As you pour your car over the rolling country hills of Kentucky, on any spring morning, the shimmer of damp blue grass highlights the beautifully manicured horse farms hemmed in by immaculate white fences extending as far as the eye can see. If you’re lucky, you can catch a glimpse of a young foal bucking in a pasture, or a group of young adolescents stretching their legs with a quick game of tag. This is horse country..

For nearly two centuries, horses have been stabled on the land that is now home to Kentucky Horse Park. Founded in 1978, it remains the world’s only park dedicated solely to man’s relationship to the horse. Its 1,200 acres celebrate racing history, the impact of horses on society and also offers a pretty cool place to have a business meeting. As says their former motto, “this is the heart of the horse capital of the world.”

We stumbled upon the park while in search to pay respects at the grave of Man O’ War – perhaps the greatest race horse of all time – which is outside Kentucky’s Horse Park. How we could not have had this on our list of must-sees is beyond me. I guess as Ohioans, we take Kentucky’s beauty and history for granted. Not anymore.

The park is absolutely beautiful and there’s so much to do. A gift shop, multiple museums and exhibits designed to, as Executive Director John Nicholson explains, celebrate that “the heart of the horse finds its earthly counterpart in the people whose hearts beat in rhythm with his.” And as you walk around the park, you find the truth in his statement.

Our first stop after buying tickets was the Hall of Champions Show which today introduced visitors to a few of racing’s most adored horses from Funnycide to Cigar who, at his retirement in 1996 was the leading money winner, earning nearly $10,000,000 for his doting owners. The staff played clips of each of four horses key race wins before a handler brought the horse out to applause from the crowd.

Horses are without question, powerful, startlingly beautiful creatures, but these horses were more so. They oozed athleticism, even at their advancing age, and seemed as if they could hop back out on the track at any moment and pull a few lengths ahead. But, they’re more likely – as they’re all enjoying retirement – to have a nice roll in the dirt or just enjoy some hay in the barn.

We then made a beeline for the Horses of the World show which offers a parade of a variety of horse breeds from around the globe. We got the chance to get up close and personal with the horses and talk with the trainers following the show – unfortunately, you didn’t get this access and you’ll just have to enjoy the pictures below.  For more information, click here.

Kentucky is known for three things: horses, bluegrass (the music AND the plant) and bourbon. Of course, we love horses and music’s great, but everyone has to experience the bourbon trail at least once in their life – even if they don’t enjoy alcohol because each glass of bourbon produced in Kentucky tells a story of the state’s founding and its success.

Following the revolutionary war, Boston’s low-quality rums dominated the spirits market – it was really the only affordable alcohol available. They said its only redeeming quality was its ability to get you drunk before the taste became too unbearable. But that wasn’t good enough for the Scotch-Irish immigrants settling the Kentucky territory. After all, they were used to wonderful aged scotches and fabulous Irish whisky. For them, drinking was about enjoyment and flavor, not just a sleep aid.

And, lucky for bourbon fans everywhere (myself included), those immigrants chose to lay claim to Kentucky land. First off, corn grows great in Kentucky and corn is what gives bourbon its distinctively sweet aftertaste. But, more importantly, the Scotch-Irish immigrants tended to stake their land near the government’s land offices which were most often established upon the massive limestone shelf that cuts through 25% of the state. This of course provides the vital natural iron-free water that is ideal for distilling whiskey.

When first developed, Kentucky bourbon was just whiskey. But, the rules of the Natchez Trace required whiskey barrels traveling downstream to New Orleans to be stamped with their county of origin – in this case Bourbon county. In preparing his whiskey, distiller Elijah Craig found the cheapest way to clean the fish barrels for storing whiskey was to char the inside. When his first shipments made it to New Orleans, they made quite an impression. New Orleans was clamoring for more for the whiskey from Bourbon, and a new product was in demand.

