Head to Kentucky and Tennessee for the perfect bourbon-themed travel experience. In addition to a plentiful amount of distillery tours, the area is also home to unique experiences where visitors can learn more about the history, science, and culture around the beloved drink. Choose from the activities below to plan a perfect Father's Day weekend, guys trip, or bachelor party, or just make one of them a unique addition to any trip in the area. Bottle Your Own Bourbon (Louisville & Bardstown, Kentucky) Bourbon, neat, on a table by Phil Cruz - Unsplash Copper & Kings in Louisville, Kentucky recently released its first bourbon, available for guests who visit the distillery and take the new “Bottle-Your-Own” tour, part of their Barrel-to-Bottle experience. After the tour and tasting, guests can fill their bottle selected straight from the barrel, hand signed by Head Distillery Brandon O’Daniel. If simply bottling your own drink isn't enough, what about making your very own custom blend? In that case, try out Louisville Slugger's unique distillery experience. Barrels and Billets offers a custom bourbon blending experience lasting approximately 45 minutes, with six different wood-finished bourbons that visitors can taste and blend. The new custom recipes will then be bottled, sealed and labeled with a custom label so guests can take their new blends home with them. In Bardstown, Kentucky, there's also the Whisky Magazine’s "Global Whiskey Attraction of the Year"—Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience, which has been recently renovated with a new two-story wing with an expanded visitor center and three new themed tasting rooms. In addition to the new Five Brothers Bar and Kitchen, the new building also houses a hands-on experience called “You Do Bourbon” where guests receive product education before getting to select, fill and label their own bourbon to take home with them. Peruse a Vintage Spirits Library (Covington, Kentucky) Revival Vintage Spirits & Bottle Shop in Covington, Kentucky features a full-service bar on the first floor with one-of-a-kind vintage spirits and cocktails plus unique tasting flights. The second floor showcases the shop’s library of 4,000+ bottles for sale, including Pappy Van Winkles to Pre-Prohibition bottles. Keep the vintage experience going and head to Louisville, where you'll find a 1920s-inspired bar and tasting experience at Neat Bourbon Bar and Bottle Shop. This Highlands area bar highlights historic bourbons while offering vintage spirits to buy, trade and sell. Take Flight with This Luxury Experience (Louisville, Kentucky & Nashville, Tennessee) Touring company Mint Julep Experiences has launched a new “Roll Out the Barrel” high-end adventure, where guests can fly privately to-and-from either Louisville or Nashville via helicopter to Maker’s Mark Distillery. The all-inclusive package includes black car service, a farm-to-table lunch at Star Hill Farm, a private barrel select and personalized bourbon bottles. The experience will also include two nights in luxury accommodations at either the Omni Hotel Louisville or Omni Hotel Nashville. Learn Kentucky History at Bourbon Live (Lexington, Kentucky) Bourbon barrels by Josh Collesano - Unsplash A new high-tech bourbon experience, Bourbon Live, opened in July 2022 in Lexington’s Distillery District. The location includes floor-to-ceiling walls painted with a special pigment transforming them into projector screens, showcasing Kentucky’s bourbon history and distilleries. It’s an opportunity for guests to learn the basics of bourbon and see bourbon sights digitally while sipping on a flight of bourbon. BYOD – Bring Your Own Dog (Louisville, Kentucky) Louisville, Kentucky has several unique options when it comes to fun whiskey bars. But one of the newest additions that is getting a lot of love from pet owners is Frank’s Whiskey Place, a unique new dog-friendly whiskey bar. The business is named after the owner’s dog, a 3-year-old Australian shepherd/Labrador mix named Frank, and his face is part of the bar’s logo. The bar features a custom walnut wood bar-back with live-edge walnut shelves for alcohol and dark railroad ties holding the bar up, and the walls are filled with murals from distilleries on the Urban Bourbon Trail. Collect Memorabilia in Jack Daniels' Hometown (Lynchburg, Tennessee) Lynchburg, Tennessee is known for being the home of the Jack Daniels Distillery. They offer several different types of tours throughout the day showcasing the history and process behind making the drinks. However, if you're looking to commemorate your trip to town with a keepsake or two, you'll have to head elsewhere as the distillery doesn't sell any. Nearby, The Lynchburg Hardware & General Store has a huge selection of Jack Daniel’s memorabilia. It's a must-see stop for any visitors to town. Dine and drink at the James B. Beam Distillery (Clermont, Kentucky) Jim Beam Stillhouse in Clermont by Adam Bouse - Unsplash The James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont has undergone significant renovations to upgrade visitors’ experiences. New visitor experiences include: The American Outpost, a new visitor and retail center; The Kitchen Table, a 5,000 square foot restaurant and gathering space championing local farmers; and “Beam Made Bourbon,” an immersive consumer tour showing how bourbon is made the “Beam Way”. There’s also the Fred B. Noe Craft Distillery, a new functional production facility offering special distillation process sessions with Freddie Noe, 8th generation Beam Distilling, plus hands-on activities in the blending lab, a tasting bar and state-of-the-art classroom. The new restaurant, The Kitchen Table, features indoor and outdoor dining where guests can enjoy a meal and cocktail while taking in the distillery grounds. The restaurant is inspired by the original Beam family kitchen table, a place of storytelling, whiskey sharing and recipes, and each dish and cocktail will feature locally sourced Kentucky ingredients. Some of the new specialty cocktails offered include a “Jim Beam Highball,” a Basil Hayden-based “Golden Hour” with Aperol Aperitivo liqueur and lillet blanc, and a “Smash” featuring Old Grand-Dad, lemon, mint and sugar.

