Kentucky – The Bluegrass State

The berry of this state is blackcurrant, and the drink is milk. Kentucky gets its name from the Iroquoian word kenhtake, meaning “meadow” or “prairie.” Bluegrass growing everywhere here has become the reason for the unofficial nickname of the state – “Bluegrass State”. Moreover, one of the five main areas into which Kentucky is divided is also called the Bluegrass Region. Such a variety of symbols and meanings in one bottle!

Farm in central Kentucky

Almost every inhabitant of the planet knows the congratulation song “Happy Birthday to you”. The melody for the famous song was composed in the state of Kentucky!

The state capital is Frankfort.

Large cities – Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro, Bowling Green, Covington, Hopkinsville, Henderson, Richmond, Jeffersontown.

How to get there

The road to Kentucky is long and expensive. One of the options is three planes on the route Moscow – Washington – Atlanta – Louisville. The journey, along with waiting for flights, will take 19 hours (this is the best option) and will cost at least 95,000 RUB one way per passenger.

Weather in Kentucky

Kentucky has a subtropical continental climate. The thermometer does not drop below -5 °C in winter and does not rise above +31 °C in summer. Periodically, cataclysms occur in Kentucky. The last major tornado occurred in 2008, and severe flooding occurred in 1977 and 1997.

Popular hotels in Kentucky

Attractions, entertainment and features of Kentucky

Almost every inhabitant of the planet knows the congratulation song “Happy Birthday to you”. The melody for the famous song was composed in the state of Kentucky! In 1893, two Louisville elementary school teachers wrote it to greet their children before class began. But the words and content were originally different – “Good Morning to All”. And by 1912, the lyrics of the song suddenly changed.

As a result, the congratulation song in 1998 got into the Guinness Book of Records as the most recognizable song in English. Today “Happy Birthday to you” is translated into 18 languages!

Louisville

Louisville has 122 city parks with a total area of ​​more than 57 km. The most visited is Cherokee Park.

Louisville is the birthplace of chewing gum. In 1873, it was invented by a native of this city, John Cogan.

The most famous landmark is “Old Louisville”: the largest historic urban area in the United States and the third largest in the world, completely built up in the Victorian style.

Mammoth cave

Near Louisville is one of the largest karst caves in the world – Mammoth. It was discovered in 1799, its depth is 300 m. The largest hall of the cave stretches for 5 km, its width is 90 m, and the height of the vaults is 40 m. The cave is decorated with stalactites and stalagmites. In 1936, Mammoth Cave was declared a National Park. It is adjacent to the Flint Ridge cave, and now the single Flint-Mamontova system reaches a length of 500 km.

horse racing

Kentucky supplies 30% of all racehorses in America, so there is no way without equestrian competitions. In May, thousands of horse racing enthusiasts flock to Louisville for America’s most famous Kentucky Derby. They have been held since 1875 at the Churchill Downs Racecourse. Not far from Louisville is the Kentucky Horse Farm. Here you can see a horse show, ride a horse-drawn carriage or on horseback, or just relax at the campsite.

There is also an international horse museum, there is even a specially created memorial, where the graves of expensive trotters are located – the winners of more than one derby.

Kentucky whiskey

The Kentucky city of Bardstown is famous for the popular type of whiskey in America – bourbon. This is one of the unofficial symbols of the United States. For the first time, bourbon appeared in Kentucky, when immigrants from Scotland and Ireland arrived here at the end of the 18th century, familiar with the technology of making ordinary whiskey. Elijah Craig of Kentucky, a Baptist preacher, Elijah Craig of Kentucky, was the first to age whiskey in a charred barrel, which gave the drink a reddish tint and original taste.

The main difference between bourbon and Scotch, Irish or other whiskey is that bourbon is made from corn, not barley, and is aged in oak barrels before use, which are always charred from the inside.

Political Kentucky

Kentucky was the birthplace of two politicians who led two militant camps during the Civil War of 1861-1865. This is the 14th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and the leader of the Confederate States of the Southern States, Jefferson Davis. The first of them was born near Hodgenville, and the second – 150 km from this place, in Fairview. The hut in which Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809 has survived: now it is located inside the memorial structure.

Kentucky is home to the U.S. gold depository. There are more than 6 billion dollars worth of bullion here!

Fort Knox

The city of Fort Knox is not a tourist center, but it is notable for the fact that there is a US gold reserve vault, the walls of which are made of granite and filled with concrete. Fort Knox is a US military base located 30 miles southwest of Louisville and covers an area of ​​440 square kilometers. Now more than 6 billion dollars worth of gold bars are stored here!

Star Kentucky

The state of Kentucky is the birthplace of many cult personalities. For example, boxer Muhammad Ali, actors George Clooney and Johnny Depp were born here. The latter also feels great as a hospitable host of the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival, which is also a must-see for tourists.

Kentucky - The Bluegrass State