By Melany Klinck

When Daniel Boone left the “domestic happiness” of his North Carolina home in 1769 to explore the “howling wilderness” of the Kentucky territory, every day brought hardships or Indian attacks.  Yet, when he recounted his adventures in a 1784 ghostwritten autobiography, Boone described returning home to his family “with a determination to bring them as soon as possible to live in Kentucke (sic), which I esteemed a second paradise.”

Two centuries later, visitors continue to laud the wonders of Kentucky.  Only these days, exploring Boone’s Eden is a markedly genteel pastime, especially in the state’s famous Bluegrass Region, where undulating hills wear the mantle of civilization so gracefully.  This is, after all, a land of blue-bloods, where generations of breeding have produced many of the fastest and most celebrated thoroughbreds on earth. And, of course, it’s home to the Kentucky Derby, which draws well-heeled equestrians from all over the world. 

However, there’s more to north-central Kentucky than horse farms and race tracks.  In fact, as America’s first western frontier, this region possesses a rich cultural heritage, and one that is well-represented in the myriad historical districts, museums, and monuments of Lexington, Frankfort, and Louisville.   

In the heart of horse country

Lexington residents call their city the “Horse Capital of the World.”  And with good reason. More than 150 horse farms ring the city.  Even if you’re not horse crazy, you should still take time to tour the pastoral countryside of bluegrass pastures bisected by miles of plank fencing and century-old limestone walls.

The 15-mile stretch of Old Franklin Pike (Ky. 1681) west of Lexington is considered one of the nation’s most scenic byways. Don’t be disappointed if the grass doesn’t look blue. Only in early spring do the tiny blue flowers emerge that give the fields a blue-green appearance. 

For a terrific guide to the Lexington’s environs, get a copy of the free Bluegrass Driving Tour Map from the Lexington Visitors Bureau (www.visitlex.com, 800-845-3959).  The map describes three drives past numerous horse farms, some open to the public, including: 

• Calumet Farm (859-231-8272), where a record nine Kentucky Derby winners have been bred since 1931;
• Normandy Farm (859-294-9595),  with its unique 1927 barn, resplendent with a clock tower, slate roof and animal-inspired roof ornaments; and
• Three Chimneys Farm ((859-873-7053), home to 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones.  

Although many farms offer public tours, you can’t just drop in.  Most require appointments and some only host guided groups.  Check with Lexington’s visitors bureau for details about farm tours. 

Another way to observe the inner workings of a horse farm is to visit the Kentucky Horse Park (www.kyhorsepark.com, 800-678-8813).  The educational theme park and 1,200-acre horse farm is home to champion horses and equine celebrities, such as I Two Step Too, the thoroughbred who portrayed Seabiscuit in the movie. Park visitors also enjoy two museums and seasonal shows, such as the popular Parade of Breeds, where costumed riders show off various breed’s characteristics by putting horses through their paces. 

Getting on track

Louisville may lay claim to the Kentucky Derby, but Lexington has its own racing traditions.  Keeneland, with its beautiful hedge-lined track and limestone grandstands, has been a proving ground for top horses since 1936.  Three-week racing seasons are held in April and October.  General admission is just $3. (www.keeneland.com, 800-456-3412)
During the off-season, Keeneland is a thoroughbred training center and sales facility.  Visitors are welcome to watch daily morning workouts from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year round.  Admission is free, and the Track Kitchen offers reasonably-priced breakfasts and a chance to rub shoulders with trainers and employees. 

For a different kind of racing experience, drop by The Red Mile (www.theredmile.com, 859-255-0752), where harness racers have been competing since 1875.   Harness racing, for those who have never seen it, involves a horse pulling a rider on two-wheeled cart called a sulky or racebike.  The Red Mile’s 2005 fall season runs from July 29-Oct. 8.

A stroll back in time

Once dubbed the “Athens of the West,” the city of Lexington is sprinkled with historical gems that co-exist quite nicely with the trappings of this thoroughly modern metropolis. You’ll find the visitors bureau’s walking map of downtown chockfull of interesting tidbits about sites old and new. 