California's vast desert region is a land of hidden oases and canyons, towering snow-capped mountains, and sweeping panoramas that conjure visions of early California and the Old West. Unlike anywhere else in the world, the California Deserts feel like one giant natural theme park—connected by scenic open roads and a network of character-rich lodging properties. From colorful, otherworldly rock formations, expansive dunes, and natural mineral hot springs to old mines, hidden ghost towns, and outdoor art installations, the desert has no shortage of sights to behold. Travel from elevations that are thousands of feet high to lower depths of 280 feet/85 m below sea level. Discover a region that is vibrant yet remote, colorful and camouflaged, and rustic but luxurious. Whether you power through in a week's time or linger longer in each destination, this itinerary promises to be unforgettable and truly inspiring. Leg 1: LAX to Ridgecrest Road in Ridgecrest, California by Brian Wangenheim - Unsplash Driving Distance & Time: 163 miles/262 km (3.5 hours) Stops & Attractions: Red Rock Canyon State Park, Lone Ridge Trail, Petroglyph Park Dining & Drinking: Ale's Steakhouse, Bangkok House, Tokyo House Accommodations: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Ridgecrest Fresh off a flight, you'll want to use this first leg of the trip to position yourself closer to Death Valley, while keeping the driving time manageable. Nestled at the crossroads of three major highways and less than three hours from several of Southern California's major attractions, Ridgecrest is the perfect base camp to start a desert adventure. The surrounding California high desert is popular for off-roading, rock climbing, and hiking. With the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the western hemisphere, a living ghost town, and several geological attractions, it's no surprise that Ridgecrest has also captured Hollywood's attention as a desirable filming location. Leg 2: Ridgecrest to Death Valley National Park Viewpoint off Echo Canyon Road in Death Valley National Park by Gilberto Parada - Unsplash Driving Distance & Time: 72 miles/115 km (1.5 hours to enter the National Park, which is 100 miles/160 km long) Stops & Attractions: Trona Pinnacles, Panamint Springs, Mosaic Canyon, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Badwater Basin, Devil's Golf Course, Zabriskie Point, The Racetrack, Artist's Palette, Dante's View Dining & Drinking: Desert Brew, Toll Road Restaurant, Last Kind Words Saloon & Steakhouse, Accommodations: Cottages at Death Valley The largest national park south of Alaska at 3.73 million acres, Death Valley is defined by extremes. It's North America's driest and hottest spot, with fewer than two inches/five cm of rainfall annually and a record high of 134°F (56°C). It also boasts the lowest elevation on the continent at Badwater Basin, which sits 282 feet/86 m below sea level. You could easily spend a few days exploring all sides of the expansive park, which abounds with hiking opportunities, fascinating landscapes, and dark night skies. Given the sheer size, it's best to plan your journey around three or five main stops a day. It's also well worth rising early to capture the sunrise from a scenic lookout such as Zabriskie Point. Leg 3: Death Valley to Joshua Tree via Baker Joshua Tree by