Kentucky
For Cyclists The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Is A World-Class Bike Trip
I went to Kentucky for the bourbon, however got here again awed by the biking. I imply blown away.
I’ve accomplished biking journeys as holidays world wide, from classics akin to Tuscany and Burgundy to hotspots like Mallorca to much less visited locations akin to Japan, however a number of issues about driving in Kentucky stood out above each different place I’ve been.
Upon arrival, one in all tour guides with lively journey specialist Backroads instructed me that regardless that he had led journeys for the corporate throughout Europe and the American West, and ridden on his personal in Asia and South America and just about all over the place else, he had by no means seen drivers as courteous as in Kentucky. That made no sense to me, so after all, I figured it was advertising hype and didn’t imagine him.
I used to be incorrect. The place I dwell in Vermont, drivers are sometimes superb about interacting with cyclists, and in Spain and Italy, the place biking is a nationwide sport, drivers are even higher, very used to cyclists and affected person in terms of passing and such. However Kentucky is subsequent degree when it comes to politeness, and on a windy nation highway you would possibly look again to to see three or 4 automobiles stacked up and plodding alongside, ready till there’s a protracted straightaway after which passing with tons of room. Everybody waves you thru intersections and yields politely to allow you to in when turning, and in 5 days and over 200 miles, I didn’t expertise a single impolite driver, remark, or gesture and even as soon as have a automobile come what I contemplate too shut. In case you trip a motorbike, you’ll know that’s merely exceptional. I can say with conviction that the drivers in Kentucky bourbon nation are the politest I’ve seen on the earth.
However that’s simply the tip of the good biking iceberg. Whereas motorists are well mannered, they’re additionally uncommon – the primary day I rode 21 miles earlier than I noticed the second automobile on my route. Bourbon nation is rural, and it is usually horse nation, the guts of American thoroughbred racing and breeding. The views are consistently mesmerizing, previous thoroughbred farms on tree-lined empty roads with good fences and bluegrass, infinite drop-dead views, all with nearly no visitors. The roads are nicely maintained, and there’s a lot of rolling elevation change so that you get the exercise of gaining vital elevation every day, plus the fun of downhill rushes, however all with none of the extended grinding climbs you discover just about all over the place else that’s not flat. Briefly, the driving is stellar, and it will be nice even with out bourbon. However there may be additionally bourbon.
With the only real exception of Scotland, there may be most likely no place on earth extra synonymous with whiskey than Kentucky. Bourbon can legally be produced wherever in the US, however 95% of the world’s provide is made proper right here within the Bluegrass State, together with much more Kentucky whiskies that aren’t bourbon. There are extra barrels of bourbon ageing within the state than there are residents, and lots of of them are at welcoming distilleries with nice excursions and wonderful guests’ amenities.
To make the journey much more consumer pleasant, in 1999 the Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation teamed up with a few of the most well-known names within the distilling enterprise – assume Maker’s Mark, Evan Williams, Jim Beam, and Wild Turkey, amongst many others – to create the Kentucky Bourbon Path. Most vacationers discover the path by automobile, however because it opened and has develop into more and more standard, extra distilleries and extra route choices have been added to the Path, and the Kentucky Distillers’ Affiliation mapped and printed instructions for 3 official “self-supported” bike excursions of the Bourbon Path, from 1-3 days, totaling 55-188 miles and visiting 3-10 distilleries. The Kentucky Bourbon Path web site has teamed up with lively mapping specialist RideWithGPS to supply each printable maps and cue sheets in addition to turn-by-turn GPS instructions utilizing the app in your smartphone. The entire distilleries listed alongside the best way have public excursions and tastings.
Nevertheless, this isn’t a visit I might personally advocate doing self-supported, except the only day trip – however that’s not lengthy sufficient to expertise the fascinating area. When you go in a single day, you must carry numerous gear, which makes it way more cumbersome. There’s little or no in the best way of motorbike leases out there within the area, and in case you discover one, it received’t have racks or panniers you’d need, which implies you mainly need to drive right here and produce your bike. Even in case you do, you continue to need to lug numerous weight and might by no means make certain if you arrive at a distillery whether or not a tour might be out there, as they’re very talked-about and promote out, or the following one won’t be for hours. If a thunderstorm or different dangerous climate breaks out, you’re on the highway by yourself and out of luck, and normally, you must do every little thing your self and depend on the identical publicly accessible tourism choices all of the drivers are searching for.
Each time I am going on a biking trip, I am going with a well-regarded tour operator that gives knowledgeable guides and van help in the course of the trip for mechanical or weather-related points (or in case you simply get drained). However additionally they have the accommodations pre-booked, eating reservations pre-booked, they transfer your baggage from lodge to lodge, and add VIP extras akin to personal excursions and experiences. earlier than you trip the primary mile what you will see for certain and all of the particular actions you’ll expertise, and don’t have to fret about lacking out on something.
