Bourbon, beer, wine, and equines in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region

by Katie Hammel on
My desire to take advantage of flight deals and see new places often takes me to destinations I might not have otherwise considered. An $89 round trip flight from Chicago to Louisville, for example, is how I ended up discovering that there’s a lot more to Kentucky‘s Bluegrass region than horses.
Louisville
The Louisville airport is larger than Lexington and receives more daily flights, which means for most people, it will be cheaper to fly into Louisville than Lexington. The two cities are an hour’s drive away from each other, so you can easily see both over a long weekend, no matter which airport you fly into. Louisville is the larger of the two cities- actually it is the largest in Kentucky. It’s not a major city though, and if you come expecting a Bluegrass Chicago, you may be disappointed.

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of things to do in Louisville though. Boxing fans will want to visit the Muhammad Ali Center and baseball lovers can’t miss the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. The West Main area, also known as museum row, is home to several impressive art, history and science museums. Fort Knox and the Belle of Louisville (the oldest Mississippi-style steamboat still in use in the US) are also popular attractions.

In Louisville, I stayed at the 1888 Rocking Horse Manor. A totally restored historic house just south of the downtown area (an easy 15 minute walk), it features its original stained glass, antique furniture, free wi-fi, and a cooked-to-order breakfast included in the rate. The furnishings look a little like they came from your grandma’s house, but the hosts are helpful and friendly, the breakfast (and soft, chewy cookies available all day) is delicious, and the house is full of hidden nooks and crannies where you can escape and relax. Rates start at around $85 per night.

To find Louisville’s trendy scenesters (yes, they do exist), head to Proof on Main, a lounge/restaurant in the 21C Hotel. The menu features artisanal small plates (like bison bone marrow or grilled fennel relish) and eclectic main plates like roasted beet risotto and Amish chicken that start at $15. The drink list emphases the local Bourbon. The $10 Woodland Cider (bourbon, clove and apple cider) was excellent and you can take your drink into the adjoining museum and browse the modern art installations while you sip.

For a more casual meal, check out the pub grub at Bluegrass Brewing. They serve all the standards like burgers, pizzas and salads, plus local specialties like the Hot Brown – a giant sandwich of turkey, tomato, bacon, cheese and Alfredo sauce. After a few Bourbon Barrel Oatmeal Stouts, it’s just the kind of food you may need to avoid a morning hangover.

Lexington
Lexington is pure horse-country. The airport is just outside of Keenland, where you can place your bets and watch athletic Thoroughbred horses speed around the track. True horse enthusiasts (and anyone with kids) should head to the Kentucky Horse Park, a working horse farm, event grounds, and museum dedicated to all things horse. The park is home to over 100 horses (less in winter) and often hosts horse shows and competitions like the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event. Admission is $15 for adults and well worth it. Plan on spending at least 3-4 hours onsite. The farm offers horseback and pony rides (as do several other farms in the area). Many racing and breeding farms also offer tours (by appointment) to visitors.

The Bourbon Trail runs between Lexington and Louisville and features eight distilleries producing Bourbon, which is the United States’ only native spirit and is produced only in Kentucky. You can visit one or two (I highly recommend Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark) or head to the Whiskey Heritage Center to try multiple brands in one spot.

If Bourbon isn’t your drink of choice, you can also visit several wineries in the area – there are over a dozen within an hour’s drive of Lexington. At Wildside Vines, about 20 minutes west of the city, you can sample eight of their award-winning wines at no cost. Be sure to try the creative dessert wines like Blueberry and Blackberry.

For a fun night on the town, try the Cheapside Bar and Grill, a local favorite tucked away on a side street in the downtown core. It’s always packed, the daily drink specials are a great deal, they often have live music on weekends, and the Kentucky Bourbon Ale is strong and cheap.

There are many familiar chain hotels in the downtown area and further out of the city, you can stay the night at several working horse farms that offer accommodation. For $55 a night, you can also try the Motel 6. It’s a five minute drive (or $10 taxi) out of the downtown core. It’s basic but clean, and with the money saved, you can afford a few more bottles of Bourbon or Kentucky wine for souvenirs.

La Mamounia in Marrakech now open

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The only way to experience Marrakech is in luxury surroundings, especially after a day of wandering the medina. A new hotel promises to make this better than ever.

After three years of renovation, La Mamounia is open to guests. This property’s unique collection of amenities and activities allows the guest experience to be tailored, so you can make your trip to Marrakech exactly what you want it to be. La Mamounia is celebrating its reopening with a five-night program that includes a spa treatment upon arrival and several others during the stay, airport transportation, aromatherapy turndown service and several meals, including dinners at L’Italien par Don Alfonso, Le Pavillon de la Piscine and Le Français.

The culinary and spa experiences are supplemented with an array of touring alternatives, including a guided tour of Marrakech with a professional photographer (trust me, both parts of this are very useful), a “Flavors of Marrakech” tour and a Moroccan wine tasting with the hotel’s sommelier. Also, you can take a full day trip out to the Atlas Mountains.

Following the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail

by Katie Hammel on

Around an hour’s drive from Chicago (close to four hours from Detroit), the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail is located at the southwest border of Michigan, near the resort towns of New Buffalo, St. Joseph, and Saugatuk. The countryside in the area contains over 10,000 acres of grapes and twelve wineries. It’s easy to plan a weekend getaway (or even a day-trip from Chicago) to this beautiful wine region near the Lake.