Nicole Herrero - Unsplash Driving Distance & Time: 246 miles/396 km (4 hours) Stops & Attractions: World's Tallest Thermometer, Mojave National Preserve, Roy's Motel & Café, Amboy Crater Dining & Drinking: The Ranch 1849 Restaurant, Los Dos Toritos, Kitchen in the Desert Accommodations: AutoCamp Joshua Tree This longer day of driving features many photogenic stops, starting with the quirky town of Baker, home to the World's Largest Thermometer and funky shops. After lunch and filling your gas tank in Baker, carry on driving through to Mojave National Preserve where the sea of yucca trees calls for photo ops. You'll get on historic Route 66 to arrive in Amboy, home to its own quirky roadside sites including the midcentury relic, Roy's Motel & Café. The town of Joshua Tree will be one hour's drive from Amboy. After dinner in Twentynine Palms, leave room for s'mores by the fire back at AutoCamp. Leg 4: Joshua Tree to Anza Borrego The sun rising at Fonts Point in Anza Borrego by John Ko - Unsplash Driving Distance & Time: 100+ miles/160 km (2.5 hours) Stops & Attractions: Hidden Valley Trail, Key's View, Skull Rock Trail, Arch Rock, Cholla Cactus Garden, Anza Borrego State Park, Badlands Adventure with California Overland Desert Excursions Dining & Drinking: AutoCamp Joshua Tree, TKB Bakery & Deli, Arches Restaurant, The Fox Bistro Accommodations: Borrego Springs Resort & Spa, La Casa Del Zorro Resort & Spa With nearly 800,000 acres of mystical beauty, Joshua Tree National Park is undoubtedly one of the world's most incredible natural desert treasures. Sweeping, grand in scale, and populated by granite monoliths and voluptuous rock and boulder formations, the park offers wonder to eco-travelers, outdoor adventurists, and naturalists. Evidence of many diverse forms of plant life from creosote and ocotillo are found everywhere, but none as unique or prevalent as the park's namesake: the Joshua tree, standing majestically across the vast topography. Plan your route to enter the park from the town of Joshua Tree's West Entrance and exit from Cottonwood Entrance, dropping you onto the interstate. Stop in Indio for lunch and then head to Anza Borrego State Park for a tour of the famed Badlands. Leg 5: Anza Borrego to Palm Springs Wind turbines near Palm Springs, California by Karsten Winegeart - Unsplash Driving Distance & Time: 66 miles/106 km (1.5 hours) Stops & Attractions: Anza Borrego Metal Sculptures, Salton Sea, Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours, Downtown Palm Springs Public Art, Uptown Design District Dining & Drinking: Kendall's Café, EIGHT4NINE Restaurant, Workshop Kitchen+Bar, Ernest Coffee, Norma'sAccommodations: Azure Sky Hotel, Hilton Palm Springs, Sparrow's Lodge Start the day in Anza Borrego exploring the charming downtown and walking among the giant metal sculptures created by Ricardo Breceda. Stop to see the Salton Sea en route to Indio, where you can stop for a pre-booked guided naturalist jeep tour of the San Andreas Fault and learn more about the plants, animals, geology, seismology, and history of the California desert. End the day in Palm Springs, where you can check into a resort and relax for a few days of sunbathing, art and architecture, shopping, and fine dining. After all that hiking and adventuring on the open road, you'll have earned a spa treatment or two!

