Louisville, Kentucky

We were tossing up between Louisville and St Louis being our next pit stop, and although I cannot know what St Louis would have been like, I am thrilled that we chose Louisville.

Our first stop was Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. I went with very low expectations and was basically dragged along by Dad. I have never been a fan of horse-racing. In Australia, during the “race that stops the nation” I get increasingly frustrated by the overnight horse-racing experts repeating what they heard on morning TV. In addition, the idea that horses are handicapped with extra weight, for the purpose of gambling, seems completely unfair. You don’t make Usain Bolt carry an extra 20kg in a backpack during the 100m sprint to make it fair, so why do it with horses?

However, I digress. The grounds and museum at Churchill Downs are spectacular and the museum exhibits were so interesting, we could have stayed for a lot longer. The fact that a horse only gets one chance to run in the Derby, when they are 3 years old, made the race seem that much more special. It was impossible not to get caught up in the excitement of the Derby and I have been converted into a fan.

Our next stop was the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. We spent some time walking around the museum, even getting to hold and swing one of Mickey Mantle’s actual game bats before heading into the factory tour. The tour took us through the entire production process from how the trees were cut, turning and finishing the bats. At the end of the tour, we were each given a souvenir mini bat (about the size of a nightstick).

Swinging Mickey Mantle's game bat

I am not aware of the actual statistics, but I would hazard a guess that crime in Louisville is abnormally low, or more specifically, crimes against tourists. Walking around town you see every second person carrying their mini baseball bat and just begging someone to take them on. I know I certainly felt empowered.

After the Slugger, we headed for lunch to a local café, Boomers. It was quaint and the service was sensational. The café is completely decorated with all things Beagle and specifically the owner’s Beagle, Boomer. The menu is given to you in form format and you simply mark what you would like and the kitchen will make up your request to order.

My completed menu

I had a pimento cheese sandwich on rye which I enjoyed thoroughly and washed down with homemade lemonade. The lemonade was huge and just as I had made a small dent in my cup, it was refilled continuously and then given me to in a to-go cup. Boomer's was such a refreshing change from chain or formula restaurants; it was unique and I highly recommend it.

My completed order - pimento cheese on marble rye

We ended our day with a walk around town, constantly ready for anyone who wanted to mug me with my bat in hand. I am able to report, however, that no one even tried and my bat remains in mint condition.

Nashville, Tennessee

Famous for being the home of country music, Nashville was another pit-stop on our drive north. Our first stop was at the Grand Ole Opry, the grandest stage in country music and a mecca for country music fans. My knowledge of country music is severely limited however the tour of the Opry was amazing and one of my favourite stops on this road trip. The tour was one of the best run tours I’ve ever been on and we really got a sense of the significance of the Opry.

Opry painting in the Green Room

The interior of the Green Room

Singing on the famed wooden circle

The tour takes you through the history of the Opry, a tour of the dressing rooms, green room and a visit on stage to stand, or sing, on the famed wooden circle at the centre of the stage. The only downside was the guide would keep asking trivia questions with the preface that “y’all will know the answer to this one” but unlike everyone else, I never did.

After the Opry we headed into the centre of Nashville and starting walking around town, working our way towards Jacks BBQ for lunch. We seemed to arrive before the crowds as the line was out the door by the time we had ordered. We shared a sample platter with assorted meats and sides and although I prefer the coleslaw at Jack’s, overall Chattanooga was my favourite.

Jack's BBQ Exterior

Sample plate: coleslaw, mac & cheese, smoked sausage, pulled pork and ribs

The growing line at the lunchtime rush hour

We continued walking around town in an attempt to walk off our lunch and after my father bought an obligatory Stetson we squeezed in a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame before calling it a day.

Sugar's Ribs, Chattanooga, Tennessee

On route to Nashville, we took a pit-stop in Chattanooga. My father wanted to visit the Chattanooga Choo Choo and I simply wanted somewhere to stretch my legs and eat. So we headed to Sugar’s Ribs, an award-winning BBQ joint just off the highway.

According to the numerous signs along the highway, Sugar's is just off the exit however we seemed to keep missing it or being on the wrong side of the road with a double-line separating us from the restaurant, but eventually we made it. We sat outside on the balcony with a view over Chattanooga, the freeway and the local goats.

Having learnt from our previous meals, we ordered significantly less food and managed to sample various menu items without stuffing ourselves.

I order a rib-burger mini-q (baby sandwich) and a chicken mini-q whilst Dad go the ribs with coleslaw and mac & cheese to share.

Rib-burger: smokey flavour and moist juicy meat


Chicken mini-q: well seasoned but a little dry for my taste

Ribs - meat was "fall off the bone" tender

Mac & cheese - creamy but not too rich, just the right portion size

Coleslaw: Dad loved it, I didn't (a little too bitter for my taste)

Sugar's also provide a variety of bbq sauces (i.e. Carolina style, Tennessee style etc) so you can season to taste as desired. My favourite was the Tenessee Sweet & Goopey although all were great.

We were both very pleased with our pit-stop and we both knew that it was to be the first of many BBQ meals on our road-trip.