Spur of the Moment Adult Getaway – Louisville, KY

Sometimes in the middle of all the chaos and kids you need an adult weekend getaway. Last summer that is exactly what Aaron and I needed. We realized we had an available weekend and I began to research our best opportunities like I always do. So on the spur of the moment Thursday evening, we decided to leave on Saturday and return on Monday. I initially had a great idea that Aaron was quick to veto (although I may suggest it again someday). So that led me to do a little more research. I was trying to keep the trip within a reasonable driving distance (around 5 hours) and somewhere that neither of us had been. The winner ended up being Louisville, Kentucky.

I chose Louisville solely based on one available activity – A Sightseeing and Tasting Tour – a little bit of history combined with the food of the city. Yes we choose adventures based solely on the prospect of food and we rarely regret it.

We were headed to Louisville, but I had not found us a place to stay yet. I am a big fan of Priceline, so I started investigating while Aaron drove. (I love having someone to share the driving responsibilities with me.)

Since it was an adult trip and we didn’t have any hard and fast plans yet, I wanted to stay in a nicer hotel. I was pleasantly surprised to see that The Brown Hotel was listed in the available hotels in Louisville. When using Priceline I always look at the available hotels first then go to the express deals and compare the options. So far I have been able to accurately guess which unnamed hotel is being offered with a little work. This time it was no different. I managed to book The Brown Hotel for under $100 a night.

This trip was starting to take shape. We had a food adventure planned and an historic adult hotel booked. Now that the room was booked and we were committed to staying in Louisville, I decided to book the food tour. This is what we had to look forward to trying.

On this fun and unique tour, you will get to see the best sights, hear the history and stories and taste the delicious traditional foods that give Louisville its unique flavor. . . . So, along your fun journey through Louisville, you’ll get to taste Jenny Benedict’s Benedictine Sandwich, a surprising twist on the Kentucky Hot Brown, Bourbon Chocolate Truffles, Kern’s Kitchen’s Derby Pie, in addition to infused flavored Bourbons, a regional sangria and of course, the Mint Julep!

But unfortunately sometimes when you decide to make last minutes plans, they don’t work out. THE TOURS FOR THE WEEKEND WERE BOOKED!! The basis of our whole trip was a bust and we were committed to a hotel. Sigh.

All was not lost. Did you notice in that description above that the mentioned the foods we would be sampling and in another description the places the tour would stop? I had the information we needed so we would just have to wing it on our own.

And sometimes those alternate plans turn out better than you could have hoped. This is how it happened for us.

We arrived at The Brown later that evening (We lost an hour crossing time zones.) and checked into our room. The Brown is considered an historic luxury hotel and I understand why. It was absolutely magnificent and over the top. Light years away from the baseball tournament hotels I was use to staying in, but of course this was an adult weekend.

A Louisville landmark since 1923, The Brown is an iconic destination inextricably woven into the fabric of the city, is opulent yet approachable – like a fine Kentucky bourbon that never overwhelms you with its history but instead entertains you with a lifetime of colorful stories.

We settled in and decided to just sit in the lobby for awhile. We were tired and not ready to venture too far so we decided to eat in the Lobby Bar. I wouldn’t quite call this your ordinary hotel bar lobby. It was like stepping into a different era. We were mature adults in for an evening of elegant food, drinks, and music. I felt a tad bit out of place.

We knew at some point we needed to eat the famous “Hot Brown” but decided we would save that for tomorrow. We chose the Lobster Mac and Cheese, a Flatbread and cocktails. Aaron went old school with an Old Fashion and I had one featuring the Four Winds Bourbon.

So there we were sitting in a Gatsby like hotel lobby while eating lobster and sipping cocktails. Did I mention that live piano music? It was truly an out of my comfort zone experience, but I have to say that I adapted rather quickly.

The next day I had several things lined up for us to do – starting with breakfast. I had researched and found a hipster looking Egg place for us to try out. It must have been a great idea because as we drove by the line was literally out the door, so on to finding another place. Again what I found was probably better than my first choice. I found Wagner’s Pharmacy which is across from Churchill Downs, which happened to be one of the stops I planned on making. Wagner’s has been there since 1922 and hasn’t changed much. And always an added plus, Wagner’s was featured on The Food Network in “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.”

