Many distilleries are closed Monday and even more on Labor Day. With no plans but adventurous hearts, we had a great day which ended with an awesome surprise and grateful hearts.

We had a wonderful time on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which was made better by the dear friends who shared it with us. We will go back soon. Who’s going with us?

We started early with the first tasting of the day at Castle & Key. This place is great. We next went to Woodford for another great tour and tasting, and ended the day with an unplanned visit to Larrakin Bourbon Company. When we do this trip again, we will likely recreate this day.

We started Saturday in downtown Louisville. Before our tour at Old Forester, we made a quick breakfast stop at White Castle. We later headed to Jeptha Creed (don’t skip the small distilleries) before heading to dinner at the Bell House Restaurant in Shelbyville.

Our first day started early at Bulleit, continued on to Angels Envy and then Buffalo Trace before a nice dinner in Shelbyville at the Bell House.

The Bourbon Trail has been a dream trip for a few years, probably more for me than Jayne which is why we chose my birthday weekend to go. When we mentioned it several months ago to some dear friends, they jumped onboard and we could not have been happier. Ironic that our first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail was at Last Stop Brewing.

From warm, locally baked bread and handcrafted cocktails to attentive service that never felt rushed, the evening delivered an elegant yet comfortable dining experience. While my prime rib didn't quite live up to expectations, Jayne's "Old Hickory" filet was a standout.