Hi everyone. We%26#39;re meeting friends in or near Lexington/Louisville this summer because it%26#39;s halfway between Atlanta and Chicago. Neither of us have been to Kentucky and want to stay someplace family-friendly...possibly a cabin. Are there any unique towns around this area? Thanks for your help!
Is Papa John%26#39;s Stadium closer to park to Churchill Downs than parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center? My wife is in a wheelchair and wondering if it%26#39;s possible just to park at Papa John%26#39;s Stadium and then walk to the Derby. We%26#39;d rather not use the shuttle as it can be a big pain with a wheelchair and the waits can be long. Thanks!
I was just talking your question through with my husband. And we had a couple of thoughts....
1) Be sure that Papa John%26#39;s Stadium is actually offering parking for Derby. We just weren%26#39;t sure. If they are, it%26#39;s certainly walkable. It is a bit of a hike. You%26#39;ll probably also be walking in a crowd. Young people, old people, drunk people etc.
2) Have you checked with Churchill Downs to see if they offer any special handicap parking? Or if they have any recommendations for handicapped parking in the area?
3) This option may be too confusing since you%26#39;re not from the area, but many of the private homes around the track offer parking in their yards etc. The best places are typically on the back/west side of the track. This is where we usually park. You can usually park within a block or so of the track. It can cost anywhere from $25 - $50 dollars. If you have a car full of people, it%26#39;s relatively inexpensive.
Note: Because the yards are small, they sometimes stack the cars in. In this case they ask you to leave your keys so that your car can be moved to let others out. Although we%26#39;ve done this safely in the past, I generally prefer to keep my car keys. So you have to ask about this upfront. (This parking method isn%26#39;t for everyone, but it could be an option to get you closer to the track)
Thanks seagrover. There is parking at the Papa John%26#39;s Stadium so I think we%26#39;ll just park there and hike it. Looking forward to the trip and hope to get in a stop at the Louisville Slugger museum.
Its been three years since I was there, but the ';short'; walk from Papa John%26#39;s required climbing stairs up to the overpass of Central Ave. We parked on in the south lot near the overpass. With a wheelchair you would have to exit the lot on Floyd street, head south to Central and then west to Churchill Downs. We were heading to the infield via Gate 3 (NW corner of the track) so it was not bad. If you are heading to the grandstand it will be a longer walk.
Take a look at this satellite image to see where you are going.
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8%26amp;client=firefox-a%26amp;ie=UTF8%26amp;q=papa+johns+stadium+louisville%26amp;fb=1%26amp;split=1%26amp;gl=us%26amp;cid=0,0,7248435154566076632%26amp;ei=KXPbSYvYK5eWMbKb8cYI%26amp;ll=38.203858,-85.760779%26amp;spn=0.008667,0.029311%26amp;t=h%26amp;z=16
Cool, this will help a lot. Thanks. Are there sidewalks to walk on when we get on central avenue? I%26#39;m assuming that%26#39;s a busy road.
I believe Central is shut down on derby day except for shuttle buses and maybe taxis.
Do all derby tickets allow access to the paddock area to view the horses? Or do you have to be at a certain level to have access to certain areas? Some of the tickets on e-bay denote access priveleges.
The paddock area is a hugely popular area. You can get an admission ticket and spend the whole day there. It does get very crowded, so seeing horses is great if you are 6%26#39;4';. It%26#39;s also a lively place to watch people. Not so great if the weather is lousy! You will not have access to the stables, it%26#39;s very tight out there that day.
All Derby tickets allow access to the paddock area (including general admission/infield tix). The paddock area is what I would describe as the main entrance/cross-through area for the track.
Lots of people trek through the paddock on their way to wherever they are heading. Other people simply set up camp there. It gets very, very, very crowded. About 30 minutes before each race, the horses are brought into the paddock area and paraded around for everyone to see.
You DO have to be at a certain level to access other areas. For example to get to the third floor clubhouse, you%26#39;ve got to have third-floor clubhouse passes or better.
Third floor grandstand tickets, will not allow you enter the clubhouse area of the third floor. If you have third floor clubhouse passes, you cannot get to the 4th or 5th clubhouse floors etc.
Churchill Downs is a big place and there are escalators, elevators and steps leading to all sorts of levels. But on Derby Day, there will be guards posted at each stairwell etc. to check to make sure that you have the correct ticket or the appropriate wristband.
Be sure that the ebay tickets you purchase grant you access to the area in which you wish to be.
I am planning my husband%26#39;s 50th and considering Midway, KY. I cannot find any pictures or information about Gallery Suites of Midway. Can anyone tell me if they have stayed and if you have, what type of experience you had? I really want to make this special and hard to know when they do not have a web site and voice mail is full. The location looks great.
I will be in the area to celebrate a friend%26#39;s 50th. How was Midway? What did you do there?
We are coming from Nashville on our way home to Michigan thought to stop at the caves. Is a few hours worth stopping to do a tour. I have a 6 and an 8 yr. old.
Hi Gigi, a few hours should be efficient time to do a tour. You will need to call ahead of time though and find out which tour you want to do and make reservations ahead of arriving or they will be sold out. There are a number of tours available and they can tell you what would be good.
Thanks for the info. I will do that.
Hi Gigi,
You can read about the cave tours at this link:
www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cavetours.htm
Just click on each tour for a complete description. I have personal experience with the Historic and New Entrance Tours and would recommend them both. The rangers are very informative and do an excellent in describing the tour you are on. Their descriptions are very accurate, so if you feel uneasy after they speak to you, feel free to ';back out,'; but worry...we had no problem with any of the tours, and I feel I am just average in fitness.