Wagner’s is Churchill Downs; Churchill Downs is Wagner’s.” That sentiment, or something close to it, is echoed by almost everyone who walks in the joint — both regulars from the old school of horse racing and first-timers there to join the club, if only for a day. It’s a history written all over the walls, which hold a collage of past Derby winners along with famous figures who have graced the pharmacy’s fountain through the years.

We made it just in time for the breakfast hours and enjoyed a nice big breakfast – me pancakes and Aaron an omelet which was the subject of the Throwdown. History is on the walls and throughout the place. It’s not fancy but a favorite of the locals and visitors alike.
On this day there was no racing at Churchill Downs but we stopped anyway to walk around the grounds. We were not the only ones there stopping to take pictures just to say, “hey, we were there.” I can only imagine the throngs of people and hats that overtake this place on Derby Day. We were content with the peacefulness of an empty Sunday morning.

Because I liked to see and do as much as possible, we moved on to our next stop which was a house tour – The Conrad – Caldwell House to be exact. (Have I’ve mentioned before that I am a fan of historic tours?) The house is located in what is considered Old Louisville and sits among a neighborhood of Victorian Homes. The tour guides tells the tales of the two families that lived here – The Conrads and The Caldwells – how they made their fortunes and what they brought to the home and is still there. It is a beautiful home that is considered a castle of the area and is rich with history. It’s worth a visit.

The Conrad-Caldwell House Museum, one of the finest examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, was the masterpiece of famed local architect Arthur Loomis of Clarke & Loomis.

One of the items listed on the food tour was chocolate infused bourbon so I knew that I needed to find these. It just so happened that a specialty candy store was about a block away from our hotel. Did I mention that this was voted the best candy store in Kentucky in 2015 by The Food Network? Art Eatables 

Once inside we were offered a couple samples then we -mainly me- browsed the offerings. I decided on a store sampler for myself along with modjeskas – “Marshmallows wrapped in caramel – a grand Louisville tradition!” – for the kids.

It was time to try the historic Hot Brown and Kentucky Derby Pie.  If one was going to eat the Hot Brown, I would think The Brown Hotel would be the place to do it. And only pies from one kitchen can officially be called a Derby Pie.  Others are impostors. This pie is served at The Brown. We returned to the lobby restaurant for this experience.  We added  a side of Parmesan Fries.  We shared. We enjoyed. We were impressed.  It was good!

THE HOT BROWN 23
A Louisville Tradition since 1926 Roasted Turkey Breast, Toast Points, Sauce Mornay, Pecorino Romano Cheese Baked Golden Brown and Finished with Bacon and Tomatoes

Yes we paid $23 for a “sandwich.”  Do I regret it? No!

The next thing I intended to do was a Haunted Louisville Tour. We even booked one but for some reason I can’t remember it was canceled. So again we needed an alternate plan – Fourth Street Live -an entertainment section of Louisville and just down from our hotel.

Aaron was interested in the Jim Beam Urban Distillery, so we stopped in for a tasting.  The first ever of tasting sessions for us.  You belly up to the bar for a brief informative session over what they have to offer.  Included in the price is three tasting options and a souvenir glass.  As usual I sipped and Aaron finished. He enjoyed it.  It was at this point we decided at some point in the future we needed to try the other stops on the Bourbon Trail (which will be another blog in the future).

The last and not surprising stop of the day was for ice cream.  It just so happened to be National Ice Cream Day.  I found where I wanted to try on Yelp along with half the town it seems because the line was long.  But we had nothing else to do, so we waited in line for 40 minutes for ice cream at Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen.  I like ice cream.
And with that ice cream, our adventures in Louisville were drawing to an end.  There were several things we didn’t do by choice- most noticeably Louisville Bats.  I chose not to go because it was an adult weekend and I chose to include no sports (Gina would be so proud,). The other reason being I thought this is something Hunter might enjoy doing one day on a return trip.

We still had one full day left to adventure, but after visiting Jim Beam we decided to visit another distillery.  Aaron’s personal favorite – Maker’s Mark, which I will blog about another day.

We did a lot but know we missed a few things; however, I don’t know if I would be up to the crowds of the Kentucky Derby.  I have sported a few hats back in the day though! I know we have other friends who have visited Louisville and may want to share their thoughts in the comments so feel free to add those.