The annual Great Balloon Race held during the weekend of the Kentucky Derby gives you a chance to see hot air balloons filling the Louisville sky. A popular event is the Great Balloon Glow on Friday, where balloons are lit and take to their starting positions, with the flash of the engines set against the night sky and synchronized to music. Balloon rides are also available from private companies throughout the year.
You can also explore the historic Churchill Downs track, whether it's Derby weekend or not, with a Backstretch Tour that features a breakfast and tour of the grounds. The Louisville area has several parks and outdoor spaces available for romantic breaks. A walk through St. James Court in Old Louisville lets you enjoy the site of the Southern Exposition of 1883-188, see Victorian homes and enjoy quiet time on a tree-lined walking court.
If you and your partner enjoy the outdoors, there are few places in Kentucky more gorgeous and romantic than the Cumberland Gap National Park. Located in southeastern Kentucky near the borders with Tennessee and West Virginia, the park offers breathtaking scenery including underground caverns, sandstone formations, waterfalls and beautiful local flora. You and your loved one can hike on 85 miles of trails and see local plants and animals including deer, beavers and birds. You can camp at one of the 160 sites inside the park or stay at an inn or bed-and-breakfast in the town of Cumberland Gap.
Located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, Covington has a 13-block historical district which has earned a spot on the National Historical Register. A walk through the district takes you past Civil War-era homes, mansions and bronze statutes of historical figures along the river walk. You can enjoy a romantic meal at one of the restaurants at the MainStrasse Village, a shopping area and historical district designed to resemble a 19th-century German neighborhood. Also, 360 at the Radisson offers fine American dining including steaks and seafood and is the largest revolving restaurant east of Las Vegas.
