• Arrive in Acme, PA where we will meet the rest of our group! BREAKFAST is included at BRADY’S RESTAURANT.
• Depart, with lunch and rest breaks as needed.
• Arrive in NEWPORT, KY where we will check into the ALOFT HOTEL, located along the river. On arrival, enjoy a WELCOME RECEPTION, consisting of lemonade and cookies, in the hotel lobby.
• Add-On, $70 pp (Optional) Tonight from 7-9 pm, you may want to enjoy a CAPTAIN’S DINNER CRUISE aboard the BB RIVERBOAT. Discover an enchanting evening on the Ohio River. This dinner cruise combines city lights, delicious dining, and dancing to create the perfect night out. DINNER BUFFET includes: garden fresh salad, chef’s featured composed salad, chicken picatta, slow-smoked beef brisket, chef’s daily vegetarian entrée, au gratin potatoes, farm fresh vegetables, bread basket & butter, and chef’s sweet table.

Day 2 Thursday, April 16

• Opens at 6 am BREAKFAST is included at the hotel before departure.
• 7:00 Luggage should be placed outside of your door for pickup by hotel staff.
• 8:15 Check out and depart for La Grange, KY
• Arrive at WINDY MEADOWS HORSE FARM TOUR & PRIVATE BOUTIQUE. Windy Meadows offers a fun, engaging horse farm tour that is casual and perfect for hands-on experiences! This farm, a favorite filming location for Hallmark movies, features rustic charm and a laid-back atmosphere. Hear captivating stories about filming with movie stars like James Caan, Jon Voigt, and Melanie Griffith, and see movie props sprinkled all over the farm. The tour highlights the care, raising, and showing of various horse breeds, including show horses, Thoroughbreds, Saddlebreds, and Arabians. Expect surprises and the chance to shop at ELLIE’S LIFESTYLE BOUTIQUE on the farm!
• Depart for Oldham County History Center
• LUNCH & LEARN about the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD at the OLDHAM HISTORY CENTER. Lunch will be served at the Rob Morris Chapel on History Center Campus. LUNCH includes a home-cooked meal, with baked chicken & dressing, gravy, home-cooked green beans, cucumber-tomato salad, rolls, and derby pie with whipped cream, along with water, sweet/unsweet tea, and lemonade.
• Explore Main Street La Grange with a WALKING HISTORY TOUR and end with a SCOOP OF SPOTZ GELATO.
• YEW DELL BOTANICAL GARDENS… Step into a storybook setting where rolling hills cradle one of Kentucky’s most enchanting gardens. Yew Dell invites you to wander through award-winning display gardens, castle architecture, and discover rare plant collections in every season. From spring blooms to autumn color, every patch leads to a new surprise – whether it’s a butterfly dancing over wildflowers, a shaded woodland trail, or the fragrance of herbs drifting from the potager garden. OR….
• You may prefer to do a BOURBON TASTING at the KENTUCKY ARTISAN DISTILLERY. The KAD Experience offers a thoughtfully paced introduction to Kentucky Artisan Distillery – home to Jefferson’s and other celebrated craft labels. You’ll enjoy a GUIDED TASTING of select bourbons (based on availability) while hearing stories, inspiration, and artistry behind the brands that give this distillery its character. It’s a relaxed, story-filled experience that captures the flavor and spirit of Kentucky. Need your choice by 3/18.
• Depart for Louisville, KY
• Arrive and check into the HAMPTON INN DOWNTOWN, your home for the next 3 NIGHTS.
• Tonight, DINNER is included at the BRISTOL BAR & GRILL. This is a Louisville favorite since 1977 and is nestled along "Restaurant Row."

