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This article\u2014shared in partnership with our friends at VisitLex<\/a>\u2014is part of 52Cities<\/strong>, a column where we share editor-curated and community-loved recommendations for visiting our favorite places.<\/em><\/p>\n As a native Atlantan, I\u2019m no stranger to visiting Southern cities\u2014spring breaks spent in Florida beach towns, Girl Scouts trips to Savannah, an especially memorable New Year\u2019s Eve in Nashville<\/a>, and plenty of weekend getaways in the Carolinas. But up until recently, I\u2019d never spent much time in Kentucky. Sure, there was the family pilgrimage to Mammoth Cave<\/a> when I was a teenager, too cool to appreciate the wonders of eyeless fish (Google it) and the world\u2019s largest underground cave system, but the Bluegrass State had yet to pull me in. After a recent trip to Lexington, all of that changed.<\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m downright hooked on the magic of that city\u2014its many-patterned jockey silks and early morning race track sounds; its edible flower gardens and bustling farmers\u2019 markets; its rich bourbon history and new-found love of imaginative sake. Lexington is the birthplace of track stars like Secretariat<\/a> and home to 14 bourbon distilleries<\/a>, including Fresh Bourbon<\/a>, one of the \u201cfirst African American-owned distiller[ies] since slavery.\u201d Its limestone-rich soil is optimal for breeding horses, distilling spirits, and growing all sorts of crops, but most importantly, Lexington\u2019s landscape is ideal for fostering the warm, welcoming community you\u2019ll find there today.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re stopping in when the Breeders’ Cup<\/a> is in town, seeking out the city\u2019s many LGBTQ+ destinations<\/a>, or simply in search of the perfect weekend trip<\/a>, Lexington has a little something for everyone.<\/p>\n
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