Guide to Lexington, Kentucky

Historic Lexington, Kentucky is the perfect destination for a family vacation. If you're growing tired of your annual trip to the shore, consider Bluegrass Country for an exciting change of pace.

Lexington, often referred to as the Horse Capital of the World, provides the perfect setting for a fun-filled vacation. History buffs will love Lexington for its prominent past. The Civil War Trust's Civil War Discovery Trail has 36 sites in Kentucky, 16 of which are in or around Lexington. Anyone who can appreciate the magnificent beauty of horses or gorgeous lush countryside will love any of Lexington's numerous horse farms. There are over 400 working horse farms located in the nearby region. Some horse farms routinely offer daily tours.

One very popular horse farm is the Kentucky Horse Park. It is situated on 1200 acres of lush bluegrass, just 4 miles north of Lexington. Kentucky Horse Park has a special area designated as the Hall of Champions which is home to famous thoroughbreds Cigar and John Henry. The Park also has the International Museum of the Horse and is now an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. If you are visiting during the winter, they offer a Southern Lights Festival from mid November through the end of December from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. You will begin your visit with a 3-mile driving tour. Following the driving tour, you can continue with the indoor display and petting zoo. There is also a mini train ride.

No visit to Lexington would be complete without a stop by Keeneland Race Track. Keeneland has a brand new "poly" track installed, and they were actually the leader in introducing this type of track. Other major tracks soon followed their lead. The track is composed of a synthetic racing surface and is designed to prevent injuries. Keeneland is also home to the Toyota Bluegrass Stakes, a one-million dollar annual race featuring the best Kentucky Derby contenders. The track also has a library which contains pedigree stats and horse racing archives. The library is closed during racing hours, but otherwise is open year round.

Lexington is home to the University of Kentucky which was established in 1865. Walking around this historic campus is also a worthwhile activity. You could easily spend several leisurely hours walking around campus and taking in the scenery of downtown Lexington.

Another must-see is the Explorium of Lexington, formerly known as the Lexington's Children's Museum. It is one of the oldest children's museums in the United States and boasts having over one million visitors. The museum has interactive exhibits for kids of all ages. They also host an annual event called Museum Go Round which is an art festival providing artists less than 18 years an opportunity to sell their work at a street fair.

Another awesome outing is planning a visit to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg. Shaker Village, designated a National Historic Landmark, is located just 25 miles southwest of Lexington and consists of 2800 acres of preserved farmland, two gift shops, and even overnight accommodations. You can take a self-guided tour. Their website suggests devoting 3 to 4 hours to your visit in order to see all of what the village has to offer, and I definitely agree after visiting there in 2004 that you can spend an entire afternoon there. There are 81 guest rooms available for visitors who want to lodge there. The rooms have hardwood floors and are decorated with Shaker reproduction furnishings. Guided tours are provided from November through March at no additional charge. You can easily spend a few hours just leisurely walking around Shaker Village taking in the breathtaking scenery.

If possible, I would suggest driving to Lexington. The changing scenery that you can experience by actually being on the ground driving through neighboring states and then into bluegrass territory is amazing. Any visit to Lexington would be somewhat less complete if you opted to fly rather than drive in, but you will certainly have an amazing time once you arrive.