48 Hours: Louisville, Kentucky

Where to Stay

We chose to stay at the AC Hotels in the Nulu neighborhood because of its central bustling location. The Nulu neighborhood has tons to eat and shop and is a very walkable area. So many of the places we wanted to eat at were just within walking distance! I stayed at a AC Hotel in Kansas City and loved its clean relaxing vibe so making the Louisville branch our base was a no brainer. The hotel has spacious rooms and has all the amenities you need for a great weekend.

Quills Coffee Firehouse

A friend recommended Quills Coffee (which has a few locations around Louisville) and when I discovered the one closest to our hotel was not only a 5 minute walk away, but also located inside a renovated old firehouse, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. I loved their refreshing lattes and cute little outdoor table sets.

Please and Thank You

Do not miss out on their chocolate chip cookies! I came here solely to buy their cookies (and yes I bought a whole bag full) and had no regrets.

Kentucky Derby Museum and Churchill Downs

A Louisville trip would not be complete without a visit to the famous Kentucky Derby racetracks. This was the #1 spot my mom and I wanted to see on our 2 day vacation so we made it our first stop Saturday morning and booked the 90 minute Behind the Scenes tour.

Old Louisville Mansion Tour

I love touring old homes (actually homes in general) and when I discovered the Old Louisville Mansion tour would be held the same weekend I was in town, I knew it was fate and that I had to attend. The tour is self guided and starts off at the Conor Caldwell Mansion located smack dab in the middle of Old Louisville.

Louisville Mega Cavern Bike Tour

After going on a ebike tour in Hawaii and a mountain bike experience in Miami, I’ve recently become obsessed with bike tours (I’m not sure why I never discovered them earlier…). I had been wanting to see the largest underground cave in America and pairing it with an underground bike tour seemed like the perfect fit.

Royals Hot Chicken

I’ve had delicious hot chicken in Nashville (Hattie B’s!) before and thought that nothing could top their finger licking good chicken, but Royals friend chicken tenders came very close. It was just the right amount of spice to make the chicken delicious, but not too much spice to where it would have been painful to eat. Their mac and cheese is also a huge hit!

Biscuit Belly

Biscuit Belly is a cute blue and yellow brunch cafe located in Nulu (about 10 minute walk from AC Hotel) and serves a large menu of biscuit sandwiches and some of the best hash brown bites.

Big Four Pedestrian Bridge

Walking from one state to another is something that’s unheard of in my huge homestate of Texas, but in Louisville its something people do regularly on the weekends. Walk (or bike!) across the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge and you’ll be in Indiana in less than an hour. My original plan had been to walk around Indiana and grab an ice cream, but time didn’t allow for that so instead I soaked in the experience of traveling to another state on this short weekend trip!

Louisville Slugger Museum

I’m not the biggest fan of baseball, but I have to admit the Lousiville Slugger Museum was an experience! We went on a tour of the basball bat making factory and got to see bats being made real time.

The Eagle

Best Fried Chicken Ever. That’s all you need to know about The Eagle. Oh and it has a huge backyard patio for outdoor dining so its a perfect spot for pandemic travel.

Muhammad Ali Center

No trip is complete without a history lesson so I made a stop at the Muhammad Ali Center to learn more about one of the greatest athletes and political activists in American history.

Evan Williams Bourbon Experience

When people think about Kentucky as a state, the link to Kentucky bourbon is inevitable.

Louisville Cream

What vacation can end without dessert? Not any one of mine!

I’m loving all my midwest trips and can’t wait to go one more! Where should I go next?