Louisville, Kentucky

At the start of the year I challenged myself to take a trip every month. And not necessarily a trip that required a passport or a plane ride. This month it happened to be Kentucky. Why Kentucky you ask? Well, my faithful blog followers will recall my best friend Etta lives out there. I’d been overdue for a visit to see her and her folks. It’s been 6 years since I’ve gone out there. But in my defense, she comes home to CT at least once a year. So I don’t go terribly long without seeing her.

For this trip my mom, Earline, is my travel companion. Mom is turning 65 next month. And finally retiring after nearly 50 years in the workforce! She’s taking the opportunity to tag along on some of my trips.

The plane ticket was just under $300 ($298.40 to be exact). Not a steal, but definitely a good deal for this time of year when the range is $340 – 425. Our price included our carry-on luggage. Which was totally doable for this 3 day trip.

At this point in the year, I’ve only accrued about 2.5 days of PTO. So I thought it’d be a good idea to just take advantage of the long President’s Day weekend. This way I wouldn’t have to dip into my vacation time. Which by the way, I need to conserve for the upcoming 7 day Spain trip in April.

We were able to save on the overall cost of this trip because Etta and her parents hosted us. No hotel or car rental required.

Louisville isn’t exactly a destination I would otherwise visit if my bestie didn’t live there. On my first visit we mostly stayed around the neighborhood. Our moms went shopping, we went to the park and toured downtown, our dads stayed at the house watching sports and action movies. But this time I had a list of just 3 things I had to experience in this city.

1. Kentucky Derby Museum.
2. Any art museum (Etta’s an artist).
3. A really good barbecue restaurant.

Our flight arrived a little after 00:00 on Saturday. Etta and Ma Bettie picked us up.

We went over to Etta’s parent’s house for a late dinner of homemade chili which Ma Bettie prepared especially for me. We woke up Papa Fred accidentally, who greeted us and had us laughing for another hour or so. Around 02:00 Bettie dropped us off at Etta’s place where I finally got to meet her boyfriend Patrick.

We stayed up for another couple hours talking and laughing. Then we passed out.

The next day we had a bit of a late start. Etta woke me up around 11:00 to tell me our moms were making breakfast so we’d be heading back over to her parent’s house within an hour. These home cooked meals helped save money.

After breakfast we headed to downtown Louisville. The plan was to hit up a couple museums. And head back into town by 17:00 for a surprise “appointment”. We went to the 21c Art Museum and Hotel first. Then we went across the street to the KMAC art museum. Where they had some Picasso on display.

Before we knew it, it was time to head to our surprise appointment. Which was a massage for my mom and I. A lovely gift from Bettie. It was my mom’s first ever massage and she loved it.

After that we did some shopping and went to a pho restaurant for dinner. It reminded me of Vietnam. Then we hung out and watched movies and laughed until nearly dawn.

On Sunday the moms and Etta and I went to an escape room. We made it out with 5 minutes to spare! Afterwards we split up again. Etta, Patrick and I went to City BBQ for an early dinner. Then we went home and watched the NBA All Star game. We didn’t make it to the Kentucky Derby Museum as I’d hoped, but this won’t be my last time in Louisville.

Monday was just a chill day. Our flight wasn’t until 18:00. So we just spent the day together, relaxing, eating and talking. The moms went shopping….again. Before we knew it, it was time to leave. But we agreed our next visit, we’ll head to Nashville, TN.

I’m skimping on some details since I made a vlog for this trip as well. Please enjoy.

Cheers!