Urban Bourbon (and More)

“We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,

for the old Kentucky home far away.”

I’ve been a little slow getting things posted lately, but I had a few wonderful weekends in October that I wanted to share. First up: a Kentucky adventure with my oldest son. Always my gracious running buddy, he ran the Urban Bourbon half marathon with me. Hearing “My Old Kentucky Home” at the start was goosebumps-inducing .

With a gorgeous course, a festive crowd (on and off the course) and an after-party beyond compare, this was a fantastic event. Which could be expected from an event hosted by Jim Beam. We didn’t set any personal records or anything, but who cares. We had a blast.

I do not know how Superman ran with that plastic hair , but he ran the whole thing with that on his head.

After knocking out 13.1 miles, we went from race mode to tourist mode. First stop was the Louisville Slugger Factory. It was fascinating to see how bats are made. The precision of the process was remarkable.

And we had to pay a visit to Churchill Downs.

We also visited the Muhammad Ali Center, an altogether surprising experience. It’s more than a tribute to a boxing champion’s career. It’s inspiring. It encourages peace, love and compassion for every race, creed and religion. One can’t help but reflect on personal values and strength of character during a visit here.

While Muhammad Ali was certainly polarizing and controversial, I believe he was also so misunderstood. He felt a personal mission and responsibility to help those in need — without publicity or recognition of any kind. A few of the examples shown in the exhibit had me in tears. His generosity was unparalleled.

Of course, I also spotted a few silly things along the way.

I know it’s random to count the hotel as a high point of an adventure, but ours certainly was. The Seelbach was unlike any place we’ve stayed. Some fun facts about the hotel include that it used to be part of Al Capone’s organized operation and F. Scott Fitzgerald took inspiration from The Seelbach for a hotel in the Great Gatsby.

The Rathskeller in the basement is completely encrusted with Rookwood Pottery, making it the only room of its kind in the world. Truth be told, this part of the hotel totally creeped me out. The hotel is considered to be one of the most haunted in Kentucky, and they are quite proud of their Lady in Blue ghost.