Lexington calls itself the "Horse Capital of the World," and it earns the title. The rolling Bluegrass country surrounding the city is some of the most valuable horse-breeding land on earth, with white-fenced farms stretching to the horizon in every direction. But Lexington is more than thoroughbreds — it is also a university town, home to the University of Kentucky and its famously rowdy Wildcat basketball games, and a mid-sized city with a lively downtown that has been quietly coming into its own.
Keeneland is the jewel: a beautiful racetrack that hosts live racing in April and October, plus major horse sales that draw buyers from around the world. The Red Mile, one of the oldest harness racing tracks in the country, is also here. Even if you are not a horse person, driving through the surrounding farms at dawn — with mist hanging over the paddocks and foals running alongside the fences — is worth the trip.
Downtown Lexington has undergone a renaissance. The Kentucky Theatre, a restored 1920s movie palace, is a delight. The campus-adjacent neighbourhood of Chevy Chase is packed with bars and restaurants. The Singletary Center for the Arts and the university's Anthropology Museum are both worth a visit.
Lexington sits at the intersection of I-64 and I-75, about an hour east of Louisville and south of Cincinnati. Bluegrass Airport is served by most domestic carriers.