Today, there are eight distilleries located in a 200-mile loop that extends from Lexington to Louisville. Each markets their bourbon in a slightly different manner and each bourbon has its own distinctive flavor pallet. Kentucky’s dedication to bourbon is clear when you consider than there are more barrels of bourbon growing older in the state than people.

We’ve driven the trail once before, so this round we decided to visit Maker’s Mark and Wild Turkey two of the best sellers along the trail.

We first drove to Maker’s Mark distillery for a couple of reasons – it’s my favorite and, we remember from our first stopover, they make the most delicious bourbon chocolates we’ve ever tasted. There were quite a few updates since our last tour.

First, the starting point of the tour was renovated a few years back. Previously the former founder’s home was used as the tour headquarters and gift shop, but today, the home has been restored to the way it might have looked when Bill Samuels and his family lived here in the 1950s. Each room includes interactive displays that tell a little of the story of the formulation and company history. Bill Samuel’s office has been recreated and includes a set of entertaining and disturbing picture frames that use a Conan-esque moving mouth to tell a story.

Inside the distillery, the oak mash tanks at Maker’s Mark are over 100 years old, and this round, we got to dip our finger into to taste the sweet-sour mash known in the industry as distillers “beer.” The gift shop has been substantially expanded, and now offers two samples at the end of every tour – which was not possible previously. Maker’s Mark uses a tried and true old process for making their bourbon.

In the early afternoon we visited Wild Turkey distillery which we learned had recently been expanded by their new owners. Since 2010, the company has been able to double the amount of bourbon it can produce. This high tech process was an interesting contrast to the traditionalist process of Maker’s Mark (which is not even one of the oldest distillers on the trail). The shiny, stainless-steel vats and sparklingly clean floors make the place feel more like a laboratory than a whiskey still, but, we gained a new appreciation for Wild Turkey at the tasting.

We’ll be heading back soon. Maybe we’ll see you there. For more information.

The Peabody Hotel in Little Rock is a nice hotel with reasonable rates, a great restaurant and a cool bar, but we don’t have the budget on this trip, nor a regular fondness for five-star hotels. This trip, we were more interested in seeing the five STAR ducks that make the Peabody’s lobby fountain their home.

Twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., the hotel’s “duckmaster” leads the ducks to and from their second floor suite to the small pond in the lobby. And it’s quite a scene, dozens of people armed with cameras jam themselves along the red carpet vying for the best spot to snap a few shots of the waddling, quacking and posing stars.

As the story goes, in the 1930s, Frank Schutt the General Manager of the original Peabody in Memphis, TN, returned from an unsuccessful hunting trip with some pals. The trip found them drinking more than shooting and they thought it was quite funny to leave their live English Call Ducks (it used to be legal to use live ducks as decoys) in the hotel fountain overnight. As serendipity sometimes dictates, the guests loved the new visitors to the hotel and a tradition was born.

A bellman began caring for and training them, and the duck march started gaining popularity and he received his nickname “the Duckmaster.”  Today, it’s a prized position, but apparently still less cushy than the jobs the ducks have.

The full story is contained in the video below. For more information, click here.

His racing career was short (only 21 starts) and his overall earnings ($249,565) low by today’s standards, but he was an absolute rock star. A tall chestnut stallion, at 16 hands, 2 inches, he towered over other horses of the time and when he won, he won with style, his flowing red mane riding far ahead of the other horse – winning one race by more than 100 lengths – a nearly impossible task.

He was purchased at auction in 1918 for the premium price of $5,000 by Samuel D. Riddle who raised the horse in Berlin, Maryland. While it took some time to get him into racing shape, patience led to quite a surprise in his debut. In a five-furlough race against other 2-year-olds at Belmont, the fans screamed and pounded the rails as jockey Johnny Luftus tightened the reigns and slowed him to a jog at the stretch. He still won by over six lengths. The New York Morning Telegraph editor wrote that day that he “made a half-dozen high-class youngsters look like $200 horses.”

