BudgetTravel

Day 3
The town of Berea exudes a certain old-fashioned charm. Over ginger-and-pecan scones at Berea Coffee & Tea Co., we watch a college-age woman knitting on a sofa. I read a story in the Berea Citizen about a horse named Bliss who escaped from a farm earlier in the week and trotted through town. At the Appalachian Fireside Gallery, I consider purchasing some corn-husk bookmarks, but opt for a knitted baby's cap instead.

Since our shopping has been limited primarily to gift shops, we head 90 miles northwest to Shelbyville, known for its antiques. But Cathy, who goes antiquing frequently, fails to find anything worthwhile--until we reach the Ruby Rooster. She coos over the impressive array of figurines made of celluloid (a once-popular plastic that's now rarely used) before buying a 1920s cake topper shaped like a pixie blowing a horn.

A TROT IN THE COUNTRY Just how charming are the horse farms and bourbon distilleries of western Kentucky? These photographs will have you daydreaming about your next road trip. • Launch the slide show

We're all shopped out, and Sixth and Main Coffeehouse lures us with the promise of free Wi-Fi and iced lattes. I log on to Hotwire and bid on two rooms at the Best Western Envoy Inn & Suites in Louisville, a pretty good bargain at $71 apiece.

It's not quite time for dinner, but we have to stop at Lynn's Paradise Café, a quirky Louisville restaurant. Mannequins' legs dangle over people's heads in the dining room, and a sign in the lobby invites people to enter their ugliest lamps in a contest. (The categories are "born ugly" and "made ugly.") I recharge with a vanilla milkshake, while Cathy sips on a Pegasus Pimm's, a specialty drink made with gin, Sprite, cantaloupe, oranges, and cucumbers.

After strolling the Ohio River waterfront, we hit Fourth Street for another drink. Cathy, who has the preternatural ability to sense when a celebrity is nearby, suddenly shouts, "That's Adam Duritz from the Counting Crows!" Lo and behold, the singer is strutting down the street. He's evidently in town for a concert the following night.

At the Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge, a bar and restaurant owned by the distillery, Cathy has a perfectly poured mint julep while I drink a Kentucky Cocktail, a mix of bourbon and the local Ale-8 One ginger soda. The food is not as good as the drinks--my steak is a tad overcooked.

We go for a nightcap at Proof on Main, the bar at the luxury 21c Museum Hotel, which displays contemporary paintings, sculptures, and video installations. Tired and a little bit tipsy, we gaze warily at artworks by Michael Combs, including a hand-carved buck's head wearing a black neoprene mask.

Lodging

• Best Western Envoy Inn 9802 Bunsen Way, Louisville, 502/499-0000, bestwestern.com, rooms from $59

Food

• Berea Coffee & Tea Co. 124 Main St., Berea, 859/986-7656, bcandtco.com
• Sixth and Main Coffeehouse 547 Main St., Shelbyville, 502/647-7751, 6amcoffee.com


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Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.