Things to do in Kentucky?

Make a secondary trip to Frankfort, see the OLDEST Continuous run Whiskey Distillery in the US, Buffalo Trace, take the tour, best time along with Four Roses tours.

Bardstown, not very far from Louisville = Kentucky Dinner Train

Down I-65 at Cave City = Mammoth Cave = if you only take one tour, take the Historic Tour

While at Mammoth Cave, different parking lot a mile or so away = ride the Paddle-Wheeler trip down Green River

There is a ton of stuff to do at Cave City, Park City, and Horse Cave = all are strung along I-65 / US Hwy 31W = stay off I-65 and take 31W = much better pace and lots to see.

In fact, I would make my headquarters at one of these three towns as you could stay there a week and never see it all.

Be sure to spend at least one night at the Wigwam Motel and sleep in a Wigwam (Google it; used to be scattered all across the nation and now I think Cave City may be the last in existence)

See the Wax Museum

See the Museum of Natural History or whatever it is called where they have tons of wild animals scenes set up from all over the world = most interesting.

Kentucky Down Under and another very similar place whose name escapes me.

Be sure and do Guntown Mountain = you have to ride a chairlift to get up there; also go through the huge Haunted House that is at the main entrance of Guntown Mountain

Kentucky Railway Museum at New Haven, complete with a very worthwhile train ride; New Haven is South of Bardstown on US Hwy 31E - which parallels US HWY 31W about ten miles or less to the East = both take you to Louisville/North or Nashville/South

Be sure and eat at The Whistlestop Restaurant in either Bonneville or Sonora or one of those little L&N Railroad towns; I have been there but can't remember which little town it is.

Cumberland Falls is a must see.

If you are at Cumberland Falls, Stearns = Kentucky Scenic Railroad is just a few miles South down US Hwy 27 = ride the open-sided rail-cars behind an Alco to the Bartel Mine Camp and tour the coal mine and town.

The train used to go all the way to Blue Heron Mining Camp and HUGE Tipple and engineering marvel RxR bridge across the South Fork of the Cumberland --- a monsoon and washout prevents the train from accessing Blue Heron; but, you can get there by vehicle and that is better anyway as you don't have to keep listening for the whistle and worry about missing the train.

I can go on and on but you get the idea --- Louisville is the last place I would go if I had only a limited amount of time.

They do have The Science Museum; but, you have to park ever-so-far and walk forever to get there.

You can ride The Belle of Louisville = huge steam-boat paddlewheeler

Lots of RxR action and several RxR and highway bridges cross the Ohio at Louisville --- you can walk/bike out on The Big Four RxR bridge and get some very good pictures of the other bridges --- stay off all the highway bridges unless you want to get a surprise in the mail a few weeks later ---the toll is ridiculous and they send you the bill months after you have forgotten you were there --- there are ways for a quick man to circumvent such foolishness.

I've been there many times, but not recently.

The old man that started and owned it for many years died and people tell me that his daughter who inherited has just about driven it into the ground.

I know many of the functions and shows that used to be held there have moved to other venues.

I've been to Kentucky Horse Park, it is beautiful, not what I'd call a tourist trap.  If you go to it, be sure to think about what you see at the Man O War display.  They have two poles set at the distance of one of his full speed strides! 

Haven't yet been there myself; but, everybody that's been won't hush about it so it must be worth seeing.

I need to be making a list; I may want to take a trip myself.

Years ago, an old auctioneer/real estate buddy of mine picked up an old Winnebago cheap at a farm sale.

He had a mechanic check it out; new universal joints, all new belts and hoses, tune up, new tires, brakes, etc.

He had a guy wash and clean the outside and had another guy scrub the insides.

I asked him "You're doing an awful lot of work on that old Winnebago; you must be a' fixin' to head out to the Grand Canyon.'

 "No" he said "the wife and me have been a talkin' 'bout it; and, you know, there's a whole lot of really nice places right here in Kentucky that we ain't seen yet."

I thought that sized it up pretty well.