Hotel We Love: Woodlark, Portland, OR

By Maya Stanton
March 11, 2019
Hwl Portalnd OR Woodlark
In the heart of downtown Portland, two historic buildings combine to make one contemporary, stylish hotel.

Rose City’s hotel industry is booming—per the tourism board, some 9,000 rooms were available in 2018 and another 1,500 or so are estimated for 2020—and Woodlark is the latest entrant in an increasingly crowded field. But with a buzzy lobby scene, cozy minimalist rooms, and a convenient downtown address pulling in an attractive, youthful crowd, it more than stands out from the pack.

The Story

Woodlark comprises two character-filled buildings, the circa-1908 French Renaissance-style Cornelius Hotel and the 1912 Woodlark Building, a beaux arts–inspired former drugstore, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. Provenance Hotels acquired the properties in 2015, hiring architecture and design firms to rehab and combine the two distinctive buildings into one cohesive unit. The hotel opened its doors in December 2018.

The Quarters

The accommodations span both buildings, and you’ll find botanical prints from noted photographer Imogen Cunningham, custom wallpaper adorned with plants native to the city, industrial-luxe brass-pipe clothing rods, marble-topped consoles, cush velvet chairs, and handmade artisan wool rugs throughout the 150 rooms. At 230 square feet for a standard king to 665 square feet for a suite, Woodlark's spaces are on the smaller side, though they still allow plenty of room to maneuver. Chances are you didn't come to Portland to hang out in your hotel room, but the amenities are there when you need them: LCD flat-panel TVs, honor bars stocked with a host of local favorites, like Union Wine and Greenleaf trail mix, Bluetooth speakers, and incredibly comfortable down comforter–topped mattresses, not to mention pints of Salt & Straw ice cream on demand.

The Neighborhood

Centrally located right downtown, Woodlark is a short walk from attractions like the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society, Lan Su Chinese Garden, and Powell’s City of Books, the local chain’s flagship location, which covers a full block and holds some one million new and used books. The Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (portland5.com) is just a few blocks over, and that’s where you’ll catch everything from stand-up comedy to the symphony; for something a bit more rowdy, try the Star Theater (startheaterportland.com) or the Crystal Ballroom (crystalballroompdx.com), both of which book a good mix of contemporary acts. Shows aside, the downtown area gets a bit quiet at night, but you’re a quick light-rail, bus, or Lyft ride away from more exciting environs across the Willamette.

The Food

There are three dining options on the premises: Bullard (bullardpdx.com), a meat-centric eatery with an internationally tinged menu from Texas transplant and Top Chef alum Doug Adams; Abigail Hall (abigailhallpdx.com), a cocktail den with upscale bar bites (think: chips and smoked-salmon dip garnished with trout roe); and Good Coffee (goodwith.us), the bustling lobby café slinging espresso drinks, fancy lattes (matcha-lavender or maple and smoked orange, anyone?), breakfast plates, and kolaches inspired by Adams’s home state. On the next block is the Alder Street Food Cart Pod (foodcartsportland.com), a collection of vendors hawking a diverse array of dishes, and a few blocks north, Maurice (mauricepdx.com) serves pretty, Instagram-ready French-Nordic “luncheonette cuisine,” from quiche and clafoutis to smørrebrød and Norwegian meatballs. Some of our favorite happy-hour spots are also within walking distance: Try Little Bird Bistro (littlebirdbistro.com) for discounted drinks and a spectacular double-patty burger loaded with brie, or wrangle a few friends and make for Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen (luclackitchen.com), where the pro move is to order every $3 small plate on the menu and wash it down with a dealer’s-choice cocktail.

All the Rest

Woodlark features the Provenance chain’s signature amenities, including a pillow menu, a lending library of spiritual tomes, and fitness kits with yoga mats, weights, and iPads programmed with exercise videos. There’s also a gym on-site, with interactive workout mirrors and Peloton bikes in addition to the standard array of treadmills and ellipticals. The property is pet-friendly, and furry friends receive a warm welcome—treats included—when they check in.

Rates and Deets

Starting at $155.