• BREAKFAST is included at the hotel.
• 8:45 am Meet at the motor coach in front of the hotel.
• Depart for our day’s activities.
• This morning, you will start the day off with a FREE MORNING TO EXPLORE ON YOUR OWN OR… Add-On, $40 pp (Optional) You may choose to add-on the KENTUCKY DERBY MUSEUM, GUIDED TOUR OF CHURCHILL DOWNS + HORSE BETTING. Enjoy two floors of INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, a 30-MINUTE GUIDED HISTORIC WALKING TOUR at Churchill Downs Racetrack and get your heart racing with emotions soaring while watching the Museum’s signature 18-MINUTE MOVIE, "The Greatest Race" on a 360 degree, 4K high-resolution screen. With $5,000 WORTH OF "HORSEY BUCKS," everyone is a high roller! This mock racing event allows our group to share in the fun and excitement of wagering and learn about handicapping the horses. You will be supplied with the race programs, horsey bucks, betting windows, live tellers, and prizes to give you the feel of real racing action! This is one fun, exciting (and a bit competitive!) group experience.
• Lunch on your own today at the VILLAGE FOOD HALL. This is located in the Paristown neighborhood and is the city's first collective food hall. It's a great spot to eat, drink and hang out in modern, community-oriented space. It's not fine dining, but fast-casual, and a fun community hub.
• PAINT-YOUR-OWN-POTTERY ACTIVITY. Stoneware & Co. is a historic kiln and pottery company, based in Louisville's Highlands / Paristown Pointe region. Founded in 1815 by Jacob Lewis, it ranks among the oldest continuously-operating stoneware potteries in the U.S. Today, it's a beloved local attraction. Their pieces are built to last, some have even earned a place in the Smithsonian or the White House!
• Return to the hotel where you can rest OR take a 15-minute walk to 4TH STREET LIVE, MAIN STREET. This is Louisville’s premier dining, entertainment, and retail complex in the heart of downtown on historic Fourth Street. This two-block features over 30 venues – including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and live music stages. NOTE: Your Pottery will be shipped home.
• Depart from the hotel for dinner
• DINNER is included at the OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY, which blends historic charm and comforting Italian fare – serving up both ambiance and flavor in downtown Louisville. Housed in the historic Levy Brothers Building, this Old Spaghetti Factory offers a cozy, nostalgic dining experience.

Day 4 Saturday, April 18

• BREAKFAST is included at the hotel.
• Depart for our full day of activities.
• GUIDED FACTORY TOUR and SELF-GUIDED MUSEUM VISIT is included at the LOUISVILLE SLUGGER MUSEUM & FACTORY TOUR. Connect with a genuine global icon on its hometown turf. Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory celebrates the extraordinary role Louisville Slugger baseball bats have played in the sport’s past, present, and future. From the forest to the field, you’ll follow the timber that’s turned into hard-hitting history. And, really, who doesn’t love a free MINI-BAT SOUVENIR at the end of a tour?
• ADMISSION for a SELF-GUIDED VISIT included at the FRAZIER HISTORY MUSEUM. This is the premier cultural institution that offers an in-depth look at American history through interactive exhibits, artifacts, and storytelling. Located on Louisville’s Museum Row, the museum features a wide range of exhibits. Highlights include an extensive collection of historical weapons, Civil War artifacts, and exhibits on Kentucky's bourbon heritage.
• Lunch on your own
• Depart for the MAIN EVENT of our trip!
• ADMISSION included to the KENTUCKY DERBY FESTIVAL.
• Tonight, is the highlight of this trip, with THUNDER OVER LOUISVILLE at the KFC YUM CENTER. This is the annual kick-off event to the Kentucky Derby Festival - a spectacular combination of a daytime airshow and a massive nighttime firework display over the Ohio River. Included this evening are PREMIUM SEATING HIGH ABOVE IT ALL for the AIR SHOW and FIREWORKS. A CHEF'S PREPARED DINNER is included in a Suite at the Center.

Day 5 Sunday, April 19

• Depart for home, with a quick lunch stop made en route. (6 ½ hours travel time to dinner)
• FAREWELL DINNER is included in Donegal at HILLBILLY’S GRUB & PUB. This is a favorite of our fellow Tour Operator friend, Barb, and will be the perfect ending to our "Thunder Over Louisville" tour in this fun atmosphere!
• NOTE: This is where we will switch back to a Benedict’s Bus, and say goodbye to our new friends after dinner, until we meet again on our future travels.
• 8:45 pm Approximate return to Terminal (4 hours travel time from dinner to Terminal)