Lovely Louisville

Louisville is on the Ohio River. A riverfront park and baseball stadium were just completed in the last couple of years - both are nice places to catch a ballgame or sunset.
Fall is beautiful in KY. There are lots of trees and plenty of green to enjoy. The city has several beautiful and large parks that shouldn't be missed: Long Run, Tom Sawyer, and our own Central Park.
Louisville also hosts many festivals and events. There is the Kentucky Derby every May, of course. This year the city also welcomed the PGA tournament and players. Louisville also sponsors a couple of jazz festivals, various national/ethnic celebrations and many arts festivals (including a large one in and around historic St. James Court in the fall).

Quick Tips:

Although the downtown area is growing, is is not the most interesting part of the city. There are numerous neighborhoods in Louisville with lots of unique things to do and see - try Germantown, the Highlands, or St. Matthews.
There are still many farms near Louisville (within 20 minutes or so). A drive on a sunny day can really be relaxing. The roads are nothing like those of NY and the traffic is not a problem. You might not see another car for miles, though you might run across a tractor or two on the road. You can still spot cows grazing and plenty of pasture too.

Best Way To Get Around:

I grew up in Lousiville and it is a place where you really need a car to get around. Nothing is very far from anything else, but the public transportation system leaves something to be desired, to say the least!! There is no subway and the buses are very unreliable, as well as, terribly slow. Plus, the bus routes do not cover the entire city.
Taxis are expensive and you probably won't get one without calling ahead unless you are at the airport.
Parking isn't a problem, by the way.

Bearno's is known for their great pizza. They have won the 'Best of Louisville' award for the last three years. These are given out by the Louisville newspaper, The Courier Journal. The local chain was also featured in Pizza Today Magazine in 1999 as one of the nation's top 100 pizza chains.
Anyway, my parents and I went here during the week. There was no wait, but that is a different story on the weekends. They serve pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches. My mom and I split a simple pepperoni pie. Each day Bearno's makes the dough fresh and you can really tell. The pizzas are thick-crust, deep-dish style and there's plenty of cheese. My dad had a stromboli steak sandwich which was HUGE. He seemed to enjoy the sandwich even though eating it was a rather messy endeavor.
The service was good and the staff was friendly. The restaurant is very clean and a nice place to sit and talk because it has large, comfy booths.
Bearno's has a separate menu for lunch and several locations around the city.

This place has been around since 1929 in one form or another, according to their carry-out menu. The fare is classified as Southern Comfort Food. I'm from Louisville and I'm not sure I know exactly what that means, but I know I like the lunch at the Cottage Inn. It is close to the University of Louisville and several businesses and at lunch time it can be hard to find a table.
Appetizers include fried okra and spicy wings. Their sandwiches are always good and fairly large. I love their BLT. Greenbeans are a good choice for your side and the fried chicken is excellent. I also recommend their fish sandwich. Don't leave without a dessert. Their homemade poundcake is top-notch!
This is the sort of little restaurant with daily lunch and dinner specials and regulars who know the waitresses by their first names.

Graeter's claim to fame is that their ice cream is of the "famous French pot" variety. I have no clue what they are talking about...but I do know that they have some scrumptious cold treats!!
Their selection includes ice cream, sorbets, shakes, smoothies, and phosphates (old-fashioned soft drinks made with soda flavors).
Graeter's is a little on the expensive side for ice cream in Lousiville, but it is worth it. The stores are small, but pleasant with an old-fashioned ice cream parlor air about them. They are always clean and the staff is usually very friendly and quick to serve you.
I had a simple chocolate cone and my boyfriend ordered a scoop of chocolate chip, but there are more interesting flavors to be explored like peppermint stick, chocolate coconut almond fudge, and black raspberry chip. There are three Graeter's locations to choose from in the Louisville area.

This restaurant is located about 40 minutes outside of Louisville. It is actually part of a farm (see my other entry). The food is 'home cookin', southern style. My parents generally get the fried chicken which is always crispy and never greasy. I love their mashed potatoes and green beans as well. I usually order the chicken and dumplings which are as good (or maybe even better) as those your grandma makes!

You will get homemade fried biscuits with your meal, take my advice and try some of the apple butter with them while they are hot! You can order a meal 'family style'. The menu includes honey ham, various types of vegetables, and all sorts of fresh fruit cobblers for dessert.

The staff are attentive and friendly and the view from the dining room of the lake and surrounding gardens is beautiful. The restaurant itself doesn't have much in the way of atmosphere - just a big, open area with tables...makes you think of your high school cafeteria (only nicer). Trust me, once you taste the food you won't really miss the atmosphere.

The restaurant closes fairly early, by 8pm most nights. You shouldn't need reservations, but play it safe if it is a holiday and call ahead to check. They also have a website: www.joehubers.com.

My parents, aunt, uncle, cousin and I took a Saturday and spent the day out on this beautiful lake. Taylorsville Lake is surrounded by a State park. It is about 40 minutes from Louisville.
We rented a pontoon boat for the day which was a good deal. I had never been out on a pontoon and it was super!! They allow up to 8 people and there is plenty of room. There were 6 of us and we had all kinds of coolers, plus chairs, towels and other junk. My uncle and dad brought their fishing poles and my cousin, aunt and I did some swimming. My mom just sat back and enjoyed the view. There are plenty of trees to see and lots of wildlife too. Watch for the beautiful birds and deer. My parents also say they have seen otters.
We went out the weekend before Labor Day and the lake really wasn't that crowded. It is a very large lake and there are plenty of nooks to drift in and out of. I enjoyed taking a swim when the sun got too warm, but the day was perfect for being out on the lake. It was also a neat experience for my family because my mom's father helped to build the dam that stands at one end of the lake.
At the end of the day we were all very relaxed. There is something about being out on the water....I think the rental fee for the boat was money well spent.