Off the Beaten Path: a Breeders’ Cup Road Trip

The horse farms and bluegrass hills surrounding Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky. couldn’t offer a more picturesque backdrop for this year’s Breeders’ Cup. Although the two-day event promises the best racing of the year and the first Triple Crown winner to compete in the world championship series, the country’s horse capital also offers something unique you won’t want to miss. I’m not talking about the Bourbon Trail. Not even Lexington’s own Malone’s Steakhouse, a regular venue for post-race celebrations. I’ve planned a road trip that will take you to some of the hidden gems waiting just 20 minutes from Keeneland.
Head down scenic U.S. 62. to Midway, Ky. You can drive through this quaint little railroad town in a matter of minutes, but its unique, old-time charm will keep you exploring its treasures for hours.
Travel tip: Although you can take U.S. 60 from Keeneland to U.S. 62, you can also hit it from I-64 (exit 65). If you come down U.S. 62 from I-64, make sure you watch for the buffalo, alpacas and camels you’ll pass along the way!
Shopping
Our first stop is the Weisenberger Mill (2545 Weisenberger Mill Road). It’s a sixth generation family-owned grain mill located along South Elkhorn Creek. The mill uses the creek to power its twin turbines and has been churning out quality products since 1865. They use locally grown grains to produce flour, grits, corn meal and a number of baking mixes. If you’ve frequented any of the trendier restaurants in Louisville and Lexington, you’ve no doubt seen the Weisenberger name listed on the menu.
WEINSENBERGER MILL

The mill is open to the public for sales but not equipped for tours. The sales room is literally the front entry way of the small office, but they do take orders online. However, when you cross the one-lane bridge and look back at the beauty of the old mill sitting aside the waterfall, you’ll be glad you made the journey.
Heading back down U.S. 62, on the other side of I-64, you’ll find yourself in the center of downtown Midway. What was once the Lexington and Ohio Railroad runs through the center of town and parts the boutiques, art galleries, antiques shops and restaurants that line the street. In addition to the locally-made crafts and jewelry, unique gifts and other wares available at the more than a dozen shops, the character and charm of each will have you feeling like you’ve stepped into an old movie. Especially, if you stop by the Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain which has a fully-functional soda fountain and sandwich counter, complete with diner-style barstools, plus a full-service pharmacy in the back.
Food
Since many of the downtown shops don’t open before 10 a.m., you might want to grab breakfast down the road at Midway School Bakery (510 Versailles Road). The bakery sits in what was once Midway School and from the looks of it was the cafeteria. Pictures of children circa 1950 hang from the ceiling and the bakery is one of five area restaurants owned and operated by Chef Ouita Michel. We stopped at three of her restaurants and each offered something deliciously different.
Open stock shelves lining the bakery revealed the treats’ ingredients and chief among them were large bags of Weisenberger Mill flour (Weisenberger’s products were also available for purchase along with other local specialty foods). The bakery selection was immense, but we sampled the glazed donuts, fudgy brownie, jumbo cookies, and one of their top sellers—the country ham, chive and cheddar cheese scone. Each was rich with flavor yet delicate, as a pastry should be.
MIDWAY SCHOOL BAKERY

For lunch we went another two miles down the road to Chef Ouita’s Wallace Station (3854 Old Frankfort Pike). Nestled near Three Chimney’s and Lane’s End horse farms, Wallace Station has undergone many transformations since its birth in the early 1900s. The look and feel of the old grocery store may still exist, but it’s now a popular little sandwich shop that adds a touch of southern love to its dishes while paying homage to the area’s horse country with dishes like the Bourbon Trail Triple Crown and Sammi’s Super Saver Special. Its Big Brown Burger even made Food Network’s Guy Fieri’s list of top five burgers. We had the country ham and pimento cheese sandwich with a side of artichoke fritters. Piled high with chopped country ham and slathered in creamy cheese, half a sandwich was enough to fuel our afternoon adventure. In addition to the regular menu, they offer a fried chicken dinner on Mondays and hold Friday night fish fries.
WALLACE STATION

Drink
The food and shopping made us a little thirsty. So, we headed back up U.S. 62 toward Weisenberger Mill where we’d earlier passed Equus Run Vineyards (1280 Moores Mill Road). As we headed down another scenic tree-lined road toward the winery, we passed its neighbor Margaux Farm, home to Breeders’ Cup Mile contender Grand Arch.
Started in 1998, Equus Run Vineyards sits on 35 acres along South Elkhorn Creek and produces a variety of reds, whites and blush wines, plus seasonal offerings. A wine tasting will let you sample any six for $7, so you can decide which bottle(s) you want to take home. Catch one of the free daily tours to learn more about the wine making process and explore the grounds, which include an entertainment barn and amphitheater where they frequently host weddings and concerts.
EQUUS RUN VINEYARDS

Photo by Julie Barnes
What’s wine without beer? We left Midway and returned to Lexington to visit West Sixth Brewery (501 West 6th Street), an up-and-coming craft brewery that will soon have you feeling like one of the gang. West Sixth is an active business during the week with distribution in areas around Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati. They offer free brewery tours on the weekend that will also allow you to sample some of their beers before deciding which will fill your growler or crowlers. During Breeders’ Cup week they’ll offer impromptu tours on Friday and Saturday from 4-7 p.m. and full tours Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
WEST SIX BREWERY

Photo by Julie Barnes
Just over three years old, West Sixth sits in an old Rainbow Bread factory. Being a community-focused company with much more space than needed, you’ll find several groups sharing space in the building—the roller derby Rollergirls of Central Kentucky, Broke Spoke Bicycle Shop, and Smithtown Seafood. The brewery is also the gathering place for area running and yoga clubs.
Smithtown Seafood is another of Chef Ouita’s creations and is adjacent to the brewery. We ordered fried catfish fingers with hand-cut fries to go with our West Sixth Matt Witbier, a delicious combination.
Although we packed a lot into our one-day road trip, with most places within about a five-mile radius it’s easy to pick and choose which places will fit your schedule. Enjoy the charms this Breeders’ Cup offers.