En route to the park, pick up "Uniquely Bluegrass," a free map to Horse Country, at the Kentucky Welcome Center at the I-75 rest stop, or get one at the park. On leaving, explore narrow lanes that meander among the horse farms. The seemlessly manicured landscape of thick green grass and well-tended fences is unlike any you have ever seen. And behind every fence look for horses, including lots o f those antic colts.

Lexington itself is an attractive city blending modern skyscrapers with well-preserved old neighborhoods. As a history buff, I sought out its most historic site, the stately brick childhood home of Mary Todd Lincoln at 578 West Main Street ($7). In her debut as First Lady in 1861, Mrs. Lincoln initially was ridiculed by Washington society as a log-cabin woman from the frontier. But a tour of her home sets the record straight. She proved unusually well-educated for a woman of her time, informed the guide, which certainly didn't escape the future president's notice when he came calling.

Details

From the Cincinnati airport, take I-275 east and I-75 south to Iron Works Pike in Lexington. Follow the signs to the Kentucky Horse Park. Stay nearby at the 62-room Super 8 Motel (859/299-6241), $47; the 98-room Motel 6 (859/293-1431), $46 weekdays, $52 weekends; or the 108-room Red Roof Inn (859/293-2626), $49 weekdays, $61 weekends. Dine at the International Buffe t, all-you-can-eat for $9.99. Further information 800/845-3959, www.visitlex.com.

Day 2: On the farm

Lexington to Mammoth Cave National Park, 150 miles. Like a quirky old museum, the Kentucky heartland is filled with a rare mix of Americana, the odd treasures and trinkets of the nation's past. See what I mean on today's drive.

Plan on beginning the day with a tour of a horse farm. You must phone ahead, perhaps a week or two in advance, for an appointment. The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau provides a list of farms scheduling tours (see "Information" above). I called Calumet Farm (859/231-8272) to book my wife and myself for the daily 10 a.m. tour. The van carries a maximum of 12 passengers. Other farms: Claiborne (859/987-2330), Gainesway (859/293-2676), and Three Chimneys (859/873-7053). No charge, but a tip to the guide is customary.

Just outside Lexington, 850-acre Calumet is instantly recognizable by its white, cupola-tipped barns trimmed in brilliant red. The colors (and name) pay tribute to founder Warren Wright (in 1924), then owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. "No other farm in the history of racing has ever dominated the sport as completely as Calumet," say the experts.

So our guide, Hershel Lathery, had plenty to tell us as he steered us for an hour through this kingdom of horseflesh. On this day, Calumet was home to more than 100 horses, including about 35 colts. "They don't want for anything," Lathery said, detailing the feeding, care, and training of potential Derby champions. Our tour ended at the horse cemetery, where two famed Derby winners, Whirlaway (1941) and Citation (1948), are buried.

From Calumet, we headed west on the Bluegrass Parkway to Bardstown, site of My Old Kentucky Home State Park ($4). On the 250-acre site stands the impressive, Georgian-style brick house formerly owned by a cousin of Stephen Collins Foster. On a visit in 1852, the composer was inspired to write the chorus for a song he ha d been working on. It became "My Old Kentucky Home," the state anthem. In a bout of nostalgia-I still can sing the Foster tunes I learned in school-I took the 30-minute tour. You might save your money and view the house from outside. Listen for the garden chimes pealing "Beautiful Dreamer."

From Bardstown, follow the signs south to Loretto, home of Maker's Mark, a premier bourbon distillery. It's tucked away in a pleasant whiskey-scented valley. There's no charge for a 45-minute tour and lesson in bourbon making and-boo-no free sips of this famed Kentucky product. But the guide does cap her talk by distributing bourbon-flavored chocolates.

This passage through hometown America leads fittingly to Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, where Abraham Lincoln was born in 1809. Now a part of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site (no charge), the birthplace is memorialized by a temple-like marble structure where the Lincoln cabin once stood. In this rural setting, t he neoclassic edifice seems out of place. But the little spring where the Lincolns drew their water is still bubbling forth.