His only loss occurred at Sanford Stakes in Saratoga, in his sixth start. Starting gates were not in use, and horses were led to a tape barrier and once aligned the starter would pull the starting tape, setting the race in motion. A fill-in starter had difficulty getting the horses ready and the horses milled about. While Man o’ War apparently was backing up, the tape was sprung. Reporters at the time said Man o’ War “was almost left at the post.” By the time he had recovered he was double-digit lengths behind the pack. And even though he found himself hemmed in near the center of the pack, he eventually pulled forward and lost by only a half length.

Unfortunately, Man O’ War never won the Triple Crown Winner (winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in one year) because his owner thought it was too early in the season for a horse so young to run a mile and a quarter.

After his racing career ended, he sired more than 64 stakes champions as well as a number of other champions. In 22 seasons at stud, he sired 379 colts and according to racing historian Ken Hollingsworth, 37% of stakes winner in 1966 were this horse’s descendants. Amazing considering that this was 19 years after his death in 1947.

Perhaps the most touching story is about his death. In 1946, Will Harbut, Man o’ War’s lifelong companion and groom passed away. Man O’ War fell into a deep depression and died only a short time later of an apparent heart attack – a more scientific way of saying he died of a broken heart.

For more information, or to plan your visit to Man O’ War’s gravesite at the Kentucky Horse Park, click here.

As we rolled east toward the mighty Mississippi from Little Rock, it’s not hard to have music on your mind. As Paul Simon says in his classic tribute, on this particular day “the Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar” and we were “following the river down the highway through the cradle of the civil war.” We were going to Graceland.

The closer you get to Nashville, the louder the music of the Delta seems to play in your head. After crossing Old Man River on Route 40, we turned south to make our first stop in Tennessee – the home of the most recognized and imitated man on the planet – the incomparable Elvis Aaron Presley.

His limestone home, modest by today’s star standards, was his sanctuary, his escape from what became almost unimaginable pressure and world-wide attention. He made some modest improvements over time, but the most talked about design of the house was his decorative touches, which – considering Kimmer’s love of novelty – we were pretty excited to see.

We bought the tickets and hopped in line just moments ahead of a busload of shuffling blue-hairs clamoring for a chance to see the mansion before their 4:00 dinner. We hopped on the bus and crossed the street, through the iconic and beautiful music-themed gates and roared up the hill toward the mansion.

Once inside, the audio tour (utilizing headsets) which comes with every paid admission is well done and helps keep the crowd moving as you stroll through halls of the home. The tour includes the first level and basement which allows you to see the living room and dining room – comfortable rooms for enjoying time with friends and family. The kitchen where I imagine thousands of peanut butter and banana sandwiches being laid out on serving trays to be sent down to the basement billiards room or jungle room where Elvis and his famous friends (or many adoring female fans) were enjoying drinks, sharing stories or singing.

The decoration throughout is a mostly art deco and WAAAAY over the top. The pool room is covered from floor to ceiling with folded tapestry, and the jungle room, as its name implies, has green shag carpet on the walls and floors, a waterfall and wood, leather and animal prints throughout.

It’s a little disappointing that the tour includes only the lower levels and, out of respect for Elvis’s private life, keeps visitors away from his upstairs refuge – which remained private even when he lived in the home.

The tour continues through the “trophy room,” a building dedicated to an amazing collection of his gold and platinum records and memorabilia from his movie and an overview of his charitable efforts – which were immense – with hundreds of pieces of memorabilia. Then to the racquetball room which has been converted to hold more of Elvis’s Gold Records.

Then past his pool and on to the meditation garden which today is the gravesite of Elvis, his mother, grandmother and includes a plaque commemorating his twin brother Jessie Garon.

