My husband and I celebrated two wonderful years of marriage this weekend. We have survived three years, (two of them married) three moves, two kids, and we still have managed to feel like we just met. This weekend, we headed out to the flat lands to do a little rest and relaxation. (A full night of uninterrupted sleep is seriously like a vacation to us.) We had toyed with the idea of a cruise, (which my brother and sister in law are on right now) going to the beach, or maybe renting a cabin in the Smoky Mountains. However, when the time came around, I just can't stand to be far away from my babies. I have to be close enough to be able to get to them quickly, if something were to happen and they needed me. Just the way I am, my worst fear is something going wrong, and me not being able to get to them. That is why we decided to keep it low key, go to Lexington, and enjoy what Kentucky has to offer.
We toured the beautiful grounds of the fabled Buffalo Trace bourbon distillery, in Frankfort, Ky. After that, we headed back to Lexington, where we sipped whiskey sours by the pitcher at Charlie Browns, and listened to a live band play John Prine and The Band at the Chevy Chase Inn. I got to sift through dusty old books, and pilfer through stacks upon stacks of Vinyls at places like Goodwill, and Peddlers Malls. We enjoyed thick cut steaks, with fried shrimp and Kentucky ale on tap at a local favorite like Columbia's, and got to taste test decadent bourbon balls with almonds, topped with milk chocolate pecan clusters and melt away peanut butter bars at Old Kentucky Chocolates on Southland. Wow. Lexington can be seriously amazing.
Buffalo Trace was my favorite stop. I have been talking about going there forever, and Kyle surprised me by taking me. I love Kentucky history, and this place is about as steeped in history as you can get. Literally, when you drive up to park, you can smell bourbon. The first thing you see is the main warehouse, which was built in the mid 1800s. Every window, you can see barrels upon barrel of bourbon. Amazing.
The tour itself is actually free, with a complimentary taste test at the very end. It lasts about an hour, you get to see the main warehouse, where they bottle and label some of their finest single barrel bourbon, named "Blanton". You also get to see a video and learn a lot about the grounds, and some really cool facts about prohibition. There are still bars over the windows of the warehouses, so that people couldn't steal the barrels. The distillery was one of four in the nation that could legally distribute alcohol for medicinal purposes.
On the right is a picture of me in the bottom floor of the above warehouse. I am claustrophobic, and I won't lie, this was a little tough for me. Bourbon barrels are in every single place you look, stacked on top of each other. Really cool, but the smell could knock you down!
Below to the left is a picture of Kyle and myself at the worlds smallest warehouse. It houses the 6 millionth barrel of bourbon distilled since the end of prohibition. It was put in in 2008, I am not sure how long they are going to let it age, but once it is bottled, they are going to auction the proceeds off the charity. Note: That one barrel is the only barrel housed there.
They also have beautiful grounds that you can walk. The presidents mansion overlooks the entire distillery and you can walk the botanical gardens and the trails there. The below picture is me sitting on the front steps of his stone mansion. It was gorgeous.
The complimentary tasting at the end is fun too. You get to try two bourbons, one single barrel and then a new bourbon cream that pairs well with root beer or coffee. Needless to say, I came home with a bottle of it. To get more information on additional tours and history about the distillery, below is the official bourbon trace link.
We stayed at the Griffin Gate in Lexington, and can I tell you how absolutely beautiful it was. Really accommodating staff and beautiful place all together. They have a spa, a golf course, numerous shops and restaurants with a bar. We really enjoyed it. Below is a picture of the Mansion Restaurant, this was right outside our window. It is reminiscent of an antebellum plantation in the deep south. Any Gone With The Wind fan, can surely appreciate it. I had a friend get married here last summer, and her pictures were beautiful. This picture does it no justice, trust me.
One of our last, and possibly one of my favorite places in Lexington, would have to be The Old Kentucky Chocolate Factory. I absolutely love it. It is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Wilcutts guitar store, (Kyle's favorite place) and we discovered it one day, while we were waiting for them to open. They offer tours, (which I have never went on, yet) and the place is ran by the two most adorable little ladies. They are so sweet, and every time I go in, they always stuff chocolates in my hand and beg me to try their newest thing. It is a lot like going to grandma's house. You don't have any choice but to eat.
Above is a picture of Kyle, taste testing a pecan bourbon ball.
Needless to say, we bought 22 dollars worth of nothing but pure chocolate goodness. Candy bars, pecan clusters, raspberry white chocolate truffles, and one very large milk chocolate Mickey Mouse for Greyson. They offer a lot of gifts, as well. They have everything Lexington, UK, and horses. They also offer some fundraising opportunities for sports teams, or whatever else you need to raise money for. Their regular candy bars are my favorite, and they are only a buck. Below is the official link, check them out if you are ever in that area, but be prepared to come out, stuffed to the gills with chocolate.
Our weekend may not seem like much to some people, but to us it felt like we had been away for weeks. We had great time, just being with each other, discovering new places, and learning things about each other, without the babies. But of course, we missed them, and the second night I locked myself in the bathroom and cried after speaking to my oldest on the phone. All in all, we loved our mini vacation and took great pleasure in enjoying little things, and not getting wrapped up in all the vacay hype. We are proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a lot of fun, and that simple things in life really are worth slowing down for, enjoying and appreciating.
Love you baby. Happy two year anniversary to us.
Labels: Bourbon, Kentucky, ShopLex, ShopLocal
