06/14/2026
It took me a few days, but I’m finally posting pics from a super fun girls’ trip with my friend Joanne to Bardstown, Kentucky—another installment of "Places Carol has never been before even though she's lived here most of her life" photo series, lol 😂 (Seriously, Bardstown isn’t that far away, so I have no excuse. 🤪)
🥃 Bardstown is widely known as the “Bourbon Capital of the World,” which is funny because I don’t even drink bourbon, but I did get a few Christmas gifts, lol. 🥃🤣 But the town itself? Absolutely worth the trip. It’s full of beautiful historic buildings, easy to walk around, packed with distilleries, and the people are so dang friendly. Joanne and I kept saying the same thing: everybody was genuinely nice, which sadly feels rare enough these days to deserve its own tourist attraction.
🏫 We stayed at the Distill Inn, which we learned was a former Comfort Inn that’s been totally redone. There were a few little hiccups here and there, but overall it was nice, comfortable, and close to everything—which is really all I ask after a day of shopping and sightseeing. (and yes, there is a bar there! 🍷🥃)
👛 There’s also some great shopping if you love cool, unique, handmade finds like I do.
🍛 We ate at the Old Talbott Tavern, built in 1779, which is the oldest western stagecoach stop in America and home to the oldest bourbon bar in the world. Sidenote - Their Kentucky Hot Brown was amazing!
🎼 We also stopped at My Old Kentucky Home State Park and toured Federal Hill, the former plantation home of Senator John Rowan, who was Stephen Foster’s cousin. It’s long been debated whether Foster ever visited, but many believe it inspired “My Old Kentucky Home.” Learning little bits of history like that is one of my favorite parts of traveling—right up there with good food and finding gift shops where I probably spend too much money. lol 😂
There’s still so much more to see, and we definitely didn’t stay long enough. So naturally, we decided another girls’ trip back is basically required. 🚗
These are just a few of the pics I took—and yes, there are several bar photos. I couldn’t help it. They had some of the coolest bars I’ve ever seen… and at this point, I feel like I’ve seen enough to be a qualified judge, lol. 🤣
As always a super fun girls’ trip and can’t wait for our next one! 🛤️
📍Kentucky ☮📸