Woodlark
813 SW Alder Street
Portland, OR 97205
503.548.2559
woodlarkhotel.com

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5 Things to Do in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Situated directly north of Maine on the eastern seaboard, Atlantic Canada’s Maritime provinces—Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island—are perhaps best known for picturesque coastlines rife with lighthouses and fishing boats, to say nothing of the legendary seafood. The capital of Nova Scotia, Halifax is a walkable city with an active waterfront, five-star dining, and artisan culture galore. It’s also a quick two-hour flight from New York and an even shorter hop from Boston, making it an easy weekend escape for Yanks yearning for a change of scenery. Here’s what to do when you arrive in town. 1. Wander the Waterfront (Debbie Ann Powell/Dreamstime) Nearly two miles of boardwalk wind along the Halifax Harbor, and while it’s an activity better suited for sunny summer days, the brisk winds off the water make for an invigorating winter stroll. Spend some time at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 (more on that below), then work your way north: Across the street, the Designer Craft Shop (craftnovascotia.ca) carries beautiful pottery, jewelry, and other pieces from local artisans, and down the block, Garrison Brewing Company (garrisonbrewing.com) is good for a pitstop. Book an evening brewery tour for $15, or simply sample the wares in the dog-friendly tap room. Nearby, the Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market (halifaxfarmersmarket.com) is an all-season venture. In addition to the produce, there's a solid selection of local liquors, spice blends, jams, pickles, and more, making it a great place to pick up souvenirs for your food-loving friends. From there, it’s a short jaunt up to NovaScotian Crystal (novascotiancrystal.com), purveyors of heirloom-quality crystal at prices to match. Even if you’re not shopping for mouth-blown, hand-cut investment pieces, the showroom is worth a stop—if you’re lucky, you’ll catch the makers in action. Around the corner is the Halifax Ferry Terminal, and at less than $2 USD, a boat trip is an ideal way to cap off your walk. Take in the skyline and explore hipster-central Dartmouth while you’re across the harbor...and if you manage to time your ride to sunset, all the better. 2. Warm Up With Local Spirits (Maya Stanton) As the home of Scottish expat Alexander Keith, a three-time mayor and mid-1800s brewer whose facility is still in operation today (albeit under the umbrella of Anheuser-Busch InBev), it’s no surprise that Halifax has craft breweries aplenty—to date, there are 12 and counting. But Atlantic Canada's history is also steeped in bootlegging and rum-running, and Nova Scotians have embraced that heritage with a vengeance, making rum one of the most popular tipples in town. Centrally located near the waterfront, Halifax Distilling Co. (halifaxdistillingco.ca) pours tastes of its J.D. Shore rums. Distiller Julie Shore is descended from a 19th-century whiskey-distilling family in North Carolina, and those generations of experience show; her light-bodied black rum is supremely drinkable, with rich caramel notes, and we can vouch for the rum cream, a Bailey’s stand-in that might just be better than its whiskey-based cousin. Belly up to the bar for a drink and a snack, catch some live music, or pop in for a tour on a Saturday afternoon. 3. Get Cultured (Maya Stanton) For a small municipality (around 403,000 people at last estimate), Nova Scotia’s capital boasts a wealth of cultural destinations. On the waterfront at Pier 21, an Ellis Island equivalent for a million transplants from the late 1920s through the early '70s, the Canadian Museum of Immigration (above; pier21.ca) traces the immigrant experience from decade to decade, with interactive exhibits, replica ships’ cabins, and steamer trunks filled with clothing and treasured belongings from children who immigrated over the years. At the family history center, staff members are standing by to help track down immigration documents, ship information, and genealogical data by request. A 15-minute walk along