Frankfurt/Bowling Green visit

Wow, first thread I've ever started in TW, and it's in the Kentucky Forum.

Greetings from Canada...heading down to KY for a couple/few days to do the bourbon distillery tour(s) then hit the Vette Factory/Museum in early July...looking for input to fill out the schedule while there.

Scenic areas, live entertainment...not into the touristy shit too much.

Any thoughts?

Gracias

 

@beertimecontinuum lives a stones throw from there.

 

I work in Frankfort and drink beer at my house lol, not really the best for advice in that dept. I've made a few stops on the distillery tour with friends which was fun, toured the Corvette Museum in high school, My Xwife was Canadian.... @Brussell56 @Bluegrass Taco

 

I'm just south of Louisville. Not far from Jim Beam distillery. Best place to start the tour is in the Bardstown area. The distillery tours are "touristy" to a degree. If you have a day to burn, hit the Mammoth Cave tour. If it was our off season, I'd join in on the fun and do some of the distillery tours with ya! But summer months are difficult for me to get out of the parking lot at work....

My favorites on the bourbon trail is Makers Mark and Wild Turkey.

Best "live entertainment" was this past weekend....The RRG trail meet/campout....Plenty of VERY entertaining things there....! HA

 

I'll come have a beer at your house LMAO

For the bourbon tours, was thinking of doing the Buffalo Trace (Eagle Rare FTW) and Woodfords...Woodfords because I may as well have shares in that place for all the bottles I consume.

Mammoth Cave, now that sounds interesting. Going to have to look into that a little bit further.

Any light trails, for a stock Taco?

Much thanks guys, keep em coming if you think of anything else

 

Woodford is really close to Wild Turkey.

Over this past weekend, we went to Red River Gorge area with a group of Tacoma's (and one Dodge) Several stock Tacoma's. It's doable, but I'd not go alone.

 

Ya, not doing anything solo where a wrecker could not get in...Dont want to hear any banjo strumming in the background lol

 

I'll reply to this tonight with some info. I live in Bardstown and went to college in Bowling Green. Both great places to visit.

 

Awesome Thanks....and we share the same name, Brent!

 

Bardstown Area:

• I've actually never been on a distillery tour so I'm really of no help in that department. Buttttttt.... if I were to choose two in Bardstown I would probably go to Heaven Hill and Willett which happen to be less than a mile from each other. I've heard great things about the distillery tours in and around Frankfort/Lawrenceburg. I believe there is a trolley that will run you from Louisville to Makers Mark for the day if that interest you.
• While(if) in Bardstown there is nothing that I would not classify as "touristy shit" really. There is a new bourbon bar that recently opened called Moses Black Bourbon Tavern which I recommend you add to your places to see. There's a bunch of museums in town, mainly civil war era, even a replica civil war town. My Old Kentucky Home is a mile from Moses Black, pretty neat place to tour.
• Mammys Kitchen is also highly recommended for eating. Just ate there Saturday. The bourbon burger is legit, hotbrown is legit, pie is apparently legit and they ask you after your meal if you're ready for pie. They have a bar with a decent selection of bourbon. I think it's mostly run of the mill stuff though.
• 3rd Street Tap house is right next door to Mammys Kitchen and has a small selection of bourbon with some good ones thrown in there. Heaven Hill Select Stock 20 Year Fire Anniversary is an obscure one they had, may not have it now though. They have ~20 craft beers on draft too.
• Live Entertainment: Stephen Foster the Musical is a big deal and highly recommenced by most. Don't think I've ever been.
• Street Concert Sat. July 8: https://www.bardstownmainstreet.com/bourbon-city-street-concert/ This usually gets pretty rowdy lol. Will be between Moses Black and 3rd Street Tap House.Moses Black and Mammys usually have live music at night, Friday/ Saturday.

• Outdoor wise: Bernheim Forest is across the street from Jim Beam in Clermont. It is a nature preserve essentially with hiking, fishing, and general outdoors enjoyment. All roads are paved. Nearby gravel road, creek crossing off of Hwy. 245: Harrison Fork Rd. 37.880372, -85.542558. Hometown Pizza is nearby which is good pizza. I can give you coordinates to a lookout if interested around New Haven. Would be out of your way but it follows the scenic route to Bowling Green.

I65 corridor:

• If taking scenic route: Hwy: 31E, 357, 31W south through, New Haven, Hodgenville, Mumfordville etc., etc. to Bowling Green(BG, not to be confused with "The BG", Bluegrass Parkway which runs Lexington to Elizabethtown)the lookout will not be far out of the way. Will require 4x4, but likely not a locker, PM if interested. Overlooks river bottoms and associated knobs. If you want a backroads route I can recommend one.
• If taking the Bluegrass Parkway, I65 route from Bardstown to Bowling Green, most scenic views are lost. That portion of I65, Etown to BG, has been under construction for over 7 years and is currently ~30 miles of construction with 2 lanes of angry drivers. It is getting better though. I65 will take you past Dinosaur World, Gun Town Mountain and Kentucky Down Under. All of which I would avoid like the plague except for maybe KY Down Under. Think Australian Zoo but in KY. All tourist hot spots.
• Highly recommend spending half a day at Mammoth Cave on one of their guided tours. I promise you've never seen anything like it and probably never will. It is a gem, pun intended cause geology rocks. I've done the historical tour and it was great. There is good hiking in the park. I always see turkeys, deer usually. Most exploring here will be on foot or bicycle. Most walking tours are $25 or less.
• Go take a tour ^^^