There are a number of topnotch lively journey specialists operating organized bike excursions, particularly in iconic locations like Tuscany, and I’ve written about lots of them right here at Forbes. However there are only a few choices for the Kentucky Bourbon Path, and Backroads was the primary high tour operator to leap on this distinctive alternative and is by far probably the most skilled, after doing it for a number of years. Backroads can be the nation’s oldest and largest lively journey tour operators, and one of the crucial luxurious. They supply pre-loaded GPS bike computer systems with turn-by-turn instructions and have a fleet of custom-made European titanium bikes and {custom} e-bikes, with professional-level upgrades like Di2 electrical shifting on highway bikes. I had traveled with Backroads earlier than and knew the high-level of high quality to anticipate, and was not disillusioned.
The 5-day Kentucky Bourbon Path Biking journey begins in Louisville, which is a superb metropolis with a number of city distillery experiences and nice accommodations, in addition to the Louisville Slugger Museum, Muhammad Ali Heart and world-famous Churchill Downs racetrack, house of the Kentucky Derby. You possibly can come a day or two early and luxuriate in a few of these points of interest. I did simply that and stayed on the cool new Resort Distil, a member of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment, a model that teams unbiased boutique properties too distinctive to suit into extra cookie cutter labels like Westin or Sheraton. The Distil is in a historic constructing on Louisville’s Whiskey Row, the colourful coronary heart of Downtown, and sits simply steps from a number of high distilleries providing excursions, and has its personal exceptional eatery, Repeal Oak Fired Steakhouse. I’ve written extensively on high steakhouses world wide, however Repeal is the one one I’ve ever heard of that cooks over dwell hearth from burning whiskey barrel staves, and whereas it feels like a gimmick, the steaks have been scrumptious and uniquely crusted. I’d gladly eat there once more tomorrow.
The 5-day journey goes from Louisville to Lexington, the guts of each thoroughbred and whiskey tradition in Kentucky, and residential to the state’s different world-famous racetrack, Keeneland, host of the 2022 Breeders Cup. I’d by no means been and stayed an additional day to attend the races, and the observe is nice, among the finest and most traditional wherever, so between the 2 tracks and all of the horse associated stuff alongside the best way, you may take a look at this because the Kentucky Bourbon and Thoroughbred Path, a two-for-the-price-of-one cultural immersion.
The accommodations Backroads makes use of are exceptional, from the historic Shaker Village to offbeat however spectacular Kentucky Citadel, a Bluegrass nod to Versailles, whereas the spotlight is the final two nights at Louisville’s high luxurious property, the 21c Museum Resort. All breakfasts, lunches and dinners alongside the best way are included (which isn’t the norm on these sorts of journeys), as are a few personal distillery excursions, huge and small, a bourbon tasting and a number of other particular behind the scenes actions, together with an eye-opening personal tour of a high thoroughbred stud farm, a go to to the fascinating Kentucky Horse Park, house to the Worldwide Museum of the Horse, and even a non-public dwell bluegrass music efficiency. There’s the optionally available probability to mix and bottle your individual craft whiskey. The journey has been so standard in recent times that it has grown and grown, and subsequent yr there are 21 scheduled departures from April to October 2023. But regardless of its reputation, Backroads buyer opinions have by no means given it something however an ideal 5-Star ranking.
The biking within the space is simply unbelievable, it’s a magnet for whiskey fans, horse lovers and anybody excited by studying concerning the area’s tradition, and I can’t advocate it sufficient, whether or not you sort out it solo or go the cushier route with knowledgeable tour leaders, luxe lodging, personal excursions and all of the journey help you might ask for. It’s not probably the most well-known biking journey on the earth, but it surely’s one of the crucial enjoyable. To assist plan or prolong your journey earlier than or after, the journey websites of the State of Kentucky Tourism, Louisville Tourism and Lexington Tourism are all wonderful.
Kentucky
Two Former Kentucky Wildcats Transfer to Power Five Programs
The recruiting dead period begins at midnight. That means players in the transfer portal cannot visit campuses until Jan. 1. It’s a mad dash to secure a spot and a few former Kentucky Wildcats found a new home in the Power Five ranks.
Former four-star talent Tyreese Fearbry is heading to Camp Randall to Jump Around with the Wisconsin Badgers. The Pittsburgh native has two years of eligibility remaining.
The decorated recruit had plenty of promise, but that never turned into production. In three years and over 350 defensive snaps, he recorded 21 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and 21 pressures. His best performance came against Clemson in the Gator Bowl to end the 2023 season when the edge rusher logged a career-high five pressures.
Feary was one of three departures from Brad White’s position room. Kentucky ended the live period by hosting a couple of EDGE players, Chris Murray and Kameron Olds.
Kentucky also lost three tight ends this offseason. Khamari Anderson revealed he will be joining a CFP team next fall. He’s putting his forks up to play for Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State. The former Under Armour All-American also visited Auburn during the process. I can’t blame the Detroit native for moving to the desert instead.
He had six receptions for 40 yards during his two seasons in Lexington. Kentucky received a commitment from Illinois tight end Henry Boyer to add size and depth to Vince Marrow’s tight end position room. For those keeping tally at home, nine of the 21 departing Kentucky football transfers have landed in the Power Conference ranks, and that number will likely grow.