the water’s edge is the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca), devoted to the region’s marine history, from its ship-building days to naval battles to disasters like the Halifax Explosion of 1917. Don’t miss the model ships on the second floor, or the Titanic exhibit, a highly detailed accounting of the ship’s history, its sinking, and Halifax’s role in the rescue and recovery operation. (Titanic buffs should also make a detour to Fairview Lawn Cemetery on the north end of town: Halifax was the closest port when the liner went down, and more than 100 victims are buried there, their headstones arranged in a configuration resembling a ship’s helm.) A few blocks over, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (artgalleryofnovascotia.ca) celebrates the work of artists with ties to the region. The jewel of the collection is the Maud Lewis gallery, featuring the self-taught folk artist’s work as well as her lovingly restored, hand-painted tiny house—just 12-½ by 14-½ feet! The museum has extended hours on Thursday nights, with free entry and tours available. On the other side of the city's circa-1749 citadel, the Museum of Natural History (naturalhistory.novascotia.ca) has all the whale skeletons, animal models, rock and mineral samples, and, through April, animatronic dinosaurs needed to keep the little ones busy and engaged. 4. Break for Coffee (and Great Views) (Maya Stanton) Built in 2014 as a replacement for a mid-century building the city had long since outgrown, the award-winning Halifax Central Library (halifaxpubliclibraries.ca) is a feat of contemporary design. Reportedly “the first piece of modern architecture to be built in Halifax in decades,” the $57.6 million project is an LEED Gold-certified cultural center in the heart of downtown. Check out the displays dedicated to First Nations, African Nova Scotian, Acadian, and Francophone cultures, as well as veterans’ memorials and local-history research materials. The cantilevered-glass exterior resembles a stack of books, and the interior is peaceful and light-filled, with a top-floor café offering expansive views of the harbor and citadel alongside cups of excellent, fair-trade organic drip coffee and from-scratch pastries. 5. Eat Your Heart Out (Maya Stanton) In keeping with its maritime location, Nova Scotia is a haven for seafood lovers, and from Digby scallops and freshwater mussels to the unparalleled lobster of the South Shore, Halifax receives more than its fair share of the bounty. Obladee Wine Bar (obladee.ca) touts flights of Nova Scotian wines and Sober Island oysters, while Little Fish Oyster Bar (littlefishoysterbar.ca) does an all-day happy hour with a selection of local bivalves at US$1.50 a pop. We loved the ones from Cabot, and those from Pristine Bay were true to their name. Upstairs is the Five Fishermen (fivefishermen.com), a sister restaurant serving refined plates. Fortunately, the upscale dining room, a handsomely restored funeral home, shows no signs of its more gruesome days, but a creamy bowl of chowder and a smoked old-fashioned should chase away any lingering ghosts. The city's dining isn't all fins and gills, though. Land-based options include the donair, a uniquely Halifax offering that’s akin to the Greek gyro, Middle Eastern shawarma, and Mexican al pastor, with spiced, spit-roasted meat topped with raw tomatoes and onions, doused with a sweet white sauce, and wrapped in a pita. It’s a messy but glorious concoction, and you can sample it downtown at Johnny K’s, or further afield at King of Donair (kingofdonairquinpool.ca), where the dish originated back in 1973. For a stellar steak tartare and a reasonably priced glass of wine, seek out Bistro le Coq (bistrocoq.ca), then have a nightcap at the Stubborn Goat (stubborngoat.ca), a gastropub with a tempting cocktail list; when it’s on the menu, the Moving To the Country is a dangerously delicious blend of bourbon, peach, and mint. Looking to splurge? With a menu ranging from steamed mussels and house charcuterie to expertly rendered Nova Scotia scallops and luscious lamb pappardelle, Gio Restaurant (above; giohalifax.com) at the Prince George Hotel is one of the best bets in town.

