Ride C2C #4 - 2 Days Prior: Landing in Louisville and finding Chicken & Bourbon

2 Days Prior: Landing in Louisville and finding Chicken & Bourbon

Date: 6/21/23 

Thanks to our friend Matt Iwersen who gave us a lift to the Bellingham Airport at 4am for our early departure to Seattle, then Chicago.

We found our flight times had changed and so we had less than an hour from landing to take off in Chicago and our flight arrived and departed at opposite ends of the very long airport.

If any of you know Chicago, you know that we had a brisk trott in order to make our flight.  Thank you new knees!

We arrived in Louisville earlier than expected and Ubered over to our “urban living” suite in - what we learned - was the cool part of Louisville that had been rejuvenated to become the hipster place “NuLu” district, east of downtown. 

-- yes-- that is a picture of horses over our bed.  It's A Kentucky thing?
We highly recommend the “Stellar Suites” as a spacious, do it yourself, accommodations.  There was a code to get in the doors and our room was large, airy, and included a mini-fridge, hot plate, and microwave.  Coffee was available in the common area. 

Since we had a “layover” day (tomorrow we would fetch our bikes) it was a good time to try what Louisville boasts about itself - its fried chicken and Bourbon.

We walked toward downtown and saw signs for bourbon everywhere…

we ended up at Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen for - yes - fried chicken, baked green beans with bacon, and tangy coleslaw. 

We also tried the double oak barrel Pearless Bourbon (not for sale anywhere but at that restaurant),the Pearless regular bourbon , and one other that was forgettable.

We agreed that the bourbon was the winner, then the green beans, then the chicken (with a KFC pepper after flavor), then the slaw.

after dinner, we walked along the Ohio River. Saw a replica of the Pinta, some crazy chickens, and the Louisville Slugger Museum and field.

We returned to LouLou on Market for a night cap, next door to our Stellar Suite, and the bartender there regaled us with all the bourbons we should try and all the places we should eat.  But most of all, he said we needed to end the night at TAJ where the locals go.  Great bar - lots of fun!