Popularly known as the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach is one destination made up of 14 unique communities that stretch 60 miles along the northeast coast of South Carolina. Families, couples and those in search of a warm welcome will find more than just a day at The Beach when they come together to connect and enjoy vibrant entertainment and family attractions, including world-class golf, shopping and fresh coastal Carolina cuisine. Now, The Beach's vibrant craft beer scene can be experienced through Visit Myrtle Beach's newly released Myrtle Beach Beer Trail, a comprehensive multimedia guide featuring 10 breweries and several beer-themed attractions. “The Myrtle Beach area is emerging as a destination filled with unique culinary and cultural experiences that include diverse microbreweries serving locally inspired, artisanal beers but also provide flavorful menus, trendy atmospheres and lively entertainment that welcome the entire family. We're very pleased to partner with our community's brewmasters and showcase their diverse talents and venues within the new Myrtle Beach Beer Trail,” said Karen Riordan, Visit Myrtle Beach President and CEO. The trail is designed to take locals and visitors on a captivating journey to the Grand Strand's finest local brewpubs. Along with a printed guide, the digital passport allows participants to “check-in” at featured locations using their mobile devices to unlock exciting prize opportunities. Stretching across 60 miles of breathtaking beaches and beyond, the Myrtle Beach Beer Trail encompasses must-visit stops from the northern shores of Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., to the historical charm of Georgetown in the south.Beach chairs on North Myrtle Beach, SC by Josh Collesano - Unsplash Crooked Hammock Brewery – North Myrtle Beach (Barefoot Landing) On sheer size alone, Crooked Hammock is surely the most impressive beer facility at The Beach. Located at Barefoot Landing, this massive complex features a full-scale restaurant, a great backyard area with dining and tons of family fun games, the waterfront Tortuga Island gazebo bar and a large taproom that offers tastings and tours. Oh, and we didn't even mention the outdoor fireplace, the "Happy Camper" beer/food truck and Barefoot Landing's kids playground area and carousel which are next door. Safe to say there's plenty of fun to be had here, which is the perfect accompaniment to brews like the coconut-tinged South to Somewhere Ale, the sweet Myrtle Peach seasonal or Beach Escape Session IPA. Tidal Creek Brewhouse – Myrtle Beach (The Market Common Area) If you're looking for somewhere that does everything well, Tidal Creek Brewhouse is the stop for you. Not only do they have more than a dozen taps filled with handcrafted brews spanning every style from Pilsners, Ales and Lagers to Porters, Stouts and Sours — they even brew their own house Seltzer — they also have amazing food all day, great coffee and tons of things going on. The facility itself is uniquely placed in a building that was once part of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and now includes in indoor bar area, a taproom, plenty of patio space, a dog run for your furry friends and a big backyard beer garden with a separate bar, fireplaces and live music. With plenty of space to enjoy and something happening all the time, this is a place you won't want to miss. New South Brewing – Myrtle Beach As the original "Beer From Here" New South Brewing has been brewing at the beach since 1998. If you're looking for authenticity, look no further than this hidden gem stashed in a warehouse about a mile from the beach in the heart of downtown. These folks have been doing it really well for a long time, helping grow our beer scene into what it is today. They remain on top of their game, with a great selection of popular options like their White Ale, Dark Star Porter and Dirty Myrtle Double IPA as well as lots of small batch, experimental options only served at the brewery itself. Grand Strand Brewing Company – Myrtle Beach Grand Strand Brewing Company — known to most locals as simply GSB — is like the perfect neighborhood brewery, if your neighborhood just so happened to be a newly revitalized downtown area with a view of the ocean. It's friendly and homey and feels a bit like an urban escape from the nearby boardwalk and downtown strip, while also being just a stone's throw from the beach itself. They're known for a great selection of brews and fun, cheeky can art with popular selections like Wingtip Pilsner, Airbrush Hazy and Sandy Cheeks IPA. There's a small, but solid menu of food (try the Smashburger) and plenty of games to play, both indoors and outside in the awesome Nance Plaza area surrounding the brewery. Other craft breweries featured along the trail include: Makai Brewing Company – Ocean Isle Beach, NCWinyah Bay Brewing Company – Georgetown, SCGordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant – Myrtle Beach, SCIndependent Republic Brewing Company – Myrtle Beach, SCQuigley's Pint & Plate – Locations in Pawleys Island & Murrells Inlet, SCSouthern Hops Brewing Company – Murrells Inlet, SC Other Attractions Beyond the Local Pubs A boat in Georgetown, South Carolina by Garrett Butler - Unsplash In addition, the trail guide highlights beer-themed attractions, wineries and distilleries. There's HOP ON Shuttle and Brewery Adventures in Myrtle Beach, which takes guests on fun tours to local breweries in an open-air vehicle. Rides include opportunities to play games and win prizes, and offer multiple ways to explore the local pubs—like their unique "Putt & Pint" Tour, where you stop for a round of mini golf between each brewery. There's also Baxter's Brewhouse Inn Bed & Brew in Georgetown, SC. Owned by a pair of avid homebrewers, this 3-room B&B offers visitors a chance to stay in a well-kept historic home from the Antebellum period and enjoy a free-flowing supply of great brews during your stay. Other attractions on the trail include: Inlet BrewBoat – Murrells Inlet, SCDuplin Winery – North Myrtle Beach, SCLa Belle Amie Vineyard – Little River, SCTwelve 33 Distillery – Little River, SC “Both the printed and digital guides provide in-depth insight such as featured brews and bites to try as well as special offerings like outdoor seating or lawns that can accommodate kids and pets. While exploring the breweries, participants will also be inspired by their vibrant locations enhanced with local art, culture and history,” said Visit Myrtle Beach's Associate Creative Director Chris Mowder.