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Around New York City in 9 Pastries

When it comes to sweets, New York City takes the cake. From passing trends (Cronut, anyone?) to stalwart favorites (we're looking at you, cannolis. And eclairs. And macaroons.) there's no shortage of temptation. But the city's dessert offerings go far beyond those familiar treats, and that’s due in no small part to the many immigrants who come here, recipes and culinary traditions in hand. A tour of the specialty bakeries throughout Manhattan and its boroughs is a portrait of the diversity that makes the city so unique. We rounded up a sampling of international sweets, each from an eatery that's easy to get to with a MetroCard, so there's no excuse for limiting yourself to cheesecake and chocolate-chip cookies on your next visit. 1. Khao Nom (Liza Weisstuch) When Saralai Sarapaivanit, who goes by Jackie, moved to the U.S. from Thailand several decades ago, she couldn’t find many eateries making tub tim krob, a cold soup-like delicacy with pandan-jelly bits bobbing in a base of barely sweet coconut milk alongside pieces of crunchy water chestnut. She also couldn’t find many places to buy sweet steamed pumpkin, small tins of coconut custard with corn and tapioca pearls at the bottom, or lustrous luk chup, a marzipan-like sweet made with mung bean and molded to look like mini peaches and cherry tomatoes. So she and her brother-in-law opened Khao Nom, a bakery in Elmhurst, Queens, where they make their own. That’s just a small sampling of the hot and chilled dessert selection served in this high-ceilinged, laid-back space, where the tables are huge slabs of weathered wood set on vintage sewing machine bases. Stay put for the night to sample the bakery's brief menu of rice dishes, or check out the adjacent Khao Kang, the family's full-service Thai restaurant. 2. Lee Lee's Rugelach In this supremely diverse city, you’ll find El Salvadorian and Colombian men tossing pizzas, Chinese people rolling bagels, and a Nepalese man and former Everest sherpa who’s been slicing paper-thin smoked fish at Russ & Daughters, one of the country’s most celebrated Jewish delis, since 2002. And then there’s the legendary Alvin “Lee Lee” Smalls, an African-American man from South Carolina who runs a rugelach empire from his charming, vintage-chic bakery in Harlem. The traditional Jewish pastry, something like a tiny croissant with a harder, yet just as flaky, spool of dough rolled up with jam, chocolate or, at Lee Lee’s Rugelach By a Brother (leeleesrugelach.com), even more creative ingredients. He sells over 1,000 pieces of rugelach each weekend and he'll certainly tack on about a dozen more the weekend you drop by. 3. Ole & Steen (Liza Weisstuch) In Denmark, spandauer, kloben, and carnival buns are as common as donuts and chocolate-chip cookies are here. Those traditional treats are just a few of the specialties at Ole & Steen (oleandsteen.us), a bakery with 89 outlets in Denmark and 10 in the U.K. But with the opening of the first U.S. store in Union Square this past January, and two more in the works, New Yorkers can have their fill of those pastries and more. The bakery features shelves upon shelves of Copenhagens (marzipan wrapped in a moist, flaky crust), cinnamon swirls, marzipan slices, and marshmallow puffs, as well as those aforementioned kloben buns (cardamom-and-clove-spiced soft rolls with raisins) and spandauers, which look like what we refer to as a Danish. There’s also a variety of bread for sale, including sourdoughs made with a 150-year-old starter. The place is a spacious café with coffee drinks and smorrebrod (Scandinavian open-face sandwiches) on the menu, so make yourself comfortable and settle in. 4. Brooklyn Kolache Co. Brooklyn Kolache Company (brooklynkolacheco.com), an airy café in the rapidly gentrifying Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, sells all the things other cafés in Bed-Stuy do: espresso, cappuccino, matcha, vegan buns. And it sells something the others don’t: kolaches. A traditional dessert in the Czech Republic and Poland that found its way to fame in Texas, these sweet rolls are made of a lump of yeast-risen dough that envelops sweet or savory fillings. PB&J, chocolate, and jam are among the regularly changing former, while savory picks include cheese, eggs, turkey, and sausage. Owner Autumn Stanford, a Texas expat, has done her homeland proud. 