Where to Drink
With a dozen wineries to chose from, it can hard to narrow down your choices. But you’ll need to limit yourself to four or five per day (those little tastes do add up!). Warner Vineyards, St. Julian, and Contessa Wine Cellars all offer free tastings. Free Run Cellars and the Round Barn Winery are owned by the same family. Buy a $5 souvenir wine glass at one, and it will cover your tasting fees at the other as well. At Round Barn, you can taste five wines, one dessert wine, and one of their made-onsite vodkas. There is also a beer-tasting room where you can sample some of the beers they brew. Tours of the wine cellar, cave, brewery and distillery are available for groups of 20 people at $10 each, and you can enjoy lunch at the picnic facilities that overlook the vineyards.

Where to Stay
You’ll find some hotel chains in the area, but for a little more character, check out the Oliver Inn Bed and Breakfast, a restored Victorian inn where rooms start at $100 per night. The Marina Grand in New Buffalo is a little swankier. Rooms run $140 to $200 per night, but feature luxury bedding, marina views, and the hotel has a fitness center and indoor and outdoor pools.

Where to Eat
New Buffalo and St. Joseph have the most options for dining. Here you’ll find everything from casual pub food at the Stray Dog Bar and Grill to fine dining at The Dining Room at Clearbrook. For a special occasion, try Tabor Hill, which serves meals made from local ingredients in a romantic setting. If you didn’t buy enough wine on your tasting tour, New Buffalo’s Vino 100 wine shop is the perfect place to stop. They have over 100 bottles that cost under $10.

What to Do
Other than staining your lips purple at the area’s wineries, you can take advantage of the Trail’s lakeside location with swimming, sailing, or relaxing on the beach near Saugatuk. You’ll also find several u-pick fruit farms, a cider mill, and your standard assortment of resort town stores – candy shops, ice cream parlors, and “resort wear” boutiques.

If you don’t have a designated driver and wish to have more than a few samples, there are several companies that offer transportation along the route. Fruitful Vine charges $50 per hour for transportation in a Suburban (which seats five) or offers four-hour hop-on bus tours for $39 per person in summer.

Labor Day destination – The 2009 Sonoma Country Wine Weekend

by Scott Carmichael on

As summer comes to an end, Labor Day weekend is traditionally the final opportunity for you to enjoy festivals, theme parks and other events.

Labor Day weekend is also when the 2009 Sonoma Country Wine Weekend presented by Visa Signature is held. This three day event combines the TASTE of Sonoma with the Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction.

During the event, wineries offer lunches and dinners, pairing their wines with food prepared by local chefs. Many of the tables have already been sold, so be sure to check for availability on the site of the Wine Weekend.

The TASTE of Sonoma is held at the MacMurray Ranch, where you’ll be able to sample wines from over 150 wineries and food from over 60 local chefs. The TASTE has been named one of the top 10 wine and food events in the country, so you can be sure this is one event you won’t want to miss.

If you know in advance that driving is a bad idea (and wine combined with your car usually is), then why not take advantage of shuttle transportation from various local hotels to the MacMurray Ranch, for just $15/$20, depending on where you need to be picked up. Information on how to book the shuttle, and its routes, can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you are not lucky enough to be able to make it down to Sonoma, then check out their online wine auction site – not only will you be able to bid on some amazing wine, your money will benefit various Sonoma County charities.

Wine, Dine and Raft Your Way Along Idaho’s Snake River

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

What better way to spend an adventure-filled whitewater rafting trip along Idaho’s Hell’s Canyon (the deepest gorge in North America) than to experience it while sampling an array of Oregon Pinot Noir’s and delicious cuisine whipped up on-site by a renown executive chef?

O.A.R.S. (Outdoor Adventure River Specialists) is offering a five day “wine on the river” adventure trip starting September 14th, along the dam-controlled Snake River, which is known for its powerful drops and “roller-coaster” waves along Class III rapids. After a fun-filled day bucking through the rolling waters, participants are treated to an evening of award-winning wines from the Pacific Northwest designed to be savored along the river’s sandy beaches. Hors’douvres along with dinner will then be expertly prepared under the direction of executive chef, Adam Bernstein, owner of Adam’s Place Restaurant in Eugene, Oregon.

Adam’s Place, which specializes in organic and sustainable Northwestern cuisine lightly dotted with European and Asian influences, boasts a menu which includes such regional delights as steamed Pacific mussels in white wine, all-natural Carlton Farm pork tenderloin (all of Chef Bernstein’s meats are hormone and antibiotic-free) as well as stick-to-your-ribs comfort foods like chicken crock pie with a biscuit crust and hand-cut paparadelle with braised lamb and wild mushrooms, which after a long day battling the mighty river, are sure to satisfy any hungry outdoor enthusiast.

Williamette Valley native and local wine expert, Robert Wolfe, who is also president of the Oregon Pinot Noir Club oversees tastings and pairings, and will lead participants on a guided tour of some of the region’s best vintages and varietals. And, this is no run-of-the-mill wine experience. Each wine will be carefully selected to complement Chef Bernstein’s culinary offerings, allowing diners to get a taste of a five-star restaurant right along the banks of the Snake River.

In addition to afternoons on the water, participants can take short hikes to local historic sites, view prehistoric Native American pictographs, fish for Rainbow Trout, or for more gallant travelers, participate in a spectacular vista hike from Suicide Point, which offers a dramatic view of the river and its canyon walls.

Included in your trip is five days of rafting with four nights camping, a scenic charter air flight to the put-in point, all meals with beer and wine at dinner, and expedition equipment (including a 2-person shared tent and sleeping bags) as well a personal flotation device, wetsuits and waterproof bags to hold your gear.

For over 30 years, O.A.R.S. has been running river trips throughout Idaho, Utah, California, Oregon, Wyoming, the Grand Canyon and internationally. Along with enrichment travel opportunities, O.A.R.S. strives to encourage and actively support a deeper appreciation and preservation of its rivers and natural ecosystems through responsible tourism. For more about O.A.R.S. or to book a trip, please visit www.oars.com

–Kendra