Feeling the earth shake as a mass of thundering hooves goes barreling down the stretch during a horse race is one of the quintessential Kentucky experiences.

 

Each May, more than 150,000 fans gather at Churchill Downs to attend the most famous horse race in America: the Kentucky Derby. Other races held at Churchill Downs are equally beloved by Kentuckians, including Thurby and Kentucky Oaks. Keeneland, a National Historic Landmark in Lexington, holds world-class thoroughbred races in the spring and fall, as well as some of the most prestigious horse sales in the world. Throughout the year, the public can watch racehorses run through their early morning workouts, followed by breakfast at the Track Kitchen – an intimate experience that will make you feel like you’re part of a special club. 

 

Another exciting form of horse racing is harness racing. Instead of sitting on top of the horse, jockeys ride in a two-wheeled cart, or sulkie, behind the horse as it trots or paces around an oval track.

 

Kentucky is home to three harness racing tracks. Red Mile Gaming & Racing in Lexington first opened in 1875, making it the second oldest harness racing track in the world. Oak Grove Racing in Oak Grove, where you can watch the races from a palatial 13,000 square-foot grandstand. The Mint: Cumberland Run in Corbin is a new facility that made its debut in October 2023. 

 

If you’d just like to learn about the sport's inspiring horses, trainers and jockeys, the Kentucky Derby Museum and the International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park will give you a deeper appreciation for the animals and the sport.
  

Trip Inspiration

Articles

Finding the Real America Along Kentucky’s Great River Road

Western Waterlands


The Great River Road is America’s longest National Scenic Byway, skirting the Mississippi River for more than 3,000 miles and through four Kentucky counties – Fulton, Hickman, Carlisle and Ballard. Throughout the route, you’ll not only see great natural scenery along the mighty Mississippi but also the charm and individuality of picture-perfect towns. 

 

In much of America, corporate chain stores and sprawling shopping malls have given populated areas a homogeneous look and feel.  We know the buildings, the food and the inventory all too well. But less-traveled communities of the Kentucky Great River Road Region have been largely unaffected by that. And that’s a good thing if you want to shop for real treasures – for items you won’t find almost anywhere else.

 

 

Tempting Treasures

 

There’s an abundance of boutiques and gift shops with eclectic merchandise, and you’ll sometimes find local arts and crafts, flower arrangements, jewelry and distinctive clothing all in the same shop!
In Carlisle County, Rusted Roots boutique sells trendy clothing for the younger crowd as well as arts and crafts like locally made soaps.

 

In Fulton County, The WOODS has a little bit of everything, too – handmade crafts, Kentucky products, jewelry and clothing. Just down the street, The Leader Store carries designer jewelry, school mascot items, tuxedos and formal dresses, as well as fine clothing for the whole family.

 

In Ballard County, Cindy’s Flowers offers fresh-cut bouquets as well as boutique items like handmade scarves and other creations made right in the shop.

 

There’s no better example of this variation of inventory than at Sisters and Friends. Here you can shop for a beautiful selection of antiques and chalk-paint your favorite treasure, all in the same building.

 

 

Unique Boutiques

 

Boutique and gift shops in the four-county region are working together by recommending each other if need be.  In Hickman County, Bella's Boutique doesn’t have what you want, they might send you over to The Lemon Tree.

 

And each year, boutique and gift shops participate in the March Mania Boutique Trail, in which customers who have a card stamped at all locations are eligible to win more than $1,000 in merchandise.

 

The Kentucky Great River Road Region is full of small towns and friendly people. But most importantly it is the real America, proudly hanging on to its rural values and its family owned farms and businesses – the very things that built this country.

 

For more information about Kentucky’s Great River Road and its attractions, visit www.kygreatriverroad.org.

 

 

IF YOU GO

 

Kentucky Great River Road Region
270-705-0506, www.kygreatriverroad.org

270 U.S. Hwy. 62, Bardwell, KY 42023 – (270) 816-0770

 

The Leader Store
410 Lake St., Fulton, KY  42041 – (270) 472-3234

 

Cindy’s Flowers & Gifts
380 W. Kentucky Dr., LaCenter, KY  42056 – (270) 665-8500

 

Bella’s Boutique
111 East Clay St., Clinton, KY  42031 – (270) 356-0775

 

The Lemon Tree
 117 East Clay St., Clinton, KY 42031 – (270) 653-8235

Author Information

David Shuffett

 

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