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February 6, 2009
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June 20-24, 2009
Cost: $60 per person
Saturday, June 20
10 a.m.-2 p.m.
The fossil beds at the Falls of the Ohio provide living proof (or once living proof) that an ocean and coral reef existed more than 350 million years ago in what is now Clark County. The coral reef, as we find it today, stretches from Louisville north to Indianapolis. The fossilized reef lies exposed only at the Falls of the Ohio and a few limestone quarries around Indiana. Nowhere else in the world does such a large, exposed fossil reef exist. More than 220 acres of exposed, Devonian age fossil beds make up the Falls of the Ohio. After seeing the falls, visitors venture into the rolling hills of Floyd County, Ind., and the family farm of Joe Huber. Visitors receive a warm welcome and a delicious home-cooked, meal. Browse the craft shop, tour the gardens or shop at the fruit stand.
Cost: $81 per person
Sunday, June 21
10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Marengo Cave has amazed visitors since its discovery in 1883. Discover the stunning beauty of this National Landmark and its massive flowstone deposits, the delicate soda straw formations and slender totem pole stalagmites. The tour winds through formation-filled rooms and past huge flowstone deposits. Take a seat in the Crystal Palace room and enjoy a video of the cave's discovery. Its unique Penny Ceiling is a favorite with all ages. Next, enjoy lunch at the Blue River Cafe. Located in a quaint building on Main Street in Milltown, Ind., this local establishment offers home-style menu items to tourists and locals alike.
Cost: $68 per person
Sunday, June 21
8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Visit Kentucky's best-known plantation, My Old Kentucky Home at Federal Hill, which was immortalized in song by Stephen Foster who penned the song after visiting in 1852. Guides in period costumes escort guests through Federal Hill, a stately Georgian Colonial mansion replicating the antebellum world. Lunch is at the historical Old Talbott Tavern said to be the oldest western stagecoach stop in America. Since the late 1700s, the Old Talbott Tavern on Court Square has provided shelter, food and drink to travelers. The old stone reminder of Bardstown's beginnings still welcomes visitors to the bustling downtown area. Heaven Hill Distillery Bourbon Heritage Center, made out of the same materials used in bourbon making, is one of Kentucky's premier attractions. Heaven Hill offers interactive exhibits on the birth of bourbon, the role of whiskey throughout history and the process by which many of the distillery's well-known brands are prepared. The "Taste of Heaven Hill" barrel-shaped tasting room offers visitors a chance to sample some of the distillery's finest creations.
Cost: $67 per person
Tuesday, June 23
9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Visit the heart of the world-famous Bluegrass Region of Kentucky featuring majestic horse farms that grace the landscape with preserved antebellum homes. What began as a dream ended as a retirement and rescue facility for pensioned Thoroughbreds. Old Friends at Dream Chase Farm provides a home for "at-risk" racehorses whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end. Relax and enjoy lunch at one of Versailles' best restaurants. Built in 1927, the structure is listed on the National Historic Register. Dine at Cleveland's at the Woodford Inn dedicated to creating good food prepared using the freshest ingredients. Visitors to the Woodford Reserve Distillery feel they have stepped back in time. The tour offers visitors a chance to see how the early distilling pioneers first produced bourbon. The distillery's master distiller makes premium bourbon using old-fashioned copper pot stills. Visitors view historic museum exhibits and an educational film that celebrates the site's history.
Cost: $40 per person
Tuesday, June 23
2-4:30 p.m.
Mega Cavern, a 100-acre former limestone quarry, is located beneath the Louisville Zoo and operated from the 1930s to the 1970s. Once the mineral rights ran out, the owners began backfilling the underground with recycled materials such as rock, brick, concrete and sand. The cavern has around 3.2 million net square feet of rentable space and is classified as a 100-acre underground green building. Tenants include general warehousing, records storage, boat and RV storage, salt storage, tile construction, and food distribution. During the course of the 70-minute tram tour, visitors learn about this green building technology as well as geology, underground mining techniques and recycling. Also learn about the history of the cavern, which acted as a Cuban missile crisis bunker in 1962 that would protect up to 50,000 people.