Highlights of the two-mile walk, include:

• Victorian Square. Meticulously renovated commercial buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s now house shops, galleries, and restaurants. 
• Mary Todd Lincoln House. This 22-room house was the girlhood home of the First Lady from 1832 until her marriage.  Abraham Lincoln was believed to have visited here three times.  (www.mtlhouse.org, 859-233-9999)  
• Gratz Park.  Homes from the early 1800s grace this elegant residential neighborhood.  Don’t be surprised to see horse-mounted police patrolling the park.
• Hunt-Morgan House.  Built in 1814, legend has it that Confederate General John Hunt Morgan once rode his horse through the front door to escape Union troops, paused in the hall to kiss his mother, then galloped out the back door. Today, visitors marvel at the three-story, cantilevered staircase and collection of furnishings. (www.bluegrasstrust.org, 859-253-0362)

Other historic homes near downtown include Ashland (120 Sycamore Rd., ww.henryclay.org, 859-266-8581), which is known for its beautiful grounds, and Pope Villa (326 Grosvenor Ave., www.popevilla.org, 859-253-0362), a rare residential example of the work of U.S. Capitol architect Benjamin H. Latrobe. The villa is undergoing restoration, but tours are available by appointment.

On the road to Louisville

If you’re pressed for time, I-64 will transport you from Lexington to Louisville in just over an hour.  However, detouring through Frankfort provides a sweet reward.  Rebecca-Ruth Candy Factory (112 E. Second St., 502-223-7475) offers factory tours and free samples. The 86-year-old store’s specialty is bourbon-ball chocolates, but they make a wide assortment of confections for teetotalers, too.

Once you’ve licked your fingers clean, grab a map from the visitors center across the street and spend an hour or so enjoying the numerous historic sights in this pretty river town.  At the beaux arts-style State Capitol building, be sure to check out the huge floral clock on the west lawn.  The Kentucky Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial on Coffee Tree Road is also intriguing.  The unusual monument has veterans’ names arranged so that the point of the gnomon’s shadow falls on veteran’s name on the anniversary of his death. 

Welcome to Derby Town

You can’t visit Louisville without paying tribute to its defining event: The Kentucky Derby.  Sportscasters call it the “most exciting two minutes in sports.”  However, Louisville residents admit it also can be “the most exhausting two weeks in sports.” 

The race itself is run on the first Saturday in May, but festivities kick off two weeks earlier with Thunder over Louisville, an all-day air show followed by a the largest firework display in the country, which produces a truly ahhh-some display over the Ohio River.

If Derby festivities sound too frenetic for your taste, you can still enjoy visiting Churchill Downs (www.churchilldowns.com, 502-636-4400). In fact, for races other than the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks (the Friday before the Derby), tickets are inexpensive and easy to come by.  Fall races run from late October through November.  Spring racing begins in April and continues until mid-July.  

While you’re at the Downs, visit the Kentucky Derby Museum next door for an opportunity to surround yourself with the sights and sounds of the “The Greatest Race” on a high-definition 360-degree screen. (www.derbymuseum.org, 502-637-1111)

A preservationist’s El Dorado

People are often surprised to learn that Louisville has one of the largest collections of Victorian homes and cast-iron architecture in the nation.  Only Boston and surrounding Essex County have more properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The focal point for preservation is Old Louisville, a 1200-acre city within the city. (www.oldloiusville.com, 502-635-5244). Here you will find a eclectic mix of 19th and early 20th-century architecture – Victorian Gothic, Queen Anne, Italianate and more -- as well as residences of all sizes from turreted mansions to craftsman-style bungalows to narrow “shotgun” houses. 

Along Main Street, blocks of rehabbed cast-iron buildings now house galleries, shops and the famous Louisville Slugger Museum, with its photogenic 120-foot tall baseball bat. (www.sluggermuseum.org, 1-877-7SLUGGER)  

The best way to explore this impressive historic district is on foot. The Old Louisville Information Center (1340 S. 4th Street in Central Park) offers a free map detailing five walking routes.  Allow time to tour museums along the way, such as:

• Brennan House. This 1868 Italianate-style home contains an entirely original family collection of Victorian furnishings. (www.thebrennanhouse.org, 502-540-5145)
• Conrad/Caldwell House. Located on St. James Court, site of a spectacular outdoor art show in October, this castle-like mansion is adorned with gargoyles, stone arches and fleur-de-lis. Inside, elaborate woodwork and stained glass provide a backdrop for period furnishings. (www.conradcaldwell.org, 502-636-5023) 
• Filson Club.  This beaux arts-style mansion and museum is home to Kentucky’s oldest private historical society and its extensive collection of frontier, antebellum, and Civil War books and documents. (1310 South Third Street, 502-635-5083)

Old Louisville also has many wonderful bed-and-breakfast inns located in former homes along the tree-lined streets.  Information can be found on Old Louisville’s web site.  

After spending time in Kentucky’s leading cities, you can better appreciate these words  penned by Boone’s collaborator more than 200 years ago: “We view Kentucke situated on the fertile banks of the great Ohio, rising from obscurity to shine with splendor, equal to any other of the stars of the American hemisphere.”