Lexington, KY Road Trips

Founded in 1775, 17 years before Kentucky became a state, the fledgling campsite was named Lexington when settlers received news of the Battles of Lexington and Concord which had opened the Revolutionary War just a few months prior. (Many people today assume it to be the other way around, since Lexington, Kentucky, is much larger and more well-known than the eponymous Lexington, Massachusetts.) Lexington was one of the first cities in the country to enact urban growth legislation, controlling lot sizes and requiring suburban expansion to be continuous. This has largely protected the Bluegrass Region's picturesque landscapes from suburban encroachment. Lexington's urban development thus has a fairly sharp dividing line between suburb and countryside, and an interconnected metropolitan network of cities has developed with Lexington at its core, surrounded by a ring of smaller picturesque towns that have benefited from Lexington's prosperity and the auxiliary cities of Frankfort and Richmond, both of which are 40 minutes' drive in opposite directions. 1 Lexington Visitors Center, 215 W Main St, Suite 75 (Main St & Broadway, in The Square shops (formerly Victorian Square), across from the Convention Center and Triangle Park. Parking on Main St or Algonquin St, or in The Square garage off Short St), ☏ +1 859 233-7299. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su during summer.

1 Ashland (Henry Clay Estate), 120 Sycamore Rd (off Richmond Rd), ☏ +1 859 266-8581. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-4PM; Jan closed, Feb only open for groups. Home of the famous Kentucky Senator Henry Clay, set near downtown Lexington. Beautiful park surrounding the home accessible even if you do not wish to take a tour. Adults $10, children ages 6–18 $5, children 5 and under free. 2 Boone Station, 240 Gentry Rd (Richmond Rd 1.5 miles past I-75, then left on Cleveland Rd, right on Gentry Rd, park is on the left after 0.4 miles), ☏ +1 859 263-1073. Apr-Oct. Boone Station State Historic Site is on 46 beautiful acres in Fayette County. Daniel Boone (1734-1820), known for his role in the exploring and settling of the Kentucky frontier, decided that the settlement of Boonesborough had become far too crowded. In December 1779, Boone and his family established Boone's Station. The park features a 1-mile trail and a grave site where several members of the Boone family are buried. 3 Hopemount, 201 N Mill St (downtown, in historic Gratz Park, 1 block from Broadway & 2nd St), ☏ +1 859 233-0362. W-F 1PM-4PM, Sa 10AM-3PM, Su 1-4PM; weekend hours subject to change. Built by the first millionaire west of the Alleghenies, John Hunt-Morgan, the house showcases early Kentucky furniture, 19th-century paintings, and antique porcelain. The Alexander T. Hunt museum featuring Civil War memorabilia is located on the second floor. The house was built in 1814 when Lexington was known as the "Athens of the West." Adults $7, seniors $6, students and children under 12 $4.

Despite the relatively small size of this South-North straddling city, Lexington offers a surprisingly delightful palette of interesting activities. Whether you choose to explore some of the world-class and stunning horse farms ringing the city, hit up some of the surprisingly upscale shopping venues, take in a play at the Downtown Arts Center or the Lexington Opera House, tour the oldest university west of the Allegheny Mountains (Transylvania University), catch an insanely popular UK basketball game (Rupp Arena) or sample one of the myriad great restaurants that have sprung up all over town, you can be sure your experience here will not be a bland one. Local indie magazine ACE Weekly (published weekly) is full of write-ups and advertisements for local events; it is free and available throughout the city. 1 Big Ass Fans, 2348 Innovation Dr, ☏ +1 859 233-1271, toll-free: +1-877-BIG-FANS (244-3267). Usually Tu 9AM-11AM depending on tour; see website for availability. Manufacturer of large industrial ceiling fans (up to 24 ft (7.3 m) in diameter) and a range of residential fans and lighting products. Founded as HVLS Fan Co., many customers called asking for the company that makes "those big-ass fans". The owner decided to change the name to Big Ass Fans, which stirred up a bit of controversy when he painted the company's name along with a giant donkey's rear end (named "Fanny") on the side of the building. Local residents protested at first, and the airport refused to accept advertising from the company.

