There are also specialty stores including Murphy's Camera and The Artist in You. Whether you are looking for body lotion at Bath and Body Works or the perfect gift for a newborn at Rabbit in the Moon, The Summit offers every store to quench your shopping thirst. Speaking of drink, there are also half a dozen restaurants from fine Italian dining to a casual family meal. There is a great variety of dining places located at the center of this shopping plaza. And after a day of accumulating shopping bags, rest your feet at the outside tables and chairs and enjoy a latte from Starbucks or a sweet treat from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

The Summit isn't just a shopping experience in Louisville. It's the shopping experience in Louisville.

The recently upgraded museum now encompasses more hands on activities and stunning visuals documenting the Kentucky Derby. There is an interactive horse race where you can sit in the jockey's seat as well as view a colorful collection of the only accessory required at the Derby: the hats. The walls are lined with decades of rich history that surround Churchill Downs as well as a modern look at what the race looks like today. In the center of the museum is a round theater with a 360 degree movie screen. This award winning show documents all the flavors of Derby Day from the quiet dawn in the stables to the Mint Juleps and celebrity sighting at the track. Feel the floor shake as you watch the horses come down the final stretch and experience the adrenaline that could only be the Kentucky Derby.

Esquire magazine calls it "One of the four most fun restaurants in America" which is perhaps an understatement. Don't be fooled by the odd large tree growing in the center of the dining room, Lynn's breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are serious on flavor. This is not just another artsy cafe that prides itself on the decor. From Crunchcakes at Breakfast to the Hoppin' Juan for dinner, Lynn's menu offers a variety of food with a twist. There are old favorites like Home Roasted Turkey as well as some Kentucky staples like the famous Hot Brown. But nothing captures the flare and style of Louisville quite like Lynn's beverage menu which includes the traditional Mint Julep and the creamy Bourbon Ball Milkshake.

Enjoy the flavors at Lynn's Paradise Cafe in the glow of wacky ornate lamps; look closely though for each booth has a lamp very different than the one before it. And after filling your stomach you can fill your shopping bag on the way out in the gift shop. But you won't find your usual baseball caps and matchbooks here. The merchandise sold ranges from "magic pants" to glasses and shirts, all of which capture than ambiance and originality that is Lynn's Paradise Cafe.

The world’s biggest street rod event (more than 11,000 pre-‘49 vehicles registered in 2006) is produced by the National Street Rod Association® (NSRA) and returns to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2007. In addition to being the biggest street rod event in the world, the NSRA Street Rod Nationals also has the distinction of being the biggest automotive participation event in the world - bar none! This event is the focal point for the entire street rodding hobby, regardless of what part of the world is called home. In normal NSRA manner, the event includes all of the ingredients to make it a truly outstanding weekend of fun. Included in the agenda of things to do are nearly 380 commercial exhibitors in a giant indoor and outdoor retail trade show, a display of New Street Rod Products, a vintage auto parts Swap Meet covering several acres, a huge Women’s World (Arts and Crafts Show), games for all ages, two nights of live, on-stage entertainment in Freedom Hall, a Builder’s Showcase where the creations of the most renown builders are on display, a special Vintage Air sponsored 29 Below Rodders Show, the Buckaroo Communications sponsored Pros Picks competition, the PPG Outstanding Use Of Color awards, the UPS sponsored Commercial Way, the Mopar Country display, NSRA Vehicle Safety Inspection, and a special Street Rodders’ Church Service Sunday morning. It’s a four day agenda with lots to see, be involved in, and enjoy.

I don't know exactly which 12 locations in Louisville the planning committee for the urban bourbon trail will choose as the must hit destinations but here a few that are guaranteed to make the list and should definitely be on your "must visit when in Louisville" list.

Jockey Silks Bourbon bar in the Galt House Hotel
Bourbon's Bistro on Frankfort Avenue
Maker's Mark Lounge on Fourth Street Live
The Old Seelbach Bar in the Seelbach Hotel

Louisville, KY – The Derby City Roller Girls will be hitting the hard wood battling against Knoxville’s Hard Knox Roller Girls August 12th at Treo Roller Rink. If you missed the massacre that was July’s bout with Cleveland’s Burning River Roller Girls, don’t miss your chance to see the girls in what is being billed as The Thrilla In The Ville-a! August’s Thrilla In The Ville-a will be the Derby City Roller Girl’s final battle before the 2007 season ending finale which will pit intra-league foes Jackie O’ Nasties against The Red Menace this September.

Details for August’s bout are as follows:

Derby City Roller Girls Present

The Thrilla In The Ville-a!

DCRG vs. Hard Knox Roller Girls

Sunday, August 12th

Doors at 6p / Bout at 7p

Treo Roller Rink (formerly Champs on Manslick)

721 Gagel Ave • Louisville Kentucky

Tickets can be purchased online at derbycityrollergirls.com for $10 or at the door for $15

Who knows?  Maybe by September, I will.

If you're planning to be downtown in this loveliest week of September, then follow follow follow your nose to a batch of fascinating new esoteric or down-to-earth ruminations.  No Mensa card necessary!

IdeaFestival blog 

Live entertainment, a wide variety of microbrews, great food, and a great cause: our awesome zoo.
Admission prices vary by available discount, but will be $50 ($40 for designated drivers) at the door.

Tickets are available, and admission includes not only a pass into the zoo, but also live music, an Official Brew at the Zoo tasting glass, and beer and food sampling from participants.

From the Zoo's website:

(Food service 4pm – 6:30 pm, Beer/wine tasting until 8:30pm)

Event Overview:
There will be different beers for tasting from 20 local & regional breweries. A selection of non-alcoholic products and water will be provided along with a variety of food tasting and wine tasting donated from over 30 local restaurants and vendors.

Live Music:
Two local talents, Stompbox and Two Guys Having Fun, will perform live at the Event. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets to lounge on the lawn and enjoy the tunes.

Parrot Dice Casino and Raffles Baskets:
Do you feel lucky? Cold beer and hot dice are new for this year’s Brew. Gamble with your friends for the benefit of the Zoo. In addition, The Friends of the Zoo will be selling chances to win one of several fantasy raffle packages offered. Each participating brewery/restaurant/vendor contributes items or gift certificates for the raffle basket .

Worth a visit, definitely, with indoor (air-conditioned) exhibits, and more than its share of outdoor vendors, live music, interesting sideshows, and diversions, the fairgrounds are conveniently located near the airport--so even if you're only here for a short time, there's no reason not to hop over to the biggest deal all summer.

Paid concerts include:

• Rascal Flatts
• American Idols
• Trace Adkins
• Def Leppard/Styx/Foreigner

Free shows include:

• Alice Cooper
• Cool & the Gang
• Saliva
• Oak Ridge Boys (a perennial favorite of the KY State Fair)
• and many more

An amazing list of events and attractions can be found here.

Check out the Fair's website for an exhaustive list of what's going on.  You might want to spend several days exploring.