5. Al Sham Sweets & Pastries (Liza Weisstuch) What Nathan’s Famous is to hot dogs and Peter Luger Steak House is to the T-bone, Al Sham Sweets & Pastries is to baklava. That’s to say: a New York standard-bearer. This cash-only Jordanian bakery sits amid Halal markets and Middle Eastern restaurants in a corner of Astoria, a neighborhood that’s grown increasingly trendy in recent years. Throughout the changing times, this compact operation has cranked out the same exquisite baklava every day. Native to both Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries like Greece, these treats are dense layers of filo dough and nuts soaked in a delicate rosewater-spiked honey syrup, making them at once rich and ethereal. The baklava comes in four flavors—pistachio, almond, cashew, and walnut—as well as different shapes and sizes. They’re all made in-house in massive batches to accommodate the steady stream of customers throughout the day. Al Sham is also a destination for kunafeh, a dessert said to have originated in Palestine. Prepared in a flat pan, with a syrup-soaked thin dough spread with sweet cheese, it's like pizza's sweeter cousin, and a delicacy unlike any other in NYC. 6. Breads Bakery (Courtesy Breads Bakery) When you walk into Breads Bakery in Union Square or Lincoln Center (breadsbakery.com), the smell of butter is so think, you can almost taste it in the air. That's because of the loaves of fresh babka that frequently emerge from the oven throughout the day. Babka, a traditional Eastern European hybrid of cake and half yeasted bread, is not new to New York, what with immigrants coming from those countries for generations. What is new is its ubiquity, and we have Breads largely to thank for that. (Or to blame, if you’re watching your calorie intake.) These rich loaves, woven through with ribbons of Nutella and chocolate chips, are habit-forming, to say the least. Not surprising, then, that you save $2.50 per loaf when you buy two. (PS: There's a year-round Breads kiosk in Bryant Park near the New York Public Library. A little too convenient, if you ask us.) 7. Harbs Here in the U.S., most of us know green tea as the staple hot drink in Japanese restaurants, but in Japan, it’s a common flavor of all kinds of desserts. Little surprise, then, that the green tea mousse cake is a popular pick at Harbs (harbsnyc.com), a 37-year-old Tokyo-based chain that opened its first restaurant outside of Japan in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood in 2014, followed by outposts in Soho and on the Upper East Side. There are French accents all over the place at these posh, handsome eateries: Tiled walls and wood accents give them a Parisian bistro vibe, and classic French baking techniques inform many of the cakes. But it’s the native ingredients, most imported from Japan, that make the desserts so intriguing. That aforementioned green tea cake incorporates earthy matcha in the sponge cake and specks of red bean in its green-tea mousse. Freshly whipped cream makes an appearance here and in several other desserts, including Harbs’s version of a French tart, where the cream is flecked with red bean. 8. Andre's Bakery (Liza Weisstuch) Never mind apple strudel. At Andre's Bakery (andresbakery.com), poppy seed, cherry, sweet cheese, and even savory options like cabbage, spinach, and feta run a tight race when it comes to most popular. The buttery, flaky strudels are made in-house daily with owner Andres's mother’s original recipe. In 1976, the Hungarian expat opened the first shop in in Forest Hills, a quiet, family-centric neighborhood in Queens, about five miles south of LaGuardia Airport. Since then, her son has carried out her legacy and opened two more shops, both on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. (The 2nd Avenue location is also a restaurant-café that serves hearty, traditional dishes and Hungarian wines.) Other Hungarian desserts on offer include palacsinta, a crepe-like indulgence, and dobos torte, a fluffy, caramel-topped sponge cake layered with chocolate butter cream. All the desserts are made fresh daily in the original store. 9. La Gran Uruguaya Dulce de leche, a caramel custard, is easy to find around New York City, especially in bakeries and restaurants in the many Spanish neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. A little less common is a flaky pastry filled with the stuff eclair-style. That’s just one of the highlights at La Gran Uruguaya (la-gran-uruguaya.com), a no-frills bakery-cafe in Jackson Heights, arguably the most diverse neighborhood in Queens, and possibly the whole city. Spongy tres leches cakes, banana tarts, flan, mousse, and tortitas negra, an Argentinian specialty, fill the expansive cases. This eatery also serves savory dishes, but when it comes to Latin American desserts, it’s tough to find a selection as varied as the one here.

