Every time I visit Louisville, I wind up liking the place more. It's an unlikely yet agreeable blend of small town/big city, southern/midwestern, traditional/progressive.
My family just spent four nights there, primarily to celebrate the 98th birthday of my wife's grandmother, who has lived most of her days in Louisville. It was a great opportunity to share stories and laughs not only with her but with other relatives in town.
For me, the trip wasn't complete without a fair amount of exploring on my own and, I'll admit, a little bit of getting lost. When time allowed, I ventured out to Bardstown Road, a buzzing and counterculture-ish corridor of thrift shops, restaurants, bookstores and watering holes. Could've spent days hanging out there.
Downtown beckoned, too, and I popped into the 21c Museum Hotel for a look-see at the large-scale contemporary artwork in the lobby. Just around the corner, on revitalized West Main Street, I walked into the stylish Proof on Main, what must be an exceptional restaurant if you trust its abundance of glowing reviews. I soaked up the atmosphere for a few moments then headed back out, my shorts, T-shirt and Chuck Taylors not exactly appropriate attire for such a sophisticated joint.
On another day we all headed to KingFish, a sprawling, laid-back seafood place just north of downtown and perched high atop a bluff overlooking the Ohio River. Yum. This grub hit the spot: fish, shrimp, hushpuppies and fries, all heavily battered and greasy. Good hangover food at an opportune time, I must say. Then we played mini-golf on the KingFish grounds and dipped our feet in the swift, muddy waters of the Ohio.
These moments and many more made for a memorable getaway in a locale that couldn't be more different from our home base of Orlando. Already I'm thinking about what we'll put on the agenda for our next visit to lovely Louisville.
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