Thu, July 30: Depart Indianapolis for Louisville, Kentucky, and arrive at the Frazier History Museum, the Official Starting Point of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Take a guided tour of the history, craft, and culture of Kentucky Bourbon, America’s only native spirit! This exhibition pays tribute to the enchanted physical features in Kentucky that lend themselves to bourbon-making: hearty grains, white oak trees, and limestone filtered water. Highlights include a covered bridge experience that will immerse you in the sights and sounds of Kentucky, a touch-screen table stocked with a digital library of bourbon research content, and a bottle hall whose vast collection will grow to include every brand of bourbon produced in Kentucky. Enjoy some free time exploring other museums and shops along Whiskey Row, then check in to your downtown hotel for an overnight stay. (Meal: Lunch)

Fri, July 31: This morning, visit the Kentucky Derby Museum and enjoy a historic walking tour of the Churchill Downs Racetrack and learn how to make its signature drink: the mint julep. Then depart Louisville for Bardstown, located in the heart of the Bluegrass State and continuously ranked the among the “Most Beautiful Small Towns in America.” The town exudes an atmosphere that seems to have magically leaped from the writings of Mark Twain and the paintings of Norman Rockwell. Settled in 1780, Bardstown is Kentucky’s second-oldest city, with more than 200 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Upon arrival, a local guide will enlighten you on all things Bardstown, from its history to local culture. Enjoy some free time on your own in this quaint town for lunch and shopping. Next tour Spalding Hall, which first served as St. Joseph College and Seminary, then as a hospital for both the North and South during the Civil War before the Sisters of Charity took it over and ran an orphanage for boys around the turn of the century. Now, this building is the home of the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History and the Bardstown Historical Museum. Check into your hotel, rest, and freshen up for an evening aboard My Old Kentucky Dinner Train. Relive the elegance of railcar dining as you travel through Kentucky’s beautiful Bourbon Country. Experience a gourmet meal, impeccable service, and true Southern hospitality. (B,D)

Sat, Aug 1: After breakfast at the hotel, make a stop at one of Bardstown’s 11 local and regional distilleries: Heaven Hill. Take a tour and enjoy a tasting at this popular distillery that has been family owned since its establishment in 1935. Visit My Old Kentucky Home State Park, which honors the home that was the symbol of Stephen Foster’s most endearing song: the stately mansion on the Rowan Estate known as Federal Hill. The home, completed in 1818, rests on a sloping 290 acres deeded to the state in 1922. Its builder, Judge John Rowan, was a man of great distinction, serving on both the Kentucky Court of Appeals and in the U.S. Senate. Spend extra time in Bardstown and have dinner with the group before seeing an evening performance of The Stephen Foster Story at the Bardstown outdoor theatre—a spectacular musical with a cast of more than 50 performers and based on the life of America’s first great composer, Stephen Foster. (B,D)

Sun, Aug 2: Following breakfast, check out of the hotel and head to Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. Visit this pristine forest with an emphasis on the role of bourbon and the park’s founder. Experience the inspiring story of how German immigrant, Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, achieved success in the bourbon industry and used the proceeds from that success to create this forested sanctuary. His dreams and vision are alive 85 plus years later as a 15,000-acre pristine forest block, serving as a refuge for humans and the natural world. You might also catch a glimpse of a giant or two while you are here! Next, head to the nearby Jim Beam American Stillhouse and get an intimate look at Jim Beam Bourbon as you walk in the footsteps of seven generations of Beam Family Master Distillers. A picnic lunch will be a great send off from Bourbon Country before returning to Indianapolis this evening. (B,L)