Inspiration

Travel News: 8 Beautiful Places to See Spring Flowers

Can you feel it in the air? Spring is on its way, and with it, the exquisite flowers that we've been waiting for all winter. It turns out some of our favorite travel destinations in the U.S. and Western Europe happen to be home to some of the most beautiful explosions of spring flowers on Earth. Here, eight places to see the gorgeous spectacle. 1. TULIP TIME IN AMSTERDAM Step into a Technicolor wonderland. Keukenhof Gardens (keukenhof.nl/en) outside Amsterdam is one of the world's most spectacular flower gardens in April when the tulips are in bloom. Take a guided tour, or rent a bike to go exploring. Or if you really want to indulge, book an Avalon Waterways (avalonwaterways.com) Tulip Time river cruises. The Netherlands is tulip-crazy all spring long, and Budget Travel loves Amsterdam for museums filled with Van Goghs and Vermeers, its charming canals, and affordable hotels. 2 CHERRY BLOSSOMS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. (Pigprox/Dreamstime)Washington, D.C., decked out in cherry trees could melt the heart of even a politician. The trees were given to Washington in 1912 by the city of Tokyo and they attract about a half-million visitors each spring to blossom hotspots like the Tidal Basin. The National Cherry Blossom Festival (nationalcherryblossomfestival.org) traditionally runs through mid-April, with a grand parade this year on Saturday April 13. Your best bet for viewing the trees crowd-free is to visit before the parade weekend and hit the Mall before dawn to catch the blossoms as they're caressed by the dawn's early light. 3. EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FLOWER & GARDEN FESTIVAL IN ORLANDO Walt Disney World is not just for kids, and the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (disneyworld.disney.go.com) will delight grownups! March 6 through June 3, you'll find gorgeous blooming gardens, topiaries featuring plants in the shape of Disney characters, and outdoor kitchens cooking up seasonal treats, plus live entertainment. 4. ROSE FESTIVAL IN PORTLAND, OREGON Portland, Oregon, the "Rose City" is heaven on earth for flower lovers in May and June. The Portland Rose Festival (rosefestival.org) includes parades and CityFair, with rides, concerts, and food along the waterfront. The festival also honors outstanding young women from local high schools with scholarships and mentoring from community leaders. 5. PARIS AND VERSAILLES (Anna Guryeva/Dreamstime)If you visit Paris in springtime, don't stay cooped up inside, no matter how beautiful museums like the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay may be. After all, the Louvre's collection includes not only paintings, drawings, and sculptures, but also the Carrousel gardens and Tuileries, which offer explosions of spring color, fragrant paths, and inviting landscaping. And for a real dose of spring flowers, don't miss the Luxembourg Gardens and a day trip to Versailles! 6. GIVERNY, FRANCE One of our favorite quotes about flowers comes from Claude Monet: "I work at my garden all the time and with love. What I need most are flowers, always. My heart is forever in Giverny." A trip to Giverny, about an hour outside Paris, will get you up close and personal with the ponds covered in water that inspired the artist, the tiny village where the important Impressionist lived and worked from 1883 to 1926. 7. DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN, PHOENIX, ARIZONA Ready for something a little different? Get succulent! That's right, the Desert Botanical Garden (dbg.org) in Phoenix includes over 4,000 species of desert plants, including flowering cacti. Visitors to the Southwest during its flower season marvel at the beauty of these amazing prickly plants.The garden is one of the world's premier centers for the study of desert plants and aims to promote education, conservation, and protection of the plants of the Sonoran Desert as well as other desert plants around the world. 8. HAMPTON COURT, LONDON We love the sometimes overlooked Hampton Court Palace (hrp.org.uk), reachable by boat from central London and arguably the most beautiful of the U.K.'s royal palaces. When visiting this site, substantially redesigned and rebuilt by Christopher Wren in the 17th century and heavily associated in earlier times with Henry VIII (of the six wives), you may very well lose your head over the palace's flower gardens and garden maze.