Lexington is home to an astonishing number of independently owned restaurants at all price levels. The city's college town atmosphere and affluent lifestyle contribute to this relatively small metropolitan area's great culinary offerings. Chain restaurants, typical in most American cities and towns, can be found here, as well as a great number of privately owned and operated establishments. Kentucky cuisine to look for includes the Hot Brown, an open-faced sandwich of turkey, bacon, and cheese sauce; burgoo, a traditional game stew with as many variations as there are people who make it; beer cheese, a spicy spread of cheddar cheese and beer; and bourbon balls, a sort of chocolate and bourbon truffle with pecans. Note that smoking is banned in restaurants, bars, and many public buildings in Lexington. 1 Third Street Stuff & Coffee, 257 N Limestone (just off Transylvania University campus), ☏ +1 859 255-5301, [email protected]. M-Sa 6:30AM-11PM, Su 7:30AM-11PM. This coffee shop also serves up unique sandwiches. It's a hip cool hang out with an artistic vibe and store inside. (updated Nov 2019) 2 Bourbon n' Toulouse, 829 E Euclid Ave (at High St), ☏ +1 859 335-0300. M-Sa 11AM-10PM, Su 11AM-9PM. This popular eatery brings a bit of New Orleans to the Bluegrass. The way Bn'T works is quick and painless: pick what you want from the day's selections listed on the chalkboard menu, then order and pay at the register. Not sure what you want? Just ask them for some samples.

Nearby Winchester is home to a regional soft drink called Ale-8-One. The soda was developed in the 1920s after major drinks like Coca-Cola were already established, hence the name, which is a pun on "a late one" (as in "the latest thing"). The ginger- and citrus-flavored soda has some passionate fans, and for most of its life was only available in Central and Eastern Kentucky, but since the 2000s you can find "Ale-8" in surrounding states and in Cracker Barrel restaurants nationwide. 1 Coffee Times Coffee House, 2571 Regency Rd (near Nicholasville Rd & New Circle Rd), ☏ +1 859 277-9140, toll-free: +1-877-673-0577. M-Th 7:30AM-9PM, F-Sa 8AM-11PM, Su 11AM-5PM. Excellent selection of whole-bean coffee and loose-leaf tea for sale or drinking on site. Manchester Coffee Co., 576 E Third St Unit 110, ☏ +1 (859) 317-9092. M-F: 7AM-6PM Sa-Su: 8AM-4PM. Specialty coffee shop and roastery with locations in the Distillery District and East End. $3-6. (updated Dec 2024) If you're at all interested in bourbon, consider making a daytime trip to explore some of the nearby bourbon distilleries, listed in the Do and Go next sections. 2 Country Boy Brewing, 436 Chair Ave. Tasting room for one of Lexington's up and coming breweries. Their "Shotgun Wedding" brown ale is their most popular brew, but they always keep it interesting with other options. (updated Mar 2018) 3 Chase Brewing Company, 266 Jefferson St. Located in the newly revitalized Jefferson St. corridor, this bar occupies on old gas station.

