The Fall Meet!
Keeneland's fall meet is quickly approaching and it has me thinking about fall clothes! What will you be wearing to Keeneland this year?
Max and Sophie's Guide to Dog-Friendly Kentucky
I'm a crazy dog lady. I don't even pretend otherwise. I'm nuts about my dogs and take them everywhere that they can safely, easily, and politely go.
 |
| Max at Fourth Street Live! |
Now, my dogs are gorgeous and smart and sweet. But they aren't exactly Paris Hilton purse-dogs. My boy, Max, is an 80 pound Labrador Retriever. Sophie, my girl, is a fifty-pound Lab mix. They don't exactly sneak up on you. But they love to travel and meet new people. Here's their list of favorite pet-friendly Kentucky spots.
 |
| Puppy Max in Cherokee Park |
Cherokee Park. When Max was just a puppy, we lived in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood. Louisville's amazing park system has been celebrated for so many reasons; dog-friendliness is certainly a big part of their appeal for us! My beau and I walked baby Max to Cherokee Park's "Dog Hill" several times a week. He learned to play catch and meet people and other dogs. He came home good and exhausted after several trips down the steep hill.
 |
| Puppy Max in Cherokee Park |
Bluegrass Barkery. Lexington's Bluegrass Barkery specializes in safe, healthy treats for your dog. Max celebrated his third birthday there with a fun cookie, which was apparently delicious.
 |
| Bluegrass Barkery goodies |
Ashland's Central Park. When visiting family in the Eastern part of the state, Max and Sophie love to walk around the park. Soph is a particular fan of the squirrels and dogs, and just loves watching little kids play soccer in their Saturday morning league games.
The Starbucks at Nicholasville and New Circle. Ok, Kentucky has caught up with the rest of the world and now has dozens of Starbucks locations. But, this store, in the middle of Lexington's shopping district, introduced Max and Sophie to "puppy lattes" -- shot cups filled with whipped cream. It was love at first lick!
 |
| Sophie gets a puppy latte |
The Seelbach. It's no secret that, here at HerKentucky, we love the historic Seelbach Hilton. So does Max. My beau and I have stayed there with Max a few times, and he's always been treated like a little prince. As he prances through the lobby, clicking his nails on the marble floors, I'm reminded that Scott Fitzgerald was once thrown out of the very same establishment. They have their standards.
 |
| Max Stayed Here. |
The Highlands. Perhaps the most dog-friendly neighborhood I've ever seen. Max has been welcomed on the patios of Molly Malone's, Wick's, O'Shea's and countless other bars and restaurants around Louisville's Bardstown Road. I guess he's done his part to keep Louisville weird.
 |
| Max hydrates at Wick's Pizza |
Where do your Kentucky dogs like to go?
The Great American Game
 |
| Walking from Kentucky to Ohio |
Last Saturday night, I went to my first-ever Reds game. I really don't know why I'd never been to one before, other than I've just never found baseball as interesting as basketball or football. I figured it would be a good time to grab a pretzel and maybe a watered-down Bud Light, feign interest through the game while checking the UK-Kent State score on my phone, pick up a piece of Reds gear, and then be able to say "Oh, yeah, I've been to a Reds game." I had no idea that it would actually be extremely fun.
 |
I drove up with my parents and brother for the evening. We had the fun idea to stop in Newport, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. We had dinner at the Hofbräuhaus, a German restaurant and Biergarten; the food was amazing and the beer was far better than most craft brewery options. We walked off our Spätzle and Jägerschnitzel by taking a pedestrian bridge across the river to the Ball Park. It was a beautiful night for a walk, and our car was safely tucked away in a valet lot.
Once the game was under way, I found myself really enjoying the experience. Turns out, I know way more about the mechanics of baseball than I realized. And the game didn't drag out like I'd been warned that it would. It helped a lot that the opposing team -- the Houston Astros -- wasn't very good. Joey Votto, the Reds' first baseman, was very good. As was pitcher Bronson Arroyo. It was fun to see the crowd go wild as each player's intro music was played. I had to laugh as I imagined pro basketball or football players having theme songs, but it just worked.
It helped a lot that my brother is a Reds Superfan. He loves the game, loves the team, and loves the experience. He could tell me the difference between Mr. Red, Gapper, Rosie, and Mr. Redlegs. He knew the words to the songs, and all the traditions. It helped me feel a little more at home.
Once the game was under way, I found myself really enjoying the experience. Turns out, I know way more about the mechanics of baseball than I realized. And the game didn't drag out like I'd been warned that it would. It helped a lot that the opposing team -- the Houston Astros -- wasn't very good. Joey Votto, the Reds' first baseman, was very good. As was pitcher Bronson Arroyo. It was fun to see the crowd go wild as each player's intro music was played. I had to laugh as I imagined pro basketball or football players having theme songs, but it just worked.
 |
| You can't tell from here, but that's Joey Votto. He's pretty. |
I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ballpark concessions. The soft pretzel was as good as the one we'd enjoyed at an excellent German restaurant only hours earlier -- that's quite an comparison. I don't personally eat hot dogs, but everybody in my group said that the Big Red Smokey was amazing. Even more amazing was the fact that the watery Bud Light I'd anticipated turned out to be a local IPA, from Cincinnati's Moerlein Brewery. The walk back to Kentucky capped off a lovely evening. In a "straight out of central casting" moment, there was even a violinist playing on a park bench as we walked across the bridge. I found myself mentally planning a trip for next season. I think I'm a Reds fan now.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival
Now that we're past the oppressiveness of summer heat and the State Fair and its terrifyingly odd fried foods are behind us, it's time for festival season in Kentucky. This weekend is a great one for everyone!
 |
That's right. If the festival were a person, it would get to legally enjoy its namesake.
