Ever heard of a quaint, little town called Lawrenceburg? It's nestled in between Lexington and Louisville, right beside our capitol city, Frankfort, and it's a lovely historic community offering more than the average traveler might expect.
With a population of just over 10,500 residents, it's the perfect day trip for friends and family where "bourbon is as old as the community and wine is nationally acclaimed." - City of Lawrenceburg Tourism. But that's not all! Here are five additional reasons we love this friendly Bluegrass town!
1. Sweet Mash Southern Goods - We met the owners of this one-of-a-kind gift store at the Kentucky Bourbon Affair and we're blown away with the two ladies who, quite frankly, reminded us of ourselves. Best friends, Dawn and Tamara, (no lie... one of them shares the same name), opened up a Southern Style, bourbon-inspired, "something for everyone" goods store right on the Bourbon Trail. They sell everything from bourbon products to exclusive Charred Oak Barrel Candles, to jewelry, apparel, barware, home goods and much, much more. It's one of the coolest places to get unique presents for those hard-to-buy people. Believe me when I say, no one will walk out of that store with empty hands. And speaking of the store, we absolutely adore the decor! With the reclaimed brick walls and oak barrel ring ceiling fixtures, you will absolutely fall in love with this place!
2. Chickadees Specialty Shop - I have a new favorite summer dress, an adorable coral, off-the- shoulder number that honestly makes me feel as pretty as a peach. I have received more compliments on this dress than anything I have worn all year and the best thing is, it only cost $25. Where did I purchase this beaut? Well, Chickadees, of course, located right down the street from our friends at Sweet Mash on Main Street. Tam and I love this fashion shop filled with soft, sweet sundresses, shorts and tunics perfect for every body type and wallet size. They also have a wall of fun, offbeat handbags and accessories that you won't find in your fashion chain stores. Not to mention, they have a whimsical approach to attracting their customers. Refer to the welcome sign below. We love this little boutique and can't wait to see what their fall lineup will be!
3. Heavens to Betsy! - After all that shopping, you are bound to be hungry, which is exactly why you need to check out our fav gourmet sandwich shop, Heavens to Betsy!, also known as H2B. There are two things I loved most about this restaurant. 1. The atmosphere: Black walls lined with ginormous paintings of Lawrenceburg's two bourbon distilleries and two wineries, surrounded by soft lamp lighting and a old English phone booth. With it's New Yorkish vibe, you almost forget you are in Kentucky. 2. The Chicken Salad sandwich which was absolutely so delicious I visited H2B twice in two weeks to get one. But that is not all they serve. They also make a variety of specialty soups, sides and sandwiches including Spicy Hot Italian subs, H2B Pretzel Paninis, Roast Beef delights, Jambalaya, Summer Pasta Salad, Pineapple Puff, and much, much more. You got to check these guys out. You won't regret it!
4. Bourbon and Wine - Lover's Leap Vineyards, Rising Sons Home Farm Winery, Four Roses Distillery & Wild Turkey Distillery - The biggest decision you'll make is which winery or bourbon distillery to visit during your time in Lawrenceburg and while we don't have a clear favorite, we recommend you try them all. Not all in one day of course, as that is a lot of alcohol and unless you spend the night, we suggest you take your spirits touring in stride. But it's nice to have a choice as wineries are slowly but surely taking over the Bluegrass while distilleries continue to be a main Kentucky tourist attraction. Both the wineries and distilleries tout near perfect five star ratings so you can't go wrong with any of them. Just click on their names above to peruse each of the websites and discover why Lawrenceburg is so proud of their local businesses. Whether visiting a vineyard or a distillery, it's so interesting to learn what goes into the process, how bottles are stored and distributed and the best part, the tastings. If you haven't visited a winery or distillery before, Lawrenceburg is the perfect place to start. It's a great way to support and celebrate our great state!
5. Pure Radiance Salon and Spa - We have to say that Pure Radiance surprised us the most. Recommended by our friends at Sweet Mash, Pure Radiance is a gorgeous med spa performing all kinds of amazing services from your traditional manicure and pedicure to hair cuts and styles to hydrafacials and dermaplaning... the list goes on and on. While Tam and I have visited many med spas before, this one is definitely one of our favorites as the atmosphere is so beautiful and serene, you can't help but relax the moment you walk in the door. They also have shelves full of wonderful Aveda products serving as a one-stop shop for all your beauty needs. And did I mention the staff? They are so warm and friendly, I am pretty sure we left with a few new besties.
Lawrenceburg is a wonderful place to visit. We love this city. The purpose of KyTasteBuds is to get out of familiar, day-to-day world and expose ourselves to new places, people and activities. Lawrenceburg proves that you don't have to travel far to experience fun, new things. Why we haven't been doing this our whole life, I will never understand. Grab a girlfriend or two, or if you like your spouse, grab him/her and make the trip to this great little town. With so many unique places to visit, you must plan your trip today. Visit Lawrencburg's Tourism Website before you do as they have an events calendar full of activities that may add to your list of things to do.
PS: Did I mention Lawrenceburg is also located directly on the path of the famous 127 Yard Sale held the first of every August? We missed it this year but believe us, it's on the list for next. Just another reason to pay a visit to this great city.