Yes, I enjoyed my wedding, and of course, won’t forget seeing Norwich win the play-off final at Wembley… But, an unexpected day that will forever sit fondly in my memory is my 24 hours in Louisville, Kentucky.
Have you ever been dragon boating, ziplining and to a rock festival all in one day? No? Well, read on!
We travelled to Louisville from Nashville, stopping at the incredible Mammoth Cave National Park on the way. With over 426 miles of explored passageways, it’s the largest known cave system in the world; a fact we learned on the two-hour ‘Historic Tour’, expertly delivered by David, a smartly dressed Park Ranger with a wonderfully dry wit.
The National Park is around a 1 hour 30 minute drive from Louisville, so can easily be visited on a day trip from the city. Take time to also explore above ground. We followed one of the short hiking trails down to the beautiful Green River.
I patted myself on the back for my choice of accommodation in Louisville, the stylish Hotel Genevieve on East Market Street, in the fashionable NuLu neighbourhood. The staff were welcoming, the vibe relaxed, and I loved the 70’s-style curved furnishings.
Downstairs, through a secretive door, the ‘Jimmy Can’t Dance’ speakeasy served a sumptuous margarita. I would have been more than happy to work my way through the rest of the cocktail menu, but we had tickets for the Slugger Field and first pitch wasn’t long off…
Admittedly, as a Brit, I’ve never quite got baseball, but being in the home of America’s favourite baseball bat, the Louisville Slugger, carefully crafted just down the road, this stuck me as the best place to catch my first game.
On the banks of Ohio River, the Slugger Field is a classic ballpark, with a grand red brick stand that wraps around the batter’s box. Beer, nachos, funny-ears-cam, a bloke firing T-shirts into the crowd… what more could you want!
We had seats up high, but moved pitch-side for the controversial extra over, and Louisville loss. Despite the result, sitting in the warm Kentucky evening, I thought “I could get used to this!”
The Ohio River originates from the Iroquois (Seneca) word Ohi:yo’, which translates to the ‘Good’ or ‘Great River’. 981 miles long, it’s the source of drinking water for over five million people.
Spanning the Ohio River, and connecting Louisville to Jeffersonville in neighbouring Indiana, is the impressive Big Four Bridge, where we met friends for an early morning walk. A decommissioned railroad bridge, it sat idle for 45 years before re-opening to pedestrians, cyclists and roller-skaters in 2013. Each night, it’s lit up by thousands of LEDs.
Dragon boat racing is becoming a bit of a Kentucky thing, with annual festivals near Covington and in Paducah.
Our friends invited us to join their crew for a ‘light’ training session on the Great River. ‘Light’ obviously means different things to different people. I quickly worked up a sweat, and an appetite for a delicious brunch back at a café on East Market Street.
It was great fun though, and ever so peaceful down on the river, with herons and egrets milling by the banks.
Louisville has a secret, a big one in fact. The city is home to the largest man-made cave system in North America, 100-acres in size, and you wouldn’t even known it as you drive the Watterson Expressway or wander around Louisville Zoo that sit above!
As we arrived, so did an articulated lorry with goods to store in one of the caverns, which keep a constant temperature of 14.5 °C all year round. We weren’t there to store granny’s furniture though, we were going ziplining! On the world’s only fully underground ziplining course.
I admit, I needed a little encouragement to jump of the first platform into the dark… but after that I was hooked! It was certainly a surreal experience, gliding through the old limestone mine, not quite sure where you’ll land.
Each zipline had its own twist; lights, music, a massive drop beneath your feet! I’d certainly do it again, but for these intrigued by the caverns but not seeking an adrenaline rush, 60-minute guided tours are available that explore the geology and history of the underground quarry.
Louder than Life isn’t an understatement. America’s largest rock festival attracts the biggest acts with the Foo Fighters playing the day before we arrived.
We were treated to the psychedelic sounds of Tool, furious drumming of Godsmack, and distinctive vocals of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst – a joyous trip back to my youth! Plus, the lead singer of Fever 333 dived off a tent into the crowd. Gnarly.
I know, Megadeth and Iron Maiden (headlining in 2026) aren’t for everyone. Bourbon & Beyond is though!
Louisville’s other mega festival always boasts a wonderfully mixed line-up of rock, bluegrass and country acts, great food and too-easy-to-drink local whiskeys. It’s also held at the Highland Festival Grounds, typically a week or two after Louder than Life.
These itineraries all include time in Louisville.
Covington | Frankfort | Lexington | Bardstown | Owensboro | Louisville
Cincinnati | Covington | Louisville | Owensboro | Nashville | Memphis | Cleveland | Natchez | New Orleans
Covington | Louisville | Mammoth Cave | Nashville | Blue Ridge | Asheville | Roanoke | Shenandoah National Park | Washington D.C.
Covington | Frankfort | Lexington | Bardstown | Owensboro | Louisville
Cincinnati | Covington | Louisville | Owensboro | Nashville | Memphis | Cleveland | Natchez | New Orleans
Covington | Louisville | Mammoth Cave | Nashville | Blue Ridge | Asheville | Roanoke | Shenandoah National Park | Washington D.C.
For horse racing, it doesn’t get much bigger than the Kentucky Derby, held each year on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, just south of Louisville city centre. Even is you can’t make ‘The Run for the Roses’ itself, you’ll find live racing in May and June, and September through November. Plus, a fascinating museum, open year-round.
An evening at Churchill Down’s is definitely on my ‘to-do’ list for my next trip to Louisville, as is a visit to the acclaimed Muhammad Ali Center. The boxing great grew up in the Parkland neighbourhood, in the west of the city. The museum celebrates his life, not only as a sportsman, but as an activist and a humanitarian, who fought for civil rights, travelling the world to speak out against apartheid and colonialism.
Leaving Louisville I decided to pick up a bottle for a friend back home. With nearly 20 distilleries in the city I was spoilt for choice. Most are centred around Whiskey Row, with Evan Williams, the Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., and Old Forester amongst others offering behind-the-scenes tours. I opted for a bottle of Rabbit Hole’s ‘Heigold’, something a little tricky to find back home.
So, there we have it. Dragon boat racing, ziplining in a cave, and headbanging at the USA’s biggest rock festival, all in 24 hours in Louisville…
And still so much more to see!
The closest airports to Louisville with direct flights from the UK are:
There are regular flights to Louisville from most major US cities, including:
Happiest outdoors, Rowan loves a National Park, and has wandered mountain trails in the Canadian Rockies, Colorado and the Pacific Northwest. Next on his list are the jungles of South East Asia…
