’s Mark is famously known for its hand-dipped red wax seal on their bottles. At the gift shop, my son-in-law and I each purchased a bottle to dip in the wax, creating a memorable keepsake.
After a delightful stroll through the lush landscape and a mushroom garden, we found some inviting benches in the shade. As we settled to enjoy the view, a man on a nearby bench started a conversation with us. What began as casual small talk quickly turned into an unexpected history lesson on Kentucky bourbon. He delved into the laws governing its manufacturing and the reasons those laws were enacted. He talked about many of the distilleries, including those smaller unofficial Bourbon Trail ones. Intrigued by his knowledge, we couldn’t help but wonder how he knew so much. As he got up to leave, he introduced himself as Toby Curtsinger, the Bourbon King and the infamous subject of a Netflix documentary. His expertise suddenly made perfect sense, and we were thrilled to have stumbled upon such a knowledgeable source.
Following Toby’s recommendation, we deviated from our planned itinerary and went to Log Still Distillery. This new venture, established by an old bourbon family, carries a storied legacy. The Dent’s bourbon history dates back to 1836 when Joseph Dent, not having the money to buy a copper still, crafted whiskey in a hollowed-out log. His knack for bourbon making soon earned him the means to buy a copper pot, and his fortunes flourished until Prohibition struck, bringing hard times.
Today, the Dent family is reviving their bourbon heritage with Log Still Distillery, named in honor of that original log still. The visitor center, smaller and more intimate than others we’ve seen, gave us the sense of discovering a hidden gem. The fewer visitors and staff created a peaceful atmosphere, allowing us to savor our bourbon on the second-floor outdoor patio while taking in the natural surroundings.
Nearby, we noticed a large rickhouse under construction, possibly indicating the distillery’s success. The small amphitheater on the grounds hinted at a vision for future events and gatherings, further enriching the experience for visitors.
Lunch was next on the docket, and we opted for Mammy’s Kitchen and Bar located in Bardstown’s Historic District because of its celebrated rustic charm and Southern comfort food. That turned out to be a big mistake. Not because the food was bad—it wasn’t. Not because the service was bad—it was friendly. It was because it took so long. When we checked in, we were told by the hostess it would be a twenty-to-thirty-minute wait for a table. Well…it was an hour. Once seated, it was another hour before our food came out. Geez, two-and-a-half hours to have lunch was more time than any of us wanted, especially since we were eager to get back to the Bourbon Trail.
Since we wasted so much time eating, we could only visit one more distillery for the day. Today’s itinerary was out the window, so we went for the closest location, which was Heaven Hill. Much like the previous distillery visits, we admired the grounds and unique architecture, browsed the visitor center, bellied up for a tasting, and perused the gift shop.
While sitting around the evening campfire, someone commented that the day was a bust because it didn’t go as planned. But that’s what happens when you seek adventures; some days are better than others. However, any day out exploring is a good day in my mind. Besides, not the whole day was a bust—we had some memorable experiences. Dipping my bottle of Maker’s Mark in the wax comes to mind.
Day 3
The day began with the men cooking breakfast for all the lovely ladies. After all, it was the least we could do for our favorite mothers on Mother’s Day. It was a laid-back morning. We were in no rush. We just enjoyed our time together as a family.
Once we cleaned up the mess from breakfast, it was off to Bardstown Bourbon Company. Established in 2014, it has quickly found recognition alongside the older well-established distilleries. Its modern state-of-the-art facility contrasted with all the others we’ve visited.
We checked to see if they might have a tour available for our group. Unfortunately, they did not have one for our size group. Having just finished breakfast, no one was interested in a tasting. So, after walking through the visitor center and checking out the gift shop, we moved on.
Next on our bourbon journey was James Beam, a recognizable name with bourbon enthusiasts. The focal point was the barn-style visitor center. Other points of interest included Jim Beam’s home, complete with rocking chairs on a big porch, perfect for soaking in the lovely surroundings. We also noted the Kitchen Table restaurant with bourbon-inspired entrees. Feeling it was still too early for bourbon, we took a brief look around and moved on.
Our next stop was downtown Louisville, where we visited Michter’s upscale lounge—The Bar at Fort Nelson. We sensed now was the time for our first bourbon drink of the day. While the ladies in our group explored the local shops, the guys ventured upstairs to a sophisticated lounge. The elegant space offered classic bourbon drinks, served in imported glassware from the U.K. with ice made from machines from around the world. It was a refined experience that complemented our bourbon theme.
Evan Williams Bourbon Experience was next on the agenda. Meeting up with the girls, we had a short walk to the location. It was not a tour of a bourbon-making facility. Rather, it was more of a guided educational experience describing the process of distilling and bottling their bourbon products. It was not the tour experience we were hoping for, but it was the best we could do for now. The tasting experience that followed was nice. We learned how to handle, sniff, and sip a glass of bourbon to distinguish the subtleties of each pour. I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to swirl the bourbon in the glass like a glass of wine before tasting it.
Next, we stopped at a local spot for lunch before having to say goodbye to daughter number one and her family. We are so happy they came to share this weekend with us. There were so many fun times and good memories. But now they had to get to the airport for their flight home.
After parting ways, the rest of us went back to our campers and settled in for the evening. Lunch was late, so we skipped dinner. That did not stop our daughter and her husband from making an after-dark run for milkshakes while Grammi and I watched over a sleeping baby. Yummy! That shake was so good.
Day 4
We finally decided it was time to explore the state park we’ve been camping in for four days. Yes, four days without seeing the famous old mansion—can you imagine that? We started with the museum and visitor center which featured exhibits on the history of Federal Hill. After browsing the gift shop and buying tickets for the guided tour, we walked down a path to the 200-year-old home.
A tour guide, dressed in period clothing, led us through the rooms on the first and second floors of the 200-year-old home where seventy-five percent of the furnishings are original to the house. He told the story of the Rowan family. And when you least expected it, the talented tour guide broke into a rendition of Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home.”
Our bourbon adventure was not over yet. No sir! We had one last distillery to visit before departing the area. Lux Row Distillers welcomed us to the full-blown guided tour. It was like walking into a bourbon lover’s paradise. We got an inside look at every stage in the whiskey-making process. Sticking my finger into the warm mash for a taste and dipping a copper whiskey thief into a wooden bourbon barrel felt amazingly like a bourbon enthusiast’s dream. The flight of top-shelf bourbons in the tasting room was the perfect grand finale.
As we wound down our stay near the Bourbon Trail, we spent the rest of the day packing up for tomorrow’s early departure. This also meant saying goodbye to daughter number four and her family. Having two weeks of caravaning from one campsite to the next, we created unforgettable family memories. The baby, almost ready to crawl, will probably be walking the next time we see her. Grammi is going to cry when they pull out. I will be sad too. This is the tough part of traveling and living a life of adventure. But ultimately, it is worth it.
Until next time…happy days and safe travels.
