As a city that produces more than a third of the world’s bourbon and 90 percent of the nation’s disco balls, it’s no surprise that, whether appealing to a laidback personality or your inner wild child, Louisville, Kentucky, offers no shortage of attractions for a girls’ weekend getaway.
City Taste Tours of Louisville provides an array of tours throughout the city, including those geared specifically toward a girl’s night out. Board a bus that transports you and your girlfriends to some of Louisville’s top wine shops and chocolate factories for tasting sessions. Additional tours include those with stops at bars and breweries, boutique shops and day spas. Familiarize yourself with Louisville’s storied past by booking a city tour through Mint Julep Tours and Transportation. The three-hour tour includes stops at lavish Victorian homes, high-end museums and along the waterfront park. Culinary tours include dining excursions at some of the city’s gourmet restaurants or tickets to a taping of the TV show, “Secrets of Louisville Chefs,” where you’ll enjoy live cooking demonstrations.
Step back in time with a trip upon the Belle of Louisville, a 1914 paddlewheel steamboat. Enjoy a night of dancing and dining with your girlfriends as you sail down the Ohio River, taking in the bright lights of downtown Louisville while on a buffet dinner cruise. The ship hosts themed excursions including an Oktoberfest celebration and fireworks spectacular in July. Charter CQ Princess, a 96-foot luxury yacht, for an afternoon or evening of sailing on the Ohio. The boat can be chartered for private two-hour tours. Owned and operated by Captain’s Quarters, a riverfront restaurant, the boat includes lunch/dinner and bar service, if requested.
Dress up to the nines and enjoy an evening surrounded by high rollers at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, just 20 minutes south of Louisville. Test your luck on one of the casino’s 2,100 slot machines, enjoy a concert in the Horseshoe Showroom, or sip cocktails as you dance the evening away at the resort’s late-night club. There’s also an onsite day spa where you and the girls can indulge in a massage, facial or pedicure. The world-famous Churchill Downs is the site of the legendary Kentucky Derby each May. Live racing also takes place from late April through late June, and early September through late November. In addition to an afternoon of wagering, enhance your experience by enjoying a meal in the clubhouse’s elegant dining room or booking a luxury suite with a private balcony. On certain Saturdays, the track hosts night racing under the lights while the onsite Club 140 offers such entertainment as live bands, DJs and fashion shows.
Embark on a night on the town with your girlfriends by your side at Fourth Street Live, downtown Louisville’s bustling shopping, dining and entertainment complex. The one-block center is home to lively restaurants, nightclubs and bars, many of which draw large crowds of revelers to their outdoor patios and feature live music and dancing. Indulge in some retail therapy with your lady friends at Mall St. Matthews, an indoor shopping center with more than 130 shops and restaurants. Women can also take in the latest romcom at Cinemark, the mall’s 16-screen, high-end movie theater that offers reserved seating and a bar with in-theater alcoholic beverage service.