Feeling inspired after watching the Kentucky Derby last month? Head to horse country, where you can stop at the latest equine-themed attractions and learn a little about the history and culture of the horse racing industry, see incredible sculptures and artwork, tour a horse farm, and even try out the "Downward Horse" pose at a unique yoga retreat. Visit the Spendthrift Farm Spendthrift Farm unveiled its B. Wayne Hughes Visitors Center in November. Named in honor of the farm's late founder, the 7,000 square-foot, two story facility will serve as the home for Spendthrift's tourism. The building is located between the farm's stallion complex and main office and features a trophy room, which showcases Spendthrift's collection of trophies, artifacts and racing memorabilia, as well as a gift shop. Explore the history of the Kentucky Derby Horses racing by Jeff Griffith - Unsplash The Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville has two new exhibits focusing on the elite Kentucky Derby event. The newest permanent exhibit, “This is the Kentucky Derby!” opened in late April and is located on the first floor of the museum. It takes visitors through five main facets of the event: history, culture, spectacle, economic impact and tradition. The museum also has a new 'Derbyville' exhibit, featuring the wild stories and unique culture of the Kentucky Derby. The exhibit is located on the second floor in the museum's Matt Winn Theatre. The focus of the exhibit is how on Derby Day, Churchill Downs transforms into a city within a city, creating a remarkable cultural experience for its temporary residents. Get a glimpse into the extravagant Derby parties of the past The Kentucky Horse Park's International Museum of the Horse recently unveiled a new exhibit that focuses on Derby eve parties hosted by Ashland native Anita Madden. She and her husband hosted extravagant Derby eve parties for more than 40 years in Lexington. The exhibit showcases some of the iconic outfits from those parties, on loan from the Madden family and in partnership with the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center in Ashland. Catch an exhibit on female jockeys at the Derby museum A horse farm in rural Kentucky by Jeff Arnold - Unsplash Also this year, The Kentucky Derby Museum is honoring women's contributions to the horse industry with its new “Right to Ride” exhibit opening October 16. Some exhibit highlights include a main 29-minute documentary and three oral history video stations featuring interviews with female jockeys, artifacts and ephemera tracing the tory of the first American female jockeys, treasures from personal collections of Derby-riding women, and more. Learn about black pioneers in the industry at Keeneland Library The Heart of the Turf: Racing's Black Pioneers, an exhibit highlighting the lives and careers of 80 African-American horsemen and women from the mid-1800s to the present, opened to the public at the Keeneland Library in February. The exhibit employs an engaging mix of interpretive panels, rare photographs, never-before-displayed artifacts, original artwork and video interviews to chronicle and bring to life the involvement of African Americans in the racing industry. Expand your horizons with "horse yoga" Palomino horse in Kentucky by Joshua Woroniecki - Unsplash Hallway Feeds in Lexington is offering a new horse-centric experience – “The Horse Yoga Retreat.” The horse feed mill has created this upscale experience for horse and yoga enthusiasts, with a full day celebrating horses and the local area. A one-hour yoga session is led by horses Swampy, Vanilla Ice and Applejack and includes master poses such as Downward Horse. The experience also includes a tour of the feed mill. Visitors can also book separate one-hour tours of the mill. Spot the Horse Mania "Hero Horse" sculpture in Somerset "A Hero Horse Returns Home" is the title of Dr. Sylvia Cerel-Suhl's work, one of more than 160 full-size horses created for the LexArts public art initiative Horse Mania. The horse now sits in the lobby of the Somerset Energy Center. The horse represents Lake Cumberland, Somerset-Pulaski County, the Appalachian region of Kentucky, the bourbon and horse racing industries, as well as SPEDA's effort to utilize the arts to promote community collaboration and bridge the urban-rural divide. See giant art honoring Triple Crown-winner Secretariat A three-story mural of Secretariat winning the Kentucky Derby was unveiled in Paris, Kentucky in November. The mural, on the side of the historic Baldwin Hotel, was painted by equine artist Jaime Corum. It's the first phase of the Secretariat Park Project, which will open in November 2023 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown run. Also in honor of Secretariat's historic run, a steel sculpture, named “God's Boy” is now on display at the International Museum of the Horse at the Kentucky Horse Park through the end of 2023.