While the tickets are pricey, you also get access to The Elvis Presley Car Museum, a chance to tour his two custom jets it and three other Elvis-themed museums. While the mansion is small by today’s standards, the dated but immaculate decor give you insight into Elvis’ life, but more importantly, the things he enjoyed having around him in order to feel comfortable. It’s definitely worth the visit. For more information.

Close your eyes and imagine this: A blocked off street; Bright neon signs abound; dozens of Creole restaurants beckon; Hurricanes, “big ass beers” served from sidewalk bars. Of course, it’s Bourbon Street. No, I’m not talking about Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I am describing Beale Street in Memphis, TN.

Since neither of had ever visited Memphis, we were surprised by the striking similarities between the two.

Of course Beale Street is a key piece of the Memphis’s Rock and Roll legacy – defining the Memphis Blues style and launching the careers of Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Rufus Thomas and more. Dozens of bars encourage visitors to sit down and enjoy a delicious alcoholic refresher and some live music; and the street, on this hot afternoon, was filled with a cacophony of musical styles pouring from each door.

We stopped for a moment at Silky O’Sullivans – an Irish bar featuring enormous Miller Lites for $4 and a cool outdoor patio where we sat for a time and watched a lone guitarist struggle through, and commit some type of musical crime against everyone from The Band to Jason Mraz (though that last one may not have a case, he was pretty close).

Then we headed over to Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall, which is the juke joint for Rum Boogie Café next door. We had lunch, a decidedly Creole meal of Red Beans and Rice, and listened to a private concert by “Two Weeks Notis.” It was one of those performances when I felt sorry for a good band, working so hard, playing the blues so precisely to so few when Jason Mraz was packing them in across the street.

Unfortunately, its continuing transformation from historic district to touristy imitation of Bourbon Street diverts attention from what makes the city and this street specifically great – its deep roots and unquestionable role in the formation of “American” Music.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s a fun place to visit and drink. Like the musical genre developed here, it’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll, but it’s mostly a lot of drinking.

For more information.

Whiskey distillers have always taken pride in their work, relishing the end result of their time and resource investment. The distillers at Jack Daniels in Lynchburg, TN, however, are absolute perfectionists as they control every aspect of the brewing process from protecting the water source (a natural spring that runs under the property) and the creation of the charcoal that filters the whiskey (from aged maple crates) to the barrels for aging.

This tour starts out with the ever-standard company movie then a shuttle carried us to the rickyard. After the whiskey spends its allotted time in the barrels, it slowly drips drop by drop through Maplewood charcoal which they make on-site in huge outdoor fire vents in the area known as the rickyard. Charcoal “mellowing” is what they say makes Jack Daniels different – of course, that’s in addition to their hollow cave spring and standing as the country’s oldest registered distillery.

In the charcoal mellowing room, we got our only “taste” of Jack Daniels when the vat lids were lifted a few inches to let us have a quick sniff (or two). Unfortunately, since prohibition, Jack Daniels has been produced in a completely dry county. Drive seven miles North, and you can drink all you’d like, but unless you’re an employee and are authorized to receive one free monthly bottle, you’re out of luck.

There is one exception. At the end of the tour, you have the option to buy a commemorative bottle that just happens to be filled to the brim with delicious whiskey. We bought the bottle for display, but had to pour out the alcohol in order put it on the shelf. Conveniently, we poured it over diet soda.

To schedule your tour or a take a virtual tour while in the comfort of your own home, click here. 

This museum would have been great at the beginning of the trip because it provides a precise timeline and perfect overview of each of the key events that have come to define the civil rights movement. Since we’ve actually visited most of these sites at this point in the trip, it was more of a nice refresher course and sometimes even offered a little new information. The audio tour was very well done, and kept our interest through this large museum.

The museum is located inside the former Lorraine Motel, and the most moving and historically significant location in the museum is the room and balcony on which Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. The museum has renovated the balcony, restored MLK’s room and you actually enter to the left of the original structure that was the motel.

