My Old Kentucky Home

[L Verge]

I sound like a travel agent here, but Surratt House belongs to the American Association for State and Local History (actually has won an award from this group for our outstanding volunteer group) and just received a reminder that their upcoming meeting will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. Here are some historic teasers that they sent along to advertise some of the side tours that they will be offering during their meeting:

• The largest collection of Victorian homes in the United States and the third largest historically preserved district in the United States is located in Old Louisville. See more of historic Louisville with a walking tour of Historic West Main which boasts the second-largest number of cast-iron facades in the world.
• 95% of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky. Get a taste of the famous liquor during the Brandy, Bourbon, and Skyline tour on Wednesday or the Roll Out the Bourbon Barrel tour on Saturday.
• 100,000 Mint Juleps are poured during the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks each year. You can rub elbows with trainer and jockeys at Churchill Downs on Saturday during the Backstretch Breakfast Tour.
• During the Civil War, Frankfort was the only Union capital occupied by Confederate troops. Visit Frankfort on Wednesday on the Capitols, Criminals, and Candy: The Frankfort Experience tour and have lunch at the Governor’s Mansion.
• Despite being famous worldwide for bourbon, Kentucky’s official state beverage is milk. Milk was certainly a big part of life at the nineteenth century plantation, Farmington, owned by the Speed family. The plantation is featured, along with the Culbertson Mansion, on Thursday’s Planters and Barons tour.