HotelTonight – Kentucky Hotels When You Need Them
When I take some time off, I want nothing to do with rigid schedules, itineraries and the like, as to me the whole point of getting away is getting away from the routine that grinds on me during the year. One of the things I've enjoyed doing for vacations recently is picking a state that I have not been to before and exploring it for a few days. One state that I had never really spent any time in until recently is Kentucky. I had heard a lot of great things but wanted to see for myself. The only thing I try to plan ahead of time other than my flights is to at least have options available for lodging, as it's no fun getting caught with no place to stay. I figured it would be wise at that point to search for perhaps an app that helped people find Kentucky hotels as the last minute.
I pulled out my phone--the one piece of technology that would be allowed to travel with me while I was away--and searched for this type of an app. I found something called HotelTonight and opened it. I liked what I saw and searched for Kentucky hotels. I was extremely impressed with the quantity and quality of the choices. I was also pleased to see that the rates the hotels were asking were extremely reasonable. I decided to book one in Louisville, since that's where I was going to be for the first night. This would give me an idea of how involved the booking process was. It was anything but. I had my room in seconds. Now all I needed to do was some quick research on interesting facts regarding Kentucky, as that would give me some ideas on where to go while I was there.
The Kentucky Derby Is a Big Party
I was not in Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby, but I definitely made time to go see Churchill Downs, the most famous venue in horse racing. It is an enormous place. It covers 115 acres and has been open since 1875. It seats 50,000 people, and on Derby Day the crowd goes through 7,000 liters of bourbon and 120,000 mint juleps. In other words, it's a really big party and a celebration of the culture here that loves its horses and its horse racing. I was glad I made time to go and see it.
Kentucky Is the Home of Bourbon
Bourbon is a distinctly American drink. It is distilled and aged in barrels, and its home is Kentucky. Bourbon County Kentucky is where bourbon was distilled for the first time in the United States, and Kentucky has been known for it ever since. However, there is a myth about Bourbon County that it is a dry county. I was there, and I can tell you that it is not in fact dry. However, there are 37 counties in Kentucky that are, which is also an interesting fact.
Kentucky and Union Soldiers
During the Civil War, Kentucky was a confusing place as it sat basically on the border between the two sides that were fighting. It officially declared itself neutral when the war started but mostly fought for the Union as the war progressed. Today, Kentucky is home to the only memorial for Union soldiers that's south of the Ohio River. It's located in Vanceburg, and it honors more than 100 men who sacrificed their lives fighting for the Union. It was quite something to see, and it inspired quite a bit of reading where I learned about how the sides were not always clear during this time.
Kentucky Is the "K" in KFC
There have been a lot of different mythical figures tied to popular food over the years, but Colonel Sanders, he of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, actually did exist. He invented his recipe for a friend in Corbin in the late 1920's. He opened his first roadside chicken stand in 1930. Today, there is a museum there that I toured, and it was fascinating to see what went into making fried chicken on a massive scale during that time. And yes, the recipe remains a secret.
HotelTonight – Kentucky Hotels in Minutes
As I made my way towards Lexington for my flight home, I realized that this had been quite an experience. I had seen history, gorgeous landscapes, culture that is befitting of an entire commonwealth, as Kentucky is, and of course cuisine. I had also discovered a new travel partner that I hadn't "met" prior to this trip in HotelTonight. It helped me find Kentucky hotels more than once when I needed a place to stay. I would definitely make sure my travels in the future would occur with HotelTonight at my side.
