Aw Phil, your timing is off by a week! I'm planning a Bourbon Pilgrimage+ the extended weekend after that (13-16 Sept). The KY Bourbon Festival, Lanesville Heritage Days, and the Owensboro airshow all fall on that weekend+.
What day's are you actually gonna have time to check things out? Can make a big diff on what might be open and how long. You HAVE to tour at least one distillery - there are a few smaller ones in L-ville and Beam's big Clermont plant is 20 min down I-65. The only down side is that you really need to plan time and reserve tickets early online. Bourbonism is booming and can make it difficult to just show up and get right on a tour, esp on weekends.
Restaurants - I've hit Selena's at Willow Lake a few times for a great weekend brunch. The place is most always packed and their steaks at are supposed to be great. J Graham's Cafe in the Brown Hotel is the home of the original KY Hot Brown (not a steak, but oh Momma is it good...). Several times I've taken an evening walk across the Ohio on the Big Four Bridge to some restaurants on the IN side and watched the bridge light show and river traffic as the sun goes down. And there are more bourbon bars than you can shake a stick at.
Little Rock isn't necessarily bad, but I am SOOOOO missing KY!