Bowling Green:

• Can't comment on the Vette stuff, never been but it looks like a good time. I don't know if you can get a ride on the new track but that thing is badass. There's always stuff going on in BG. https://www.visitbgky.com/ is your friend. The downtown area is nice and host events.
• Lost River Cave is neat. An underground river boat tour through a cave, cause geology rocks. Lost River Pizza is located nearby with craft beer Wino's next to Lost River Pizza is a bistro type deal I believe with a selection of wines.
• Shanty Hollow is 15 mins outside of town and provides some hiking and a waterfall.
• Recommend eating at Griffs Deli on Scottsville Rd., Steamers Seafood on State St., Double Dogs on Scottsville Rd, Mariahs/643 off of E 8th. St., Chaneys Dairy Barn on Nashville Rd.
  
• White Squirrel is a local micro brewery that recently opened. People seem to like it, never been.
• I've a good friend that works on the university farm. He used to run the vineyard there and I could ask if he does tours.
• Some good flat water canoeing/kayaking via Drakes Creek.
• Barren River Lake is ~40 minutes away. Barren River runs through town.

That''s all I got. Anything specific just ask. Was trying to keep it kinda short and concise.


TL;DR eh? click the two hyperlinks and explore those

 

Have family in Glasgow, Barren County.

Also recommend Mammoth Cave. Also suggest just riding around the local farm community roads and enjoying the rolling farmland. Not horse country in this area, but still pretty.

Here's a nice B & B we enjoyed the last time we were in the area. https://www.bedandbreakfast.com/usa-brownsville-serenityhillbedandbreakfast.html

You might enjoy visiting Houchens First Store Pavillion. It's a small collection of local interest, including a one room schoolhouse my grandmother taught in.

Barren River Lake State park is pretty nice. You might enjoy a pontoon boat rental and a tour of the lake, some swimming and fishing. http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/barren-river/

Seeing Lincoln's birthplace is pretty interesting if you like that era of history. https://www.nps.gov/abli/index.htm

 

Forgot about Lincoln! Along with his birthplace, his boyhood home is just north of Hodgenville on Hwy 31E. Another reason to take the scenic route.

 

Gentlemen, all of you....outstanding!

A lot to digest here, and definitely not tl;dr...that is awesome.

Brent, travel agent by trade? If not, should consider...great writeup, thank you!

Wife just mentioned tonite my passport expired 2 months ago, gotta scramble to see if I can get it renewed in time, I'll know tomorrow.

Would y'all mind if I hit ya up with some follow up should this documentation deal get expedited? Really, I've went from wondering how can I fill 3 days to, motherfucker...how am I gonna fit it all in now....I'll let ya know in a day or two if I get the wrinkle ironed out

Much appreciated

Brent

 

Awesome Bill, I gots some wrangling to do....

 

Alright, looks like the passport deal is gonna work out. Gonna do interstate from Detroit to Louisville on to Frankfurt...I think I have to do Buffalo Trace minimum...Bardstown area is looking like a nice first nighter.

From there to Bowling Green we're really liking the scenic route. That New Haven 31E 357 etc Route looks like the preferred route for our interests.

Yup, doing hot laps at the vette track.

Very much intend to do the caves, probably Lost River Tour ... thanks for that, would never have known.

Gonna try to map out a schedule based on the tour(ist) timelines and fill in the most for 3 days.

Thanks again!

 

KK, here's where I'm at...

Depart Marine City "Day 1" AM-ish...like 8am....ish, 6hr 15min drive to Frankfurt (Buffalo Trace Distillery…Eagle Rare FTW)

http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

1 hour Tour at Buffalo Trace…tour starts on the hour every hour til 4pm (last tour)

Off to Woodford Reserve…may as well since I must have funded a warehouse or two for the company

https://www.woodfordreserve.com/

Overnight in Bardstown

Ideas from @Brussell56

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/frankfurt-bowling-green-visit.498088/#post-15469627

Wake up, head to Bowling Green and Vette Factory/Museum/Track

http://motorsportspark.org/hot-touring-parade-laps/

Somewhere in here, catch the Lost River Cave Tour

http://www.lostrivercave.org/

It’s a .org so the feel good is there

Nite in Bowling Green Area, wake up…off to Mammoth Cave National Park

https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm

Cuz, “geology rocks”!
* @Brussell56 circa 2017
**Seconded by @Clearwater Bill

Then the Home Stretch…back to the “Last American Exit” to my hometown



Different route home, cuz… it’s Indiana af!

Time to accomplish? 3 days...




Any better routes? Yanno, leaning to the scenic side of things…tried to follow the more scenic stuff but if I’m by-passing close by and missing an hour or two on a better scenic route (cool shit, like views and shit) would appreciate the input

Dankje! Please understand guys, all y'all in this thread...your turning a cool mini-cation into a real Dawesome triple cool-cation...very much appreciated!

 

On your way home, I'd assume you'll be headed up I 65 through Indianapolis. (Then either I 65 or I 69 on north) While in Indianapolis, visit the Indianapolis 500 museum, and/or "Childrens Museum of Arts and Science". Both are nothing short of incredible.

 

T

Thats an affirmative on the route, and if time allows might. Although the wifey might be all car museumed out by then lol

Tnx

 

Looks like a fun trip, stay safe and enjoy!