I didn’t expect to fall for Lexington so hard. The second-largest Kentucky city wasn’t even really on my radar, aside from its reputation for horses and bourbon. How was I to know that its laid-back Southern charm and progressive cultural offerings would remind me so thoroughly of pre-“It City” Nashville? By the time my trip was over, I was seriously contemplating relocation.
Admittedly, my reverie might have been influenced by timing. I took a weekend visit with my husband and our 8-year-old, and our trip coincided with June’s nationwide anti-fascist “No Kings” protests, so as I entered the city I felt comforted by a kind of wide-eyed political optimism that is pretty hard to come by these days. The late-springtime weather was perfectly temperate, which never hurts, and there were horses everywhere. I imagine Lexingtonians might feel about horses the way we Nashvillians feel about guitars, but from a tourist’s perspective, the ever-present horse motifs felt somehow both wild and stately.
The Manchester
Stay
OK fine, I stayed at The Manchester for the Le Labo products. Well, that’s not entirely true, but the high-end shampoo and conditioner stocked in every bathroom in the luxury hotel were the first things that caught my attention. I’m a sucker for a luxe hotel experience, and since we had saved so much money by driving instead of flying for a family trip, it felt justifiable to splurge on accommodations. And let me tell you: The Manchester did not disappoint. The service was great, and the whole place had an upscale art deco feeling, which put me in mind of a train car on The Orient Express. Just wandering around the lobby and the surrounding grounds felt like a vacation. Upon arrival, we snacked on a charcuterie plate in the hotel bar and admired the hotel’s well-curated art collection. On our last night there, my daughter and I stayed in our room while my husband explored the city. We curled up under the softest down comforters in fluffy monogrammed bathrobes and watched cartoons until I fell asleep — that, to me, is true luxury.
We were there on Father’s Day, so Sunday brunch at the upscale Granddam restaurant on the hotel’s ground floor was an obvious choice. We began with a plate of biscuits that were both huge and fluffy, and we topped each of them with fresh strawberry butter. Our entrées — shrimp-and-grits, a country-fried pork sandwich and lump-crab eggs Benedict — were just the right kind of indulgent. If we ever return to sample the dinner menu — and I truly hope we do — I’m definitely trying the grilled oysters with Kenny’s Farmhouse cheese on a baguette.
Naturally, there are many other lodging options, from countless Airbnbs to the Lexington outpost of 21c Museum Hotel’s popular chain of boutique spaces. But you can’t go wrong with The Manchester.
Do
First up on my list of Lexington activities was a panel discussion at Institute 193, a contemporary art gallery and nonprofit. The idea of going to a panel on vacation might sound strange, but this one centered on super-sexy artist Patrick Angus, whose paintings of queer nightlife in 1980s New York still feel gloriously subversive. The talk was titled “Depicting Desire,” and the head of the Faulkner Morgan Archive was there to contextualize the paintings in the subculture of the gay underground. The Faulkner Morgan Archive is a true treasure. Named after famous queer Kentucky artists Henry Faulkner and Robert Morgan, the collection includes more than 15,000 items and 250 hours of oral histories. It was fascinating to see so many people from so many generations gathering for a conversation about provocative art. After milling around with the panelists afterward, I got a little background about Lexington’s history as a queer-friendly hub in the otherwise largely red state of Kentucky.
Just down the street from the tony Manchester hotel was The Burl, which feels refreshingly geared toward locals. There’s an arcade, a brewery, a music venue and plenty of outdoor seating for socializing. On the night we visited, a Pink Floyd cover band was playing. The vibe was low-key and untrendy — I cannot emphasize how refreshing this was.
Kentucky Native Cafe
One of my favorite discoveries was the Kentucky Native Café, which was so much fun that I’m surprised more greenhouses don’t moonlight as family-friendly dining spots. My daughter said it reminded her of a real-life Rainforest Cafe — and if you know any 8-year-old girls, you’ll understand what high praise that is. The restaurant is part of Michler’s greenhouse, which was originally built by German-born floriculturist Carl Michler in 1902. It’s a sprawling space covered in greenery that feels a little surreal — you can sip an iced latte while watching barefoot and happy children climb trees, and listen to a chorus of birdsong under the shade of a tree canopy while snacking on a pain au chocolat. The food was elegant but understated — plenty of lentil-based dishes and fresh vegetables. I would call it wholesome, but even that feels like I’m underselling an idyllic dining experience.
When visiting a new town, it’s important to check out as many used bookstores and vintage shops as possible. That way, shopping can feel like a kind of sociological study — you can discover what local residents read, what matters to them, how they decorated their homes 50 years ago. Given all that, I was thrilled with Subject Matter, an unassuming-looking spot we decided to peruse on our way home. Upon opening the door I was greeted by a vignette of framed Sonic Youth and Beastie Boys posters from the early ’90s, several layers of chic Persian rugs, 1970s art books and chinoiserie galore. There was a novel from 1931 called Promiscuous that I should have bought, as well as a handful of outsider artworks by Howard Finster and his sons.
Another shop I was glad to visit was Creatures of Whim, a tightly curated metaphysical/pagan boutique that struck just the right balance between witchy and contemporary. We stopped at an excellent coffee shop/game store hybrid called Chaotic Good, and were surprised to find that we could borrow a board game for our little family to play while we recharged. The Lexington Children’s Museum is a small but sweet spot that was good for a few minutes of playtime before we headed home.
From Gulf Shores and Ocean Springs to Bristol and Lexington, here are our recommendations for late-summer getaways
