When most people think of Louisville, I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is the Kentucky Derby. And while that is a big part of the Kentucky culture there is so much more to see and do! When we moved to Louisville from Florida I was worried that there would not be as much fun things to do as we were used to. Boy was I wrong! Here are just a few of the things that we have enjoyed as a family.

The Louisville Zoo is the state zoo of Kentucky. The zoo is home to over 1,300 animals and home to a rare white alligator named “King Louie”. There have been many additions to the zoo in the past couple of years. One of them is a 4 acre gorilla habitat that includes gorillas and pygmy hippos. Another is the addition of the Calistoga Splash Park, which is a big hit with the kids. It is a nautical themed splash park with water slides, and many, many chances to get soaked! The zoo also has a new tiger exhibit with training sessions where you get to see the tigers up close and personal. One of the newest additions is a baby elephant named Scotty. Make sure to check out the elephant exercise show to see him in action. In the month of October the Boo at the Zoo where the kids get to dress up and trick or treat. The Louisville Zoo is certainly a great stop and not to be missed!

Now let’s not forget about you sports fans out there! Louisville is home to the famous Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. Here you can see the world’s largest baseball bat and learn the history of the baseball bat. There is a factory tour where you can see where and how these bats are made. The tour is very interesting and great for those baseball lovers in the family. At the end of the tour everyone is presented with a miniature souvenir bat to remember your time here. One thing that is good to know is that the factory does not make bats on Sundays or holidays, so if you want to see them actually making the bats, be sure to come on a different day. The museum also holds some bats that were used by famous baseball players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams and many more. Plan to spend about two hours here.

Now for those children that love hands on science there is the Louisville Science Center. Located downtown, this museum is a big hit with not only kids but adults as well. There are four separate exhibits The World We Create, The World within Us, The World Around Us, and for the little ones a special area just for them called Kidszone. There is also a temporary exhibit area that changes every couple of months. You also have the option of purchasing a ticket to the IMAX theatre, which is a wonderful experience. The Science center happens to be about a half a block from the Slugger Museum which allows you to go to one right after the other.

Now all this isn’t to say that the Kentucky Derby can’t be fun for the family too. The Derby is always held the first Saturday of the month of May, and the two weeks before the Derby are filled with all kinds of fun activities. To kick off the Derby there is Thunder over Louisville, which is an all day event on the Ohio River. They have an air show which includes all kinds of military and even some rescue planes. The day ends with an amazing fireworks display that is a huge hit. Another event held the Thursday before the Derby is the Pegasus parade which showcases many businesses, floats, and bands. Mickey Mouse was once the Grand Marshal of the parade. One other event that is a great hit with the kids is the Great Balloon Race! The best part is that the night before the race they have what is called a balloon glow. All the participants place their balloons in their respective spots and inflate their balloons. This is an amazing sight with the dark sky and the glow of the many balloons. Entrance to the glow is free with a Pegasus pin (which can be purchased at any local Kroger’s grocery store) and $6 for parking.

Did you enjoy this article? Have questions? E-mail us at news@passporter.com or visit http://www.passporterboards.com to discuss your travel plans. Also check out our Article Collection for more great information! 

Having already looked at counter service options around the parks if you’re not a meat eater, it’s time to take a step inside the main table service restaurants at Disney and explore what they’ve got to offer vegetarians.

The first thing to know is that usually every restaurant offers at least one vegetarian and one fish dish on their menu and that even extends to the most hardened of steakhouses. I’m finally giving the Yachtsman Steakhouse a try this vacation, after hearing great things about the vegetarian and fish choices there.

Another thing to know is that if there is genuinely nothing on the menu that you can eat; ask whether they can make anything for you. It’s only happened to me on a couple of occasions, but each time, our server has spoken to the chef immediately, who’s invariably come up with a great idea for a lovely veggie meal.

