Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/631317
WINTER/SPRING 2016 DREAMSCAPES 11 talizing glimpse into Kentucky's wine country. My perfectly seared breast of duck was framed by herbs and produce from the on-site garden, and beautifully comple- mented by my "flight" of four wine tasters. This evening just whetted my curiosity, so a leisurely tour of the dozens of wineries scattered around the state is high on my to-do list for next time. Not a beer drinker, I was converted at West Sixth Brewing in Lexington, where the unique tastes of lemongrass wheat and cacao nibs seduced my palate. While the quality and flavours are clear reasons for their success, co-founder Ben Self points out that being a good neighbour is an important contributor. Among the initia- tives they have undertaken is converting a 130-year-old bread factory into a multi- purpose brewery, tap room, restaurant, community centre and art studio. The brewery also donates six per cent of net profits to charities. GUNS AND GHOSTS Kentucky's rich and often violent history is fertile fodder for ghost stories. In New- port, for example, the gang at American Legacy Tours brings to life an era in which the mob ruled and made millions on gambling, girls and bootlegging. Tales of murder abound, and lantern-light ghost tours raise the spectres of those who died brutal deaths on both sides of the Ohio River. Old Louisville with its chock-a-block mansions claims to be the most haunted neighbourhood in the U.S. David Domine, our guide and author of Ghosts of Old Louisville, gave us the full treatment—from eyewitness testimony to delectable home- made bourbon balls that soothed our souls after our walking tour. I also stayed at the famous Seelbach Hilton Hotel, where F. Scott Fitzgerald met local mob boss George Remus and admiringly modelled the Jay Gatsby character after him. Haunted by several ghosts, including the "Lady in Blue" who in the early 20 th century fell to her death in an elevator shaft, the Seelbach inspired Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wed- ding scene in The Great Gatsby. OPPOSITE: Rich in history, the MainStrasse Village in Covington is a walkable community in Northern Kentucky. E. Lisa Moses RIGHT FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Some houses in Covington's historic Licking Riverside neighbourhood were part of the Underground Railroad. E. Lisa Moses The gang at American Legacy Tours in Newport brings to life an era in which the mob ruled. E. Lisa Moses LEFT: Maybe nothing defines the culture of Kentucky better than the state's obsession with horses. Kentucky Department of Travel & Tourism