15 Day Bourbon, Bluegrass & Horse Country

Upon arrival, pick up you rental car and start off your trip with a tour of Ryman Auditorium – the “Birthplace of Bluegrass.” Nashville has many places to hear bluegrass music while you are in town. Pair your musical experiences with a tour of Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery. Learn about the distillery’s German founder and taste some of the hand-crafted Tennessee whiskey. Spend two nights in Nashville
 

Depart Nashville for Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg. Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House and Restaurant is a chance to eat home cooking and at the Lynchburg Hardware General Store you can see memorabilia. On your way to Tullahoma, take a detour to Short Springs Natural Area featuring lush scenery and lively waterfalls. It is only a short drive to Tullahoma. Overnight in Tullahoma.
 

Today, make your way to Pigeon Forge and stop in Knoxville to watch a live radio performance at Knoxville Visitor Center. The WDVX Blue Plate Special is always free and broadcasts everything from blues and bluegrass to Celtic and funk. This afternoon, arrive in Pigeon Forge - the home of Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country, an Appalachian-inspired theme park founded by singer and songwriter Dolly Parton. The park holds music-centred events throughout the year and dinner shows that showcase horses and country music. Overnight in Pigeon Forge.
 

Depart Pigeon Forge for Lexington. Bluegrass and bourbon are both inextricably tied to the land. Explore the natural beauty that inspired bluegrass musicians with a detour through the Daniel Boone National Forest and visit the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Mount Vernon. An hour north from Mount Vernon is Lexington, Kentucky’s horse capital, where you will spend two days. 
 

Today you will meet thoroughbred horses at Darley at Jonabell Farm, where Kentucky Derby winning stallions have been bred. Visit Keeneland, the internationally renowned racecourse. At Blue Door Smokehouse you can enjoy a house-smoked barbecue. Continue your journey in horse country at Claiborne Farm covering more than 100 years of thoroughbred racing history and see some of today’s champion racehorses.
 

Today, the beauty of horse country unfolds on this half-hour drive to Versailles and tour WinStar Farm and Lane’s End Farm, home to champion thoroughbreds. Stop for lunch at Melissa’s Cottage Café, then visit Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace, a National Historic Landmark and one of Kentucky’s most awarded distilleries. Continue to Woodford Reserve, one of the state’s oldest and smallest distilleries, and grab a snack at Glenn’s Creek Café. End the day at Ashford Stud, the world’s largest thoroughbred breeding farm. Overnight in Versailles. 
 

Take a break from bourbon and drive for two hours to Cincinnati. Walk across the “Purple People Bridge”, a pedestrian walkway that connects Cincinnati, Ohio to Newport, Kentucky. The riverfronts of the two cities are linked with options for entertainment, dining, nightlife, festivals, parks and attractions. New Riff Distilling offers a range of craft whiskeys and hosts a 60-foottall, 24-inchdiameter copper still. Overnight in Cincinnati. 
 

Today, head to Indianapolis and explore more of the new urban craft distillery scene. The 12.05 Distillery is named for the date prohibition was repealed. Next up on your bourbon trail is West Fork Whiskey Co. producing spirits with ingredients from Indiana. Continue your tour at Hotel Tango artisan distillery, the first artisan distillery in Indianapolis since Prohibition, located in the historic Fletcher Place neighborhood of downtown Indianapolis. For dinner, you might consider Bluebeard. Overnight in Indianapolis.
 

Today, leave Indianapolis and explore the mecca of American horse racing in Louisville, Kentucky. Visit Churchill Downs – home of the famous Kentucky Derby. Experience the Stitzel-Weller Distillery close to downtown Louisville. It opened on a derby day in 1935 and is home to the Bulleit Bourbon brand. Doc Crow’s, located in the historic Whiskey Row of downtown Louisville is a great option for dinner. Overnight in Louisville.
 

Drive south to the rolling foothills of Clermont, home of the Jim Beam American Stillhouse. For lunch, grab a meal at bourboninspired cafe, Fred’s Smokehouse. Next up is the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. This museum has a collection of rare whiskey artifacts. Drive south to visit the Maker’s Mark distillery in Loretto, which is considered the oldest working distillery on its original site. In the evening you will reach Owensboro where you will spend the next two nights.
 

Get ready for more bluegrass history and visit the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum. Wrap up the day with a visit to the O.Z. Tyler Distillery. The distillery has around 130 years of history in Owensboro.
 

Today begin the trip back to Nashville and make a stop in Rosine to tour the Bill Monroe Museum, home to the legacy of Bill Monroe, the “father of bluegrass”. Overnight in Nashville
 

Today your journey concludes upon check-out of your hotel and returning your rental car.