Everyone should visit the museum at least once to more thoroughly understand the struggles of our fathers and grandfathers toward the society we see today. It’s not perfect, but our country has made substantial strides to true equality and to understand from where we’ve come provides the perspective that we sometimes need.

Click here to schedule your tour.

Today, it’s hard to imagine, but Memphis was THE place to be if you wanted to make your mark in 1950s music – the times they were a’changin. The most popular records of the time (country music and blues) copied a great deal from one another, and shared much of the same history, but they were marketed very specifically.

So-called “race records” featuring black artists were marketed solely to blacks, while whites were mostly offered only white artists and “white” music. Whites listened to these “race records,” but only in the privacy of their homes, but made up a substantial portion of the race records sales.

But, in Memphis, in a recently established studio called Sun Records, an inexperienced music producer named Sam Phillips would inadvertently create an entirely new sensation. From 1952-1962, Sun Record’s very first decade of production, the studio would introduce a line of future legends utilizing a unique under-produced sound and a first-of-its-kind mix of white and black music.

After introducing the world to an unknown crooner named Elvis Presley, Sun was off and running, but establishing a studio is not cheap and Sam was debt-strapped. When the opportunity arose, he sold the future King of Rock n’ Roll’s contract to RCA for a measly $35,000. Considering that Elvis would go on to sell X records (40% of which were international), have at least 150 top 40 hits, and become “The King”, it would appear this was a horrible transaction.

But, the cash infusion allowed Sam to discover, develop and promote future legends Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash in the following five years alone. With this crew he would end up establishing the “Rockabilly” sound for which Tennessee would become known.

Hundreds of musicians still record at Sun each year hoping to recapture the raw sound that has earned it the nickname of “the birthplace of rock and roll.” It’s even been the subject of tribute albums. Today, the studio exists primarily as a museum and the tours are a must for any real music fan. The building’s interior has remained pretty much the same as it was in 1954 when Perkins, Lewis, Cash and Elvis sat down at the piano for a jam that would later be billed (and the recordings sold) as “The Million Dollar Quartet,” and it still oozes magic.

The guided tour features important compositions, music samples and cool stories. From the original recording equipment and studio sign, to classic records, stage costumes and hand-written lyrics, there are too many souvenirs and artifacts to count.  Plus, Kimmer channeled Elvis and got a sweet belt buckle out of the deal.

For more information click here.

In 1957, nine young black students, in one tiny high school, in one tiny city, in one tiny state became made the first major leap forward in true equality.

Until 1954, white students attended their own school, while black students had their own school. Following that year’s unanimous Supreme Court ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” state school systems officially began the process of forced integration.  One of those schools was Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas which developed a phased integration plan that was to begin in September, 1957.

As the time approached for the plan’s implementation, tensions rose and segregationists planned protests and violence was threatened. On September 4, 1957, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus, a staunch segregationist, refused to allow the students entry into the school, going so far as to use the National Guard to block the student’s entry.

Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower acted swiftly; mobilizing the 101^st Airborne Division of the US Army and federalizing every member of the Arkansas Guard. By the end of the month, these nine black children, surrounded by sea of white men in khaki army uniforms marched up the long entry steps and disappeared into the school.

The courage these nine kids showed on that day were just the start. They knew they would be challenged each day by the students who, influenced by their segregationist parents, spit racist insults and their venomous opinions at each of these kids, each day. The teachers offered little support or protection against their misguided classmates, and some went so far as to offer their own closed-minded opinion.

It’s hard to imagine what that school year was like for these nine, ordinary students who, thanks to their courage became extraordinary.

The National Park office across the street offers an interactive museum, and tours. Unfortunately, we arrived immediately after a tour had just started, and the next tour was several hours later (lunch time at the still operating school).

One of the best parts of this trip has been actually standing in the spaces where history happened. It’s great to share sidewalks with the so many before us whose existence and perseverance have helped to guide our history.

For more information.