Road Trip Adventures: Bourbon, Baseball, and Beyond 🥃 ⚾ 🚙

Greetings, Reader!

As Tim and I prepare for our move back to Boston in June, we're checking Kentucky off my list—just five states to go before I've visited all 50! Our Kentucky adventure has been the perfect blend of America's favorite pastime and its native spirit.

⚾ Louisville: Where Bats Meet Bourbon

Our first day took us to the Louisville Slugger factory and museum, where we witnessed the fascinating journey from forest to field.

The company harvests trees, transforms them into cylindrical billets, and carves them into the iconic bats that have shaped baseball history--all with zero waste.

We capped the day with a picture-perfect afternoon watching the Louisville Bats (AAA affiliate of the Reds) take on the Indianapolis Indians under clear Kentucky skies.

The Art of Bourbon 🥃

Day two immersed us in Kentucky's liquid gold. After sampling spirits at distilleries including the Whiskey Thief Distilling Company, we ventured to Lebanon's Independent Stave Company Kentucky Cooperage. Independent Stave Company is a family-owned business that produces 90% of the world's bourbon barrels.

Though photography wasn't permitted, the tour revealed bourbon's unsung hero: the white oak barrel. These meticulously crafted vessels impart the vanilla and nutty flavors that define good bourbon, with each distillery maintaining its own proprietary char recipe.

🐎 From Thoroughbreds to Tennessee 🐎

Our final day balanced more bourbon tasting with a behind-the-scenes tour of Churchill Downs. The Barn and Backside Tour offered a glimpse into racing life beyond the track, introducing us to the people who care for these magnificent athletes. We even met racing royalty—2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna—who graciously accepted our offering of her favorite peppermint candies.

Now we're Tennessee-bound, with plans to explore Oak Ridge's scientific heritage at the American Museum of Science and Energy and the K-25 History Center. Our route home to Williamsburg will wind through the scenic Great Smoky Mountains and include a poignant stop at Appomattox Court House, where the Civil War reached its conclusion in April 1865.

I'll be back next week with more connections between our early American past and present.

Cheers,

Liz