Psychedelic Coffee

Hanging out at the café at Third Street Stuff and Coffee is kind of like hanging out in your grandma’s kitchen; if you had a grandma that practiced voodoo, was related to Jackson Pollock, went to poetry slams and voted for O’Bama  It’s warm and cozy, cluttered and colorful, politically correct and more than just a little wackie. Just like in grandma’s kitchen, you feel at home, and you know you aren’t going to leave without something sweet.

Sit still long enough and things start to emerge, much like a Magic Eye painting. The colors start to organize themselves into chairs and tables.  Random words on the walls are really patron’s impromptu poetry. You note the coffee is Fair Trade, the paper products are made from sugarcane, they use corn-derived plastic products. You take note of a hand-written sign: “Warning: Handle the honey with caution because it tends to explode.”

The last time I was there, it was for a latte and some of their locally made breads. While I enjoyed my latte at a table, the line at the counter grew till it extended out the door. Being politically correct sometimes take a little longer, but it’s not the kind of place where you need to be in a hurry anyway. You won’t get the full effect. Again, much like a Magic Eye painting!

If you go:
Third Street Stuff and Coffee
257 North Limestone (not 3rd Street!)
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 255-5301
Mon.-Sat.: 7 a.m.-11p.m.
Sun.: 9:30 a.m.-11 p.m.

(originally published at http://www.visitlex.com)

Culinary Cunundrum

 So, in an effort to impress friends from California, friends who have rarely left the state of perpetual sunshine and all things “hip/cool/phat/dope”, the land of wine snobs (perhaps rightfully so), a state whose official flower is a poppy for gosh sakes……….Anyway, in an effort to impress these timid travelers to the Midwest, or South, or whatever we are (they certainly didn’t know) we took them out to dinner.  As we who live here know, Lexington has more than its share of cutting edge chefs, Culinary Institute of America graduates, and precocious young men and women cooking way beyond their years. So what did our Californians want to sample? Fried chicken. I mean, come on, fried chicken? Don’t they DO that in California?  Or maybe California’s ban on trans fats had them yearning for something a little more decadent than California could provide. Didn’t they want to go to Jonathan’s for Duck Confit with foie gras brioche bread pudding, or the Malone's for some Kobe beef? Or Jean Farris for some grilled Mahi Mahi with cilantro infused basmati rice?

Of course in the end, to be a good host, we acquiesced. And off to Ramsey’s we went, where they chowed down on fried chicken, kale greens, creamed corn, macaroni and cheese and fried green tomatoes. And the Key Lime pie and the Combo pie from Missy’s Pies next door. Their only disappointment? No bones. In the chicken. (originally posted on http://www.visitlex.com)

Lexington is the place to start!

Even National Geographic Traveler understands that Lexington is the best place to start the Kentucky Bourbon Trail! We made the Best Spring Trips of 2013 list, alongside some very prestigious international destinations. Check it out here:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-spring-2013/#/barrels-kentucky-bourbon-trail_64197_600x450.jpg
We may be the Horse Capital of the World, but we know how to do Bourbon, too!

For your planning pleasure!

Have you seen the new 2013 Visitor Planning Guide for Lexington? You can view the digital version here:
http://www.visitlex.com/lexington-visitor-guide.php

Great article on the craft beer movement in Lexington.

Really, is there any debate?

Why Lexington is considered the Horse Capital of the World

If you have more reasons, we'd love to hear them! Send an email to vacation@visitlex.com or add a comment below.

In fact, if you can think of a reason why Lexington is NOT the Horse Capital...we'd be curious to hear about that as well!

April Showers, April Flowers

Ok, ok, ok. Soldat is now '7 of 8' in the money. He certainly looked disinterested in the Florida Derby on Saturday. Maybe he just needs some of that Kentucky Bluegrass!

Speaking of beautiful days in the bluegrass. Opening day at Keeneland is Friday, April 8. Sunny and 72 degrees. It just doesn't get any better than that!

Here are a few things you might want to know so that your day at Keeneland is as enjoyable as possible.

Gates open at 11 a.m.
General admission is $5 per person; children 12 and under admitted free
Post time for the first race is 1:05 p.m.; races are run approximately every half hour
Mutuel windows in the grandstand areas open at around 12:30 p.m.; drive-thru wagering opens at 8 a.m.
Lawnchairs and umbrellas are permitted
Alcohol, coolers, food, grills and tents are not permitted inside the admission gates
All bags are subject to inspection at the admission gate.
Parking is free in the tailgating lot. Preferred parking is $5. Valet parking is $10. Bus parking is $10.

The Transylvania is a Grade III race for 3yo going 1 1/16 miles over Keeneland's Turf Course. Purse is $100,000.

See you in the paddock area.

Its That Time of Year!

The Kentucky Horse Park has established its Calendar of Events for the 2011 season that is set to begin Apr 1. As the park returns to its regular hours, 9am to 5pm daily through Oct 31, the calendar reveals a season jam-packed with horse shows every weekend, special events and art exhibitions, most of which are included with park admission.


The season kicks off with the Bluegrass Classic Arabian Horse Show, Apr 1-3. The same month, the park's most highly attended horse show will take place, the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Apr 28 - May 1, which will be bigger and better than ever with the inclusion of the Kentucky Reining Cup, Apr 29-30. College students from across the nation will arrive at the park to compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship, May 5-8, and after a year's hiatus, one of Kentucky's most popular social events will resume, the High Hope Steeplechase, May 22


Other season highlights will include the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship, May 5-8; Pyramid Society Egyptian Arabian Event, Jun 6-11; Festival of the Bluegrass, Jun 8-12; Silverama Region 14 Arabian Championship, Jun 28 - Jul 3; Miniature Horse Julep Cup Show, Jul 8-10; BreyerFest, Jul 15-17; United States Pony Club Festival, Jul 18-26; Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, Jul 27-31; Kentucky Summer Classic Hunter Jumper Show, Aug 3-7; United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals, Aug 9-4; Bluegrass Classic Cluster Dog Show Sept 1-5; and many more events throughout the season.



In addition to shows and live equine presentations, the park's museums will host three special exhibitions this season:



•Vavra's Vision: The Equine Images of Robert Vavra, Now - May 30 in the International Museum of the Horse - a Smithsonian Affiliate. This 60-year retrospective exhibition of the world's premiere photographer of horses will delve into the world that Vavra has created through his lens while circling the globe. In photographs, in film and in print, his images capture the strength, beauty and wisdom of the horse.

•Ancient Bronzes of the Asian Grasslands, Jun 24 - Oct 9 in the International Museum of the Horse. Eighty-five works illustrate the personal decorations and equipment of the horse-riding steppe dwellers of the late 2nd and 1st millennia BCE. Ornate, technically sophisticated, and richly patterned, the bronze belt buckles, plaques, and weapons of these ancient horsemen are striking examples of the nomad culture that flourished across the Asian grasslands from Central Asia to Mongolia and northern China.

•Celebrities: Saddlebreds and Personalities from the Silver Screen, Cinema and History, Now - Jan 31, 2012 in the American Saddlebred Museum - The Showplace for Saddlebreds. This exhibition features many of the horses from television and movies, such as My Friend Flicka and Fury, which were American Saddlebreds. It also features popular celebrities who own Saddlebreds.