Inspiration

Live Like a Local in Kentucky

When it comes to a room with a view, an array of cultural offerings that includes folk art and bluegrass music, and a culinary legacy that dates back centuries, we love all that Kentucky has to offer. Consider this a taste of your next great vacation. Cultural Heritage Say the words culture and Kentucky and, of course, Louisville springs to mind, with its justly renowned Louisville Ballet and Actors Theatre of Louisville each drawing devoted audiences for its world-class performances. But in Kentucky, culture is as varied and welcoming as the state itself. When it comes to folk art, travelers must include a stop in Berea, the “arts and crafts capital of Kentucky,” for exceptional pottery, weaving, art galleries, and even hand-made musical instruments (more about Kentucky music a little later). The vibrant city of Paducah, designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a City of Crafts and Folk Art, is another must see. Speaking of crafts, no trip to Kentucky would be complete without exploring the craft of distilling distinctive, local bourbon, not to mention sipping a traditional Old Fashioned cocktail, invented in Louisville. Stop by some (or all!) of Kentucky’s thirteen major distilleries by taking the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Road Trip. Or dive into Louisville’s own special distilling scene on the Urban Bourbon Trail®, or get to know small-batch distillers along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour®. Whichever bourbon experience (and Budget Travel’s editors recommend exploring at least a bit of each while visiting Bourbon Country), you’ll return home with a sense of history, craft, and, almost certainly, a taste for Kentucky’s famous libation. Kentucky’s history doesn’t stop at art and spirits, of course. After all, this is where Abraham Lincoln was born, and you can visit the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, in Hodgenville. The state is also home to significant Civil War forts and battlefields, sites dedicated to African American and Native American history and culture, and opportunities to learn about Kentucky’s importance to the coal industry, both past and present. Wherever you happen to be on your Kentucky trip, you’re never far from vibrant small towns where U.S. history rubs elbows with cutting-edge imagination and creativity. The horse lovers in your brood (and that certainly includes all of us at Budget Travel) will want to spend some time getting to know the equine side of Kentucky. Make a “pilgrimage” to Keeneland, in Lexington, or Churchill Downs, in Louisville, or visit one of the state’s many horse farms open to visitors. The Kentucky Horse Park may be the best place to immerse yourself in Horse Country, where you can tour the Hall of Champions, visit the International Museum of the Horse and attend various events and shows. Music While Kentucky was nicknamed the Bluegrass State for the lush, thick grass that grows in its north central regions, the name bluegrass naturally also calls to mind music, and this is one state where you’ll find toe-tapping music traditions alive and well anywhere you turn. Bluegrass music is an incredible musical melting pot of European folk, gospel, and jazz traditions, and you can revel in the music and its history at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, in Owensboro, and visit the birthplace of the “father of bluegrass,” Bill Monroe, who first gave the music its name and helped bring it to a nationwide audience. Drive the Country Music Highway, along U.S. 23 in eastern Kentucky, to visit the birthplaces of several significant musical luminaries, including Loretta Lynn, the Judds, and Ricky Scaggs; and don’t forget to stop at the Country Music Highway Museum, in Paintsville, and the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Renfro Valley. While we’re on the subject of music, Kentucky’s nightlife extends far beyond bluegrass and country music. If you’re looking for up-and-coming musical acts, drop by a college town like Lexington. For live theater, classical, and jazz, spend an evening out on the town in Louisville, Paducah, or Bowling Green. Eat You know Kentucky will feed you well, and the latest season of Top Chef, “Better in the Bluegrass,” confirms it, with the popular TV cooking contest held right here in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky food varies from region to region, and, in our experience, taking a food tour of as many regions as possible is the best way to savor it all. Kentucky’s Bluegrass, Blues & Barbecue region is home to a thriving BBQ scene, including the International BBQ Bar-B-Q Festival each May in Owensboro, the “BBQ Capital of the World.” Treat yourself to “beer cheese” while visiting legendary horse farms in the Bluegrass, Horses, Bourbon & Boone region; this region’s combination of beer and cheese is a tasty dip for chips or crackers, and we’ve even seen locals eat it with a spoon. When visiting Daniel Boone Country, named for the famous pioneer who inspired the Disney TV show, you must try Apple Stack Cake, one of the best-known and best-loved desserts in the Appalachians. Play Thought you may never tire of exploring culture, music, and food in Kentucky, we also recommend that you spend plenty of time outdoors. The Bluegrass State boasts some of America’s finest parkland and other natural attractions, including: Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world, with more than 400 explored miles; Cumberland Falls State Park with its jaw-dropping waterfalls and the incredible “moon-bow” that inspires nighttime visits when the moon is full and the sky is clear; Daniel Boone National Forest, the Red River Gorge, and a vast array of lakes and trails make for nearly infinite opportunities for unforgettable outdoor recreation. Stay Whether your “lodging personality” tends toward a super-comfortable hotel stay with all your needs seen to, a rustic cabin by a secluded lake, an apartment rental in a cool small town, or resort living that makes balancing outdoor adventures with great food and drink as easy as possible, Kentucky has something to fit the bill. Learn more about Kentucky’s cultural heritage, music, food, natural wonders, and lodging at kentuckytourism.com.