The transfer portal is open for business and so far we know of 21 players who will be seeking out greener pastures this offseason.
- DL Keeshawn Silver (Committed to USC on Dec. 19)
- DB Avery Stuart
- LB Jayvant Brown
- TE Tanner Lemaster
- TE Khamari Anderson (Committed to Arizona State Dec. 22)
- TE Jordan Dingle (Committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18)
- OL Courtland Ford (Committed to UCLA on Dec. 17)
- OL Ben Christman
- OL Dylan Ray (Committed to Minnesota on Dec. 21)
- OL Koby Keenum (Committed to Mississippi State on Dec. 22)
- DL Tommy Ziesmer (Committed to EKU on Dec. 15)
- WR Dane Key
- WR Barion Brown (Committed to LSU on Dec. 14)
- WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
- WR Brandon White
- EDGE Tyreese Fearbry (Committed to Wisconsin Dec. 22)
- EDGE Noah Matthews
- EDGE Caleb Redd (Committed to Kansas on Dec. 20)
- RB Chip Trayanum
- QB Gavin Wimsatt
- LS Walker Himebach (Committed to Colorado State on Dec. 22)
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. Keep closer tabs on the Cats with our staff-only sticky thread on KSBoard, which will have updates on departures and targets throughout the offseason. Not a KSR+ member? Try it out today.
Kentucky
Mark Pope says Kentucky will fight to get better after loss to Ohio State
Kentucky suffered an upset loss to Ohio State on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic in Madison Square Garden, losing 85-65. Nothing went their way in the game, as shooting struggles and physicality were major factors. The Buckeyes attacked the basket at will, and Kentucky couldn’t find any answers. Kentucky shot 30% overall and 18% from three-point range.
Mark Pope knows his team is going to work hard to try and respond well to the loss, and after the holiday break, the Wildcats will get back in the gym and strive to get better. The Wildcats seemed to lose focus on making plays for each other, and Pope talked about that after the loss.
“I know exactly how these guys will respond. They’re gonna really, really try as hard as they can to not let this destroy their couple of days off. Their job is to get really fresh right now, and then we get back together on the 26th. I know these guys. They’ll come in and it’s not gonna be just empty emotion, it’s gonna be we’re gonna get better, and these guys will get better. We just gotta keep trusting what we do. We had some defensive struggles tonight, and we just fell to pieces offensively. We just went to our default, and our default is not right yet. Our default is still bad habits. It’s not habits coming from a bad place in the guys’ hearts, it’s coming from a great place. It’s coming from a desperation to help their team, but we don’t do that by ourselves. We do it disciplined, and we do it the way we do it, and we do it by making plays for each other.”
– Pope on Kentucky responding.
With a 10-day break between games, Kentucky has some time to regroup and work to improve in those areas, especially before they begin SEC play on January 4 against Florida. Physicality should be a focal point of improvement with how physical the SEC always is.
Kentucky
Sunday Headlines: Cats suffer brutal defeat vs. Ohio State
Good morning BBN!
This is the first time we have had to write a headline post following a very disappointing loss, but here we are.
The Kentucky Wildcats tossed their first dud of the Mark Pope Era in Madison Square Garden, as the Cats got blitzed by the Ohio State Buckeyes.
It was not the prettiest performance from the Cats this season on either end of the floor. The Buckeyes cruised on offense shooting close to 60% from the field.
On the flip side, Kentucky really struggled to get rolling on offense as they shot 29.8% from the field.
Despite an impressive resume, there is no way around this loss stinging some, especially after Auburn crushed this same Buckeyes team by 40+ points.
One non-conference game remains as the Cats return to Rupp Arena on New Year’s Eve when they host Brown.
This team clearly has a lot of work to do until then to
Tweet of the Day
I’ve logged a pick for Kent State EDGE Kam Olds to land at Kentucky.
He had 42 tackles, 6 sacks and an interception this season. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/qKuNk04RMQ
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) December 22, 2024
Some more good news on the way for the Cats?
Headlines
No. 4 Kentucky Falls to Ohio State – UK Athletics
Otega Oweh scored 21 points, but No. 4. Kentucky lost to Ohio State 85-65 on Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Kentucky’s slow starts must be addressed as SEC play approaches – Cats Pause
Kentucky survived poor first halves vs. Duke and Gonzaga but not Saturday vs. Ohio State.
Minnesota Gophers land Kahlee Tafai and Dylan Ray – Minnesota Tribune
Dylan Ray finds his new home.
Kentucky is winless against Ohio State and carries a losing record in the CBS Sports Classic- KSR
That’s not good.
Kevis Thomas commits to Kentucky- KSR
The Cats another player to the defense.
Strong second half powers Kentucky past Belmont- Cats Pause
Kenny Brooks squad adds another win.
Rickey Henderson dies at 65- ESPN
The Oakland A’s legend passes away.
Kentucky football transfer tracker- Cats Pause
Catch up on the latest for the football Cats.
Tiger and Charlie Woods lead at PNC Championship- ESPN
COME ON TIGER!
Kiffin rips College Football Playoff Committee- CBS
Who could have saw this coming?
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