In Lexington, accommodation rooms are taxed at 13.4%. A complete list of hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts can be found at www.visitlex.com 1 Kentucky Horse Park Campground, 4089 Iron Works Pkwy (7 miles north of the city), toll-free: +1-888-459-7275. Offers spacious sites with 50/30/20 amp electric and water. All sites are 55' paved back-ins with fire rings and picnic tables. Has many extras including a grocery, gift shop and two bathhouses with modern conveniences. Take advantage of our planned recreational activities or catch a game of tennis or basketball on lighted courts, cool off in the junior olympic–size swimming pool, try your hand at pitching horse shoes, croquet, or maybe square dancing in the recreation pavilion. Also has electric primitive and primitive available for those wishing for a more rustic stay. Planned activities are available on most weekends beginning Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Camp has wireless Internet available; first 15 minutes free, various paid time blocks availalble with 24/7 support. $27. 2 Comfort Inn & Suites, 2400 Buena Vista Rd, ☏ +1 859 293-6113. 3 Bluegrass Extended Stay, 2753 Richmond Rd, ☏ +1 859 269-4999, [email protected]. 4 Days Inn Lexington, 1987 N. Broadway, ☏ +1 859 299-1202. 5 Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 2240 Buena Vista Rd, ☏ +1 859 447-9514. 6 Motel 6 Lexington East, 2260 Elkhorn Rd (I-75 exit 110), ☏ +1 859 293-1431. 7 GuestHouse Lexington, 2261 Elkhorn Rd (I-75 exit 110), ☏ +1 859 294-7375.

1 Blue Grass Airport (LEX IATA), 4000 Terminal Drive, ☏ +1 859 425-3114. A medium-sized regional airport which has service from Allegiant, American, Delta, and United, with daily non-stop service to more than a dozen cities. It deposits passengers directly adjacent to Keeneland Race Course and just a few miles from downtown. There is express bus service by Lextran, once per hour 6AM-6PM. All major brands of car rental agencies have service here, and taxis and hotel shuttles are plentiful. International facilities including customs are available, but no carriers operate scheduled international flights; most passengers will go through customs in a connecting airport. Louisville (Standiford Field SDF IATA) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG IATA) are larger airports, each about 1½ hours drive from Lexington. The nearest passenger train service is Amtrak's Cardinal, with stations in Maysville, and in Cincinnati, Ohio (both are about 1½ hours drive); however, there is only service every other day and both trains arrive and depart at night. Travellers usually access Lexington via one of the two major interstates that arc around the northern and eastern borders of the city. I-64 runs from east to west, connecting Lexington with the largest city in Kentucky, Louisville, to the west. I-75 runs north-south, connecting Lexington with Cincinnati and Knoxville respectively. Neither interstate penetrates into the city.

Lexington is a relatively spread out city, though not large. Unless you are mainly visiting the downtown or the university campus (which are within walking distance of each other), you will find that getting around by car is the most convenient method. Downtown, Main Street divides cross-streets north and south, and Limestone marks east versus west. Addresses downtown usually specify a cardinal direction, which provides a clue to what area of the city it's in. Bus service is provided by Lextran, which provides service from the downtown Transit Center to many parts of town and the airport. Most mainlines run every 35 minutes during business hours; others run every 35 minutes only during rush hours, every 60 minutes all other times. Buses run M-F 5AM-midnight, Sa 7AM-midnight, Su 7AM-9PM. Fare costs $1. If you need to transfer between routes transfers are free and can be attained when paying fare, transfers are good for an hour and a half but cannot be used for round trips on the same route. Buses can be tracked in realtime on Lextran's MyStop website or from Google Maps. Downtown Lexington is compact and easily navigated by foot or bicycle, but the most typical way to get around is by car. Cars can be rented at the airport or at several locations in the city. Taxis should be called in advance as they are not easily hailed on the street. There is a taxi stand in front of the airport. From 6PM to 6AM a taxi stand operates at the corner of Main and Upper Streets, next to the old courthouse. Lexington's roads form a wheel-and-spokes pattern.

The Lexington Division of Police, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), was awarded "Flagship Status" in 2010 for the third consecutive assessment, becoming the first and only municipal police agency in the U.S. to be so honored. The Police department has several special patrol units, including bicycle, Segway, and a mounted patrol. Lexington's crime rates rank favorably with other cities of its size. The University of Kentucky campus is patrolled by the University of Kentucky Police Department and is generally quite safe. An initiative called "Cat's Path" is comprised of a series of recommended walking routes that span central campus. The routes were chosen due to their frequent use and accessibility to the main campus destinations. Marked with highly visible signage and paw print ground logos, the Cat's Path is patrolled frequently by University Police, both on foot and in special police golf carts.