IT’S NO SURPRISE to us that Bourbon Country is a great place to find good cheer during the winter months. Amid the rolling hills and charming towns, Bardstown has always stood out as one of the most festive. While it’s located in a slice of Central Kentucky best known for its distilleries, there’s even more to enjoy in and around this area in December. From rides on dinner trains accompanied by Santa and Mrs. Claus to the must-try tasting flights at stops along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, it couldn't be easier to plan an exciting getaway in the Bluegrass State.
JOIN THE CELEBRATION
If you're a first-time visitor, set your sights on the Bardstown Historic District for the full holiday experience. The Old Nelson County Courthouse, which dates to 1892, glows red and green once the sun goes down. Its annual lighting ceremony in late November is a big event that draws people from all over to admire the decor that unfurls along North Third Street, filling shop windows with snowy scenes and festooning doors and streetlamps.
Head to the Old Talbott Tavern, one of the most historic stagecoach stops in the country, for Kentucky cuisine. The building was constructed in 1779 and has seen its fair share of travelers seeking a hot meal and shelter from the winter chill. Nowadays, you can still find a seat in the dining room and order your fill of classic regional dishes and desserts like the Kentucky burgoo, a hot brown, and their famed Talbott Tavern Pie, all of which evoke bygone days eating home cooking by a crackling fire.
HOP ABOARD A DINNER TRAIN
Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Southern Living.
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Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Southern Living.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Three twists on the classic chocolate-filled cookie
SUPPERTIME: Elegant Made Easy
Tender braised short ribs are fancy enough for Christmas dinner or any special occasion. Bonus: They're even make-ahead
A Big Easy Christmas
Let the good times roll in New Orleans
TIMELESS DECOR: Good as Old
Natural elements and folksy finds infuse this 1886 Georgia cottage with warm-fuzzy charm
Classic Pattern, New Spirit
Four tastemakers put their fanciful spins on an old-faithful Spode collection
MEET HER IN ST. LOUIS
Trimmed with ribbon and wrapped in wallpaper, designer Amy Studebaker's 1950s Missouri home proves there's no such thing as too much of a good thing especially this time of year
A TENNESSEE TREASURE
For nearly 115 years, The Hermitage Hotel has been Nashville's holiday mainstay
The Powerg Poinsettias
A little while back, a neighbor knocked on my door, hoisting up a ruby red plant so enormous it concealed her completely from midriff to head. I was new to the area, and this was her way of welcoming me. A poinsettia, vividly colored, overflowing its pot, and endearingly ill-timed-it wasn't even Thanksgiving yet. But the plant seemed to brighten up the whole world just a bit, as if daring anyone to reject the early holiday spirit. You could say it kick-started my love for the leafy shrub and what it seems to represent: a simple kind of goodwill.
WRAPPED WITH CARE
In San Antonio, Christmas isn't complete without a plate of steaming tamales on every family's table
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1984
Entertaining now is quite different than it was 40 years ago, but our recipes stand the test of time
