"Home of the Mint Julep and Kentucky Derby!" Louisville by Joseph69

As I sat on the plane during the decent into Louisville Airport (SDF), I can see the mighty Ohio River. It looked very wide, similar in width to a major harbour! Later, the plane flew practically over the downtown area, and that was my first view of the city. I even noticed many old buildings and nice architecture, and from that point, I had a nice feeling about this place.

BRIEF HISTORY

The site which became the City of Louisville was founded in 1778 by George Rogers Clark and is named after King Louis XVI of France (King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791. Later, King of the French from 1791 to 1792) , whose soldiers at the time were aiding Americans in the Revolutionary War.

Clark is referred to as the founder of Louisville these days.

In the early 1800s, the city was growing due to the fact that boats had to be unloaded and moved downriver before reaching the Ohio Falls. This city is based on the Ohio River.

Before the Civil War, Louisville had one of the largest slave trades in the United States and the majority of the city's growth abck then was attributed to that trade, where it was the turning point for many enslaved blacks due to the fact that Kentucky was a neutral state and crossing the Ohio River would lead to freedom in the North.

It was the center of supplies, planning, recruiting and transportation for numerous campaigns during the Civil War, thus was of major significance in the Union.

Even though there were many battles surrounding the city, it's quite amazing to note that by the end of the war, the city of Louisville had not even been attacked once!

The Unionists were not happy when the Republican Party wanted to abolish the practice of slavery and the slave trade. So, in 1865, the Confederate veterans returned to control much of the city, thus joined the Confederacy when the war was over.

A month of very heavy rain throughout the Ohio Valley in January/February of 1937 is remembered as the "Great Flood of '37", where about 70% of the city was submerged! This forced about 175,000 people to evacuate and re-evaluate where to build homes afterwards. Today, it is protected by many walls. Another disaster struck when tornado ripped-throough the city in 1974.

Although the city lost about 30,000 residents due to emigration between about 1970 and 1990, since the early 1990s, the population has contsantly been escalating. Probably due to its major downtown improvements (newer homes, improved facilities and Fourth Street Live!). Another major contributor to Louisville's economy is the international airport (Standiford Field originally built in 1941) itself, which is also home to Worldport, world-wide hub for UPS (United Parcel Sevices).

Louisville Now

To add, Louisville has been a key player in the health industry, with heavy involvement in heart and hand surgery, and also cancer treatment. The early days of the artificial heart transplants were conducted in Louisville. The city is also the headquarters for Humana (one of the nation's largest health insurance companies) .

Geographically speaking, the city also includes a county in Indiana (On November 7, 2000, Louisville and Jefferson County approved a ballot measure to merge into a consolidated city-county government named Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government on the 7th of November, 2000. Referred to Louisville Metro as the official shortened form., This began on the 1st of January, 2003. Thus the merger made Louisville Kentucky's largest city), and it's sometimes referred as Kentuckiana.

The George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge

The Kentucky Derby is America's biggest horse race. It's held from around mid-April to early-May. Due to its increasing popularity, it gave birth to the Derby Party (music, dancing, food and drinking of the mint julep).

The first night I arrived in Lousville, I asked Jackie who had picked me up from the airport in her fabulous mustang... "What is your traditional drink around here?". I really didn't know prior to my arrival in Louisville! She replied "Mint Julep!" . So, I tried it, although I could not have it with the mint leaves because it's only mainly sold during Derby time and the bar didn't stock ant mint leaves.

Later in the evening after Anita arrived and we had finished our meals, we drove to a supermarket late at night to buy some mint leaves! I was set for the following day! ;) Check the Restaurant Tips for more the rest of the story.

The Mint Julep basically consists of the following ingredients (served in a short straw):

- Combinination of one to two parts sugar to one part water.
- Fresh Mint leaves well-crushed by mortar and pestle and added to the drink as it is made
- Fine Kentucky Bourbon (I hope the barman didn't cut any corners!)
- Shaved Ice
- Confectioners' Sugar
- More Fresh Mint

It's very yummy, and quite strong too! ;)

Main Street, Louisville

It was a real delight to be in a place where there aren't so many tourists and tourist shops, etc. I really enjoyed the fact we could go to a cafe, restaurant, etc, without that touristy feel (I think you know what I mean) and we could safely walk the streets in peace.

I enjoyed Louisville, albeit briefly. It's a wholesome, fun place to be and quite a beautiful city to boot!

• Pros:Beautiful city and inexpensive
• In a nutshell:More than just the Kentucky Derby