Ever Been to Louisville?

For my recent, first-time visit to Louisville, KY, I needed to get my geographical boundaries straight; it took me a minute to realize that the land across the Ohio River from my hotel was Indiana. There’s nothing like being in a place to make geography real.

My days were occupied, but in the evenings and between responsibilities, I ventured out along Main Street. A highlight was my visit to the “Dress Up Speak Up: Costume and Confrontation” exhibit at the 21C Museum Hotel: “Bedecked and bejeweled, the figures populating ‘Dress Up, Speak Up’ occupy fluid space and time, evoking past and present, fact and fiction, memory and desire, to illuminate the complexity of contemporary identity.” It was an unexpected treat to see something so multidimensional and thought provoking. The hotel’s exterior is iconic with its red penguins and golden “David (inspired by Michelangelo)” sculpture, which has its own interesting story. Later came a fabulous meal of small plates at the hotel’s Proof on Main restaurant. We found ourselves just across the street the next night for an awesome dinner of beet burgers and fish tacos at Mussel and Burger.

I love a good factory tour, and my visit on baseball’s opening day to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory did not disappoint. A highlight was seeing Babe Ruth’s Louisville Slugger bat where he carved a notch for every home run he hit in 1927; “All I wanted to do was give that thing a ride… outta the park… anywhere.” And it was Harmon Killebrew who said, “Every home run I hit in the major leagues was with a Louisville Slugger.”

With a stroll along the Louisville Waterfront Park and a wish that Atlantic No. 5 and the Muhammad Ali Center were open at that moment, I was on my way home, keeping a bit of Louisville hospitality with me.

Do you have plans for a quick city visit? We’d love to hear!