One thing to keep in mind about Mammoth...it%26#39;s not a show cave known for its formations. Not all tours include viewing the few formations the cave has. It%26#39;s really known for its size--thus the name ';Mammoth.'; Some of the rooms are HUGE! However, some can be quite tight. Of course, there are over 300 miles of discovered passages.
The New Entrance Tour does allow you to see the Drapery Room where the formations are. The Historic Tour does not. There are tours for every age and fitness level.
Advance reservations for any tour are a must as KYMom said. You can reserve/pay on-line at recreation.gov.
You and the kids will love the cave! Enjoy.
I%26#39;d never pass up the chance to see a National Park - and Mammoth Cave is no exception. Check out the link that Sirtravelplanner gave you - and I%26#39;d probably pick the shortest tour for kids the age of yours. And as Kymom said - it%26#39;s DEFINITELY an advantage to make reservations ahead of time.
Are there different areas to Louisville? For example, is there a historic area, a downtown, a river area, etc. Information about these specific areas would be great. My husband and I are going to be there for 3 nights from May 13 to 16, and want to get a sense as to the locations in the city. Also, hotel suggestions for these areas would be appreciated.
Any other information you can provide to shed light on a place we%26#39;ve never been to before would be appreciated.
Many thanks.
Carol
Hi Carol - Welcome to Louisville!
It%26#39;s a great city to visit even when it%26#39;s not Derby Time! As to areas of the city - it would really depend on what you are specifically looking to do - the river is the northernmost edge of the city %26amp; has been developed with a multi use path for biking or hiking. So renting a bike %26amp; taking a ride along the river can be a scenic aspect of the city. Heading south on 4th Street about .5 mile would put you into 4th Street Live which is a bar/restaurant zone.
Again using 4th Street as a point of reference, heading westbound on Main St is the Kentucky Center for the Arts, Frazier Museum, Louisville Slugger %26amp; the Science Museum. Also on this same road are a number of restaurants still within walking distance. Head a block north of Main %26amp; you are now on River Road - east on River Road walks you past a number of restaurants, the Waterfront Park/Great Lawn and toward the baseball stadium, continue a bit further %26amp; you%26#39;ll come across the Skate Park (Xtreme).
On the east side of the city running North/South is Bardstown Road. The road itself is laden with locally owned restaurants and bars, and shops. In this area there are a number of B %26amp; B%26#39;s.
My next question would be what types of things would you like to do in Louisville, will you want to drive or walk and are you looking for hotel chain or B%26amp;B?
Just to give you a point of reference, we were considering the Central Park B %26amp; B, so I was wondering about their specific location. I believe they are in the historic district, but not sure. Perhaps you could let me know what historic district is like, and if that particular B %26amp; B is there.
Another place we were considering was the Hyatt on W. Jefferson. Wondering about that area, as well. Want to know in what areas we should avoid lodging (safety is a concern--naturally). Of course, it would be nice to walk to some places, but we realize we%26#39;d have to drive to others. So please let me know what areas would offer walk-to destinations. Needless to say, I%26#39;ve done research on Trip Advisor about things to do, and my husband wants to go to the race track, too.
So, all suggestions and recommendations would be terrific. Please know that I appreciate the time you take to respond.
Sincerely,
Carol
Hi Carol - Don%26#39;t know anything specifically about the Central Park B %26amp; B.
Will say that Historic District has vague uses in Louisville. Where the Central Park B %26amp; B is located is an area laden with old mansions that have been rehabbed for the most part. The Park is not an area to walk in the evening unless a specific event is going on there -jmho. From the B%26amp;B address within walking distance would be several restaurants of varying prices: 3rd Avenue Cafe, Buck%26#39;s, Rudyard Kipling. Don%26#39;t think that there are many houses in the area open for touring except around Christmas %26amp; the St James Art Festival. This area is known as Old Louisville.
The Hyatt on Jefferson is very close to 4th Street Live http://www.4thstlive.com/info.cfm which may or may not open lots of possibilities to you. This area is referred to as Downtown.
The racetrack http://churchilldowns.com would be an easy trip by car from either location. If you are going to spend the afternoon at the track to watch the races (as opposed to a drive by to see what it looks like) be sure to take the time to really wander the building -lots of history. And Skye Terrace seating IS worth the fee. Most of the staff is more than happy to answer your questions and point you in the right direction as well. The Derby Museum can be an interesting hour or so as well.
Lots of incredible restaurants on Bardstown Road %26amp; on Frankfort Avenue as well. Again prices vary from casual to fine dining.
Hope this helps. Will gladly try to answer any questions you have. This is a great city with lots of things to do %26amp; see at any given time, and eating options abound.
My friend and I moved to Missouri last year from the east coast. I always am looking for things to do. I have come across a bus trip from Missouri to the Quilting Show next week. Well I am only somewhat interested in quilting, but am always up for adventure. It of course will be a long day. we will be on our own for the day. Can anyone tell me if there is anything of interest by the convention center? Nice shops, historic places, eateries? I don%26#39;t want to go if we will be confined only to the convention center. Can anyone offer insight? thanks. We will be on foot of course once we arrive
If you%26#39;re not interested in quilting, I%26#39;m not sure this would be a good trip for you, unless you want to rent a car when you get there and explore more of West KY. You might want to check this out to see if any of it looks interesting to you
tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g39725-Paducah_Kentu…