Held every year in Bardstown, Kentucky, the Bourbon Festival celebrates Kentucky's native spirit with events like a barrel-making demonstration, a balloon glow, tours of historic Bardstown, a free country music concert, bourbon tastings and countless other events. You can see the entire list at http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/events.html.
When my husband and I first started dating, before I was employed in the spirits industry, we made a trip to the Bourbon Festival. I'm not a bourbon drinker, a bad experience in college ruined me on it. However, I love history and am interested in how things are made, so the festival offered lots of things for me to enjoy. For my husband, it was pretty close to the best thing ever. He loves bourbon. He has strong opinions about how it should be enjoyed. While my favorite booths were ones where the exhibitors showed how pioneers made bourbon, his favorite place was the tasting booth.
 |
You guys. Even I, a non-bourbon drinker relegated to drinking the only beer on hand (Bud Light), was impressed by the bourbon tasting booth. Admission offered to adults only (of course), nearly every single bourbon produced in Kentucky is featured. When we attended, the procedure was to buy tickets. Then, those tickets could be redeemed for tasting samples of your choice of bourbon. Of course, the "price" of tastings varied. My husband took this opportunity to taste bourbon varieties that he'd never had before or that were out of his price range at the liquor store. He tasted a variety including the coveted and hard-to-find Pappy Van Winkle 23-year old bourbon. He was in heaven!
You've got until Sunday to visit the Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. Many events and demonstrations are free. Some require advance tickets or payment for entry. Check out the festival's website for more information.
From someone whose livelihood currently depends on our state's signature spirit, thanks for supporting the industry! Please drink responsibly and designate a sober driver.
One Year!
Today is HerKentucky's first birthday!
It's hard to believe that something that started as little more than an idea tossed around a group email has turned into such a vibrant community for Kentucky women's voices. A year later, I count our writing staff, who started out as a loose group of my colleagues and acquaintances, among my dearest friends.
Thanks so much to everybody who reads HerKentucky and connects with us via social media. I so wish I could take y'all out for a latte and a piece of cake today! Here's to many more years of reading, writing, and celebrating Kentucky!
Cheers,
HCW
It's Corn Maze Time!
The fact that I've had my windows open nearly all day the past two days means one thing: it's almost corn maze time! (Technically I guess it means a bunch of things, but go with me here.)
I visited the Kelley Farms Corn Maze in Lexington for the first time last year and shared my experience here. I joked that I wanted to go in order to test out my new riding boots, but really, I wanted to say I walked among corn shaped like Coach Calipari's head.
Not only can you get lost in the corn maze (is it just me or does the 2012 design look a little harder? What if I get lost in the arm pit?) but you can play corn hole, pick pumpkins, have a funnel cake, hot cocoa, feed goats, and take a hayride. If that doesn't personify fall in Kentucky, I'm not sure what else does (except the Keeneland fall meet). The maze is fun for families, couples, or friends. Just make sure that if you get easily frustrated when lost like I do, that you have a companion that can calm you down so you can soothe your ragged emotions with a funnel cake.
Opens September 21. For days, times, and weather updates, visit them on Facebook or on their website for the most recent updates.
I visited the Kelley Farms Corn Maze in Lexington for the first time last year and shared my experience here. I joked that I wanted to go in order to test out my new riding boots, but really, I wanted to say I walked among corn shaped like Coach Calipari's head.
Not only can you get lost in the corn maze (is it just me or does the 2012 design look a little harder? What if I get lost in the arm pit?) but you can play corn hole, pick pumpkins, have a funnel cake, hot cocoa, feed goats, and take a hayride. If that doesn't personify fall in Kentucky, I'm not sure what else does (except the Keeneland fall meet). The maze is fun for families, couples, or friends. Just make sure that if you get easily frustrated when lost like I do, that you have a companion that can calm you down so you can soothe your ragged emotions with a funnel cake.
Opens September 21. For days, times, and weather updates, visit them on Facebook or on their website for the most recent updates.
Barbecue on the River
Fall means festivals. School festivals. Church festivals. Festivals celebrating old wars. Festivals celebrating shrimp.
Paducah is no different. Fall brings street carnivals and fairs of one kind or another but the biggest one of all is Barbecue on the River. We already know Western Kentucky knows barbecue. Seventeen years ago, the organizers decided to capitalize on that passion and create Western Kentucky's answer to Memphis in May while raising lots and lots of money for charity.
Every booth is hosted by a charity around Paducah who then brings in the barbecue experts to smoke up the meet and hopefully win a trophy in the competition. All the festival goers benefit from the competition as we feed our faces with the best in smoked pork and chicken. The charity's benefit by keeping the proceeds to benefit their organization!
Over the course of three days, more than 30,000 people flood (no pun intended) the riverfront to take in the live music and food as well as the "Old Market Days."
Barbecue on the River didn't started until I was in high school. So, while it is a highlight of my year now, I don't have any happy memories of gobbling down barbecue at the festival as a child. In a way, I feel like that is a testament to the event that it has grown so quickly to become an essential outing as the seasons begin to change. I look forward to Barbecue on the River every year because it reminds me of all the ways Paducah grew and changed in the ten years I was gone and of all the new memories I have to create with my own children in the falls to come.
~ Sarah Stewart Holland