Earlier in September, Mike took a quick two-night getaway to Louisville for our first wedding anniversary. It was the rainy three days of 70-degree weather sandwiched between 90-degree days, but let me tell you – that didn’t rain on our parade! 😉 We had the best time and would highly recommend Louisville if you’re looking for a quick trip in the Midwest.

We were fortunate enough to have insider information that helped contribute to the best getaway, my friend Jackie of Hoping in God blog. She moved to Louisville a few years ago and pretty much planned out our days. You know those people that are your “go to” when you want to hear what was good about something? Jackie is my girl. She has the most joyful spirit, is genuinely excited and takes time to thoughtfully respond and think through where our time would be best spent. We are so grateful for her and sharing her city that she loves!

Thankfully, she’s a foodie. So we ate well, rested well, and let me tell you, we experienced so much southern hospitality (even though Louisville isn’t that much more south than Cincinnati).

It was a quick trip, but we were thankful for a few days away. Here’s a recap of our trip, including the spots we made it to, what our plans were if it didn’t rain, and an honest review of our hotel. If you’re looking for a few days to get away from the normal everyday, I would highly recommend you consider the rolling hills of Kentucky.

Day 1

Louisville is about a two hour drive from our house and for two hours it rained. We left on Saturday morning and because most of the restaurants we visited weren’t chains, we had to plan out when we were going where (many small businesses are closed on Sunday and Monday). We arrived to a treat: no rain and lunch on the patio at the sweetest little bakery. We walked in to a chest full of pastries and a 20-minute wait!

Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe

During the wait, we tried the Kouign-Amann and I’m still dreaming it; if you go there, get it! Brunch was delicious and our waitress was as sweet as can be. It was a great start to the weekend!

Please & Thank You

Afterwards, we drove a few blocks to the Frankfort Avenue location of Please and Thank You. We were told we had to get a cookie and after we took a photo, we drank this down quickly! We loved the overall vibe and had another amazing experience with hospitality. Bless you, Louisville!

Walked Around the River

It started to sprinkle again, but the rest of the weekend’s forecast looked like a lot of clouds with lightning bolts on our weather app, so we headed to the river! Many people suggested we walk across one of the bridges or visit a restaurant on the river. Instead, we took a short walk in the park and then headed to the hotel. In some ways, the view of the river with the city in the background reminds me of Cincinnati!

Guys, this hotel! We pulled up, valeted our car (it’s required), and walked in the…lobby? Just look at the view. The Omni Hotel line has many locations, but each is specifically designed to reflect the city. And they did this so beautifully in Louisville.

Our room was gorgeous and spacious. I loved the style and was inspired by the colors, textures, and prints on the walls. There was even a bottle of champagne waiting for us – a little surprise from my sweet parents! My only complaint is that there wasn’t a closet and Mike’s was the TV’s quality. 😉

We took a nap and relaxed a little bit and went to dinner at Hammerheads. My friend used the most exclamation points when she described this place, so it was 100% on our list. They didn’t take reservations, so we arrived early, but there was already a 30-minute wait. From what I gather about Hammerheads, a chef at a high-end restaurant was tired of that scene and just wanted to make really good food, so he started his own restaurant to do just that. Hammerheads is located in the middle of a neighborhood – very unexpected. But it’s very obvious that people flock here.

Seating was tight, it was loud, and the food was amazing! The one item Jackie recommended wasn’t on the menu: Croissants & Beer Cheese. Go here, ask for this, and then get more croissants to finish the beer cheese because it’s that good! Honestly, this would be the best place to just get all the appetizers and maybe a side salad, haha! It was a great experience.

Drinks at the Library

We came back to the hotel and grabbed a drink in The Library. It was almost the complete opposite of Hammerheads – it was spacious with plenty of comfy spots to sit. I loved the way they displayed their menu – library cards!

We were craving something sweet, so we went to the other end of our hotel to Neighborhood Services. Gosh, yes! The banana pudding and a chocolate dessert were on point!

An end of the night photo of Mike and I at the Omni!

Day 2

We woke up to visit our friend’s church, but first we stopped for coffee at Heine Coffee within our hotel’s market – this entire area was so cool and there was something for everyone!

After church, we grabbed brunch at LouVino with $2 mimosas and a very savory meal. They have multiple locations – their newest in Over the Rhine in downtown Cincinnati!

Since Louisville (and Kentucky in general) is known for its Bourbon, we decided on Angel’s Envy since it was so close to our hotel, but we quickly realized you need to make reservations ahead of time! That morning at church, Jackie’s husband recommended a new distillery: Rabbit Hole.

So made our way to Rabbit Hole, located in NuLu – a very trendy area. Rabbit Hole’s location had only been open a month and the architecture was beyond cool. We were so thankful we landed here.

While we were in Nulu, we hit up Louisville Cream for an ice cream cone (so many options that you need to look at their Instagram for inspiration) and again one of the other Please and Thank You locations for some straight coffee since we had consumed so much sugar that day!

For our anniversary dinner, we made reservations at Butchertown Grocery – which is a restaurant; not a store! It’s located in the middle of an area that’s being revitalized and has a farm-to-table menu and very hospitable team. An anniversary card was already on the table when we arrived and we received a complimentary dessert to celebrate: beignets. Delicious!

We ended the evening back at our hotel, relaxing and watching a movie in our room. It was a great first anniversary!

Day 3

We slept in and started our last day by touring the rest of the hotel and grabbing some coffee. One of the reasons we booked the Omni was for its rooftop bar and pool, which we didn’t get to use since it had been raining all weekend.

It was a dreary day, but it wasn’t raining and the pool was open! We decided to grab our swimsuits and dip in the hot tub before lunch. Our weekend would have looked much different had it not been raining – we probably would’ve been camped out right here! We’ll be back next time to do just that. 🙂

For brunch, we stopped at Con Huevos and it was my favorite meal of the weekend: Eggs Benedict for myself and Tres Leches Pancakes for Mike!

We had such a great trip. We loved getting to unplug from everyday life to celebrate and reflect on our first year of marriage. We’re so thankful for the opportunity and we would highly recommend Louisville for a normal or a special getaway!

What are your favorite weekend getaway spots?