Don’t be afraid to ask to changes to dishes either. In the past I’ve had my heart set on the famous Brown Derby Cobb Salad at the Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but was disappointed to see it came with turkey breast and bacon. No problem, they simply made one for me without these items in. And, with 24 hours notice, it is even possible to get a vegetarian version of the famous Cheddar cheese soup at Le Cellier in Epcot’s Canada, as it’s usually made with bacon.

If you head to a buffet at Disney, you really won’t go wrong. There are always plenty of options outside of the meat dishes and there’s one guarantee – you won’t leave hungry. Some of the most talked about dishes at the buffets, like the chilled strawberry soup at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, are veggie friendly. A special mention has to be made of Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, which offers perhaps the best selection of all the buffets on Disney property and the options you’ll find there are ones you probably won’t ever have seen before. For fish eaters, the curried coconut seafood soup is one of my favorites and never disappoints and it’s the same story with the pap and fufu, both African vegetable dishes. You’ll find at least a couple of salads you can sample, along with vegetable skewers and a stunning selection of desserts.

Staying with the African theme, the new lunch and dinner buffets at Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House has a wide range of choices, including a whole vegetarian table, boasting options such as Marrakesh Couscous with roasted vegetables, vegetable samosas, spiced tandoori tofu and a range of interesting salads and vegetable side dishes.

When it comes to set meals that are served family style, invariably there are choices for vegetarians. The dish served at the Liberty Tree Tavern character dinner at the Magic Kingdom last time we were there didn’t hit the mark, but there was no such problem with the option served up for dinner at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian. Even at the Hoop Dee Doo dinner show, we were asked in advance whether we had any dining requirements and I was offered a choice of three or four options for my meal.

However, one place you may want to avoid if you’re at all squeamish about the sight of raw meat is Teppan Edo in Epcot’s Japan, where the food is cooked in front of you. Unless you have a table of eight vegetarians, the chances are that food is going to include meat and fish and, although the cooks do keep the vegetables away from the other items, it is all cooked on the same huge hot pan.

Better choices in Epcot include Restaurant Marrakesh in Morocco with their lovely vegetable couscous and the Princess Storybook meals at Akershus in Norway, where, as well as a huge selection of cheese and salads on the cold buffet, entree items include a vegetable pasta and, for fish eaters, a couple of fish choices.

Fancy trying a vegetable curry? Then head for the Rose and Crown in the United Kingdom, while you’ll find a beautiful onion soup at Chefs de France next door in France, along with a vegetarian entree at both lunch and dinner.

Another great place for non-meat eaters is Spoodles on the nearby BoardWalk with a wide selection of fish dishes and some more unusual vegetarian items, including the highly recommended Mediterranean dips with toasted pita and marinated olives or the equally good margherita flatbread. Although these are appetizers, I found the latter very substantial and it made a very good entree.

Staying with the Mediterranean theme, there’s plenty on fresh at Fresh at the Dolphin, where you can pick from either a buffet or a la carte items, which include some wonderful roasted vegetable grilled pitas and a Caprese sandwich, complete with delicious buffalo mozzarella and red and yellow tomatoes.

Italian restaurants are usually a good bet for vegetarians and Disney is no exception. You’ll find a fair few dishes on the menu at Mama Melrose’s in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including mozzarella and tomatoes for appetizer, a delicious tomato flatbread and an eggplant dish. Tutto Italia, the Epcot restaurant, has lost some of my previous veggie favorites from its menu, but still comes through with a tomato and mozzarella pasta dish and an intriguing combination of pasta, pine nut pesto and fagiolini green beans. Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom doesn’t disappoint either with soups, salads, a superb six cheese flatbread and a vegetable pasta dish or eggplant and ricotta roulade, depending which meal you head there for.

I’ve also got to reserve a mention for what is undoubtedly – to me anyway! – the best veggie burger on property. To sample it, head for Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club. The first time I tried it, I really did worry that they’d served me with a meat burger, but no, it was the correct order – and it was that good. It’s remained just as good in all the years since then.

From one extreme to the other, if money is no object, then you’ll get a perfectly catered meal at Victoria and Albert’s, which will take into account exactly what you can and can’t eat. It’s a pricey treat, but it is worth every penny.