by Jerry Annunzio and Carla Ruschival
The first winter winds blew across the corner of Fourth Street and River Road in Louisville. Kentucky had weathered its driest fall ever. So my first experiences of Louisville in December were cold and dry.
As I got out of the cab between the two giant towers and under the third floor walkway that connects the towers, a feeling came through that there is a great deal more to know about this place than the weather — something more than even Daniel Boone or George Rogers Clark had discovered years before. I wondered what this town, or even the state, might have that ACB convention attendees would want to see. After only two and a half days and more than a dozen people later, Kentucky bloomed for me, with a garden full of sights, sounds, smells, textures and exciting things to do.
The people in the state of Kentucky, the city of Louisville and in the towers at Fourth and River are ready to show you Kentucky 2000. All who come to Louisville for the ACB convention July 1-8, 2000 will have the opportunity to experience: Churchill Downs, the site of the Kentucky Derby; the Louisville Slugger Museum; Locust Grove, where you can experience history; the American Printing House for the Blind; the Kentucky School for the Blind; the Ohio river boats; Derby Pie; Hot Brown ... and on it goes with more and more wonderful, exciting things to do.
(Editor’s Note: If you would like to know how to use the paratransit system while you attend the convention in Louisville, call (502) 561-5250. Verification of your eligibility for paratransit is a requirement for use of the Louisville paratransit system. The tours described below include transportation. There is no need to call paratransit for any of these tours.)
A Day of Kentucky Spirits: The Pre-Convention Tour
Kentucky 2000 will provide you with a unique opportunity to explore new and interesting places, and participate in events unlike those you may have experienced in other ACB convention cities. The pre-convention tour package will offer two separate day-long tours, which will allow you more individual choice, less cost, and more fun. Because you can stay in the Galt House while participating in the pre-convention tours, you won’t have to spend extra money or move into another hotel for just one night.
The first tour will take place on June 30th in the popular Bardstown area, which is known for its “Bourbon Row,” and such delectable names as Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, and Four Roses. Those are the first kinds of spirits you will encounter!
For those with a less liquid appetite, we offer a tour of Stephen Foster’s “My Old Kentucky Home.” This tour will introduce you to a second kind of spirit — the spirit of the past! The tour of the distilleries will stimulate all of your senses. As you move from the quiet country setting to the sound of the distilling process, to the smell of the corn mixture cooking and the taste of the bourbon balls, your senses will be stimulated to the max. As you stand in the middle of more than a million gallons of whiskey aging in huge barns, guides will explain the history of the area, the distilling process and share the secrets of Kentucky bourbon!
As you travel from the “sweet limestone wells” that supply the water that initiates the distilling process through the gentle rolling bluegrass hills you will come to historic Federal Hill and the house called “My Old Kentucky Home.” The house that Stephen Foster made famous is set in a park of lush Kentucky bluegrass under a canopy of 100-year-old trees laced with fragrant gardens. The past will come alive as you tour the house and grounds which were Stephen Foster’s inspiration.
Beautiful southern belles escorted by their handsome gentlemen, all dressed in period costume, will open each of the rooms. As you hear the stories of who did what to whom in which rooms, you will be able to touch many of the actual artifacts of the stories being told. This experience may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to touch a real piece of history. (You might even feel the spirit of one or more of the alleged ethereal residents standing next to you as you tour the house and grounds.)
As the sun sets and the day cools, the tour will take you to a performance of the play “The Stephen Foster Story,” where you will hear songs such as “I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” “Camptown Races,” “Oh Suzannah” and many more. This wonderful pre-convention tour will provide a full day of spirits — both past and present! And, for those of you who like to eat, we are planning a good old Kentucky down-home cookin’ lunch and dinner. Come experience a day with the Kentucky spirits!
A Day at the Races
When you hear, “And they’re off,” you know you are at the races. “The Days at the Races” will be Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2, 2000. Come spend an exciting day under the twin spires of the world-famous Churchill Downs, the racetrack made famous by the Kentucky Derby.
We will be in an area called “The Skye Terrace,” which is known during the Derby as “Millionaires Row.” It is a long room enclosed on the track side with sliding glass doors. Just outside the glass doors is a large open-air balcony which looks over the track. So you may stay in an air-conditioned area and listen to all that is happening outside over the sound system. Or you may go outside to be a part of the excitement. Since you are on Millionaires Row, why not have it all and do both?
These days at the races will be memorable experiences. Don’t miss this opportunity! Each day, there will be a sit-down served lunch included. Watch future issues of “The Braille Forum” for details and registration information for these exciting tours. We will see you in Kentucky!