October 2-5, 2024
Join Fr. Nate on a fun and Holy Pilgrimage as we explore fascinating sites in Kentucky. Some of the places we will visit are: The Basilica of St. Joseph in Bardstown and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville. We will also travel along the famous Bourbon trail visiting Makers Mark, Buffalo Trace, Angel’s Envy & Heaven’s Hill Distillery’s for tours and tastings! We will tour the Ark Encounter (an actual life size experience of what Noah’s Ark looked like) and Gethsemani Abbey where Thomas Merton lived. We will enjoy a fabulous dinner on the Belle Steamboat River Cruise on the Ohio River. Don’t miss this wonderful pilgrimage!
Cost per person (double occupancy): $1899 Single occupancy rate is: $2239
This price includes: Transportation on a coach bus, 3 nights hotel, all tours and tastings, breakfast daily, one lunch and one dinner, daily Mass, all tips and gratuities.
$500 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of booking. The balance is due July 2, 2024. No refunds can be given after this time.
Itinerary
Wednesday 10/2
This morning we will depart from LaPorte, IN on a coach bus and head to a great lunch destination: The Garage Food Hall in Indianapolis which houses a diverse collection of casual international eateries & bars in a contemporary, industrial space. After lunch our next stop will be the Cathedral Basilica St. Joseph in Bardstown, KY for a private Mass. From there it’s off to Heaven Hill Distillery for our first Whiskey Trail visit and tasting! Heaven Hill is a family-run distillery’s tasting center & museum telling the story of bourbon in the area. It will be a great introduction to the rest of the distilleries we will visit the next couple of days. Tonight we will be overnight in Bardstown, KY. Dinner will be on your own at one of the nearby restaurants.
Thursday 10/3
After breakfast at our hotel, we will make a visit to Gethsemani Abbey where we’ll celebrate a private Mass and have an opportunity to meet with one of the Brothers who will tell us about their life at the Abbey. You will get a chance to look around and shop in the Visitor’s Center. From here we’ll head to Maker’s Mark Distillery for a tour, tasting and lunch at their restaurant. Maker’s Mark has been crafted the same way for three generations. They have spent decades taking their time making whisky! Whether you’re after a smooth, full-flavored bourbon to sip neat or something to use in your favorite cocktail, any of the Maker’s Mark Bourbon’s are a great place to start. Our next stop will be at Angels’ Envy distillery for another tour and tasting before checking into our hotel for the next two nights in the heart of Louisville. Dinner will be on your own at one of the many fascinating restaurants of your choice nearby.
Friday 10/4
After breakfast at our hotel, we will head to the Cathedral of the Assumption for a private Mass. After our visit to the cathedral we will be off to the Ark Encounter for an amazing tour and a chance to wander around their expansive property! You will have time to have lunch on your own here. The Ark is an actual representation of Noah’s Ark, based on the Genesis flood narrative contained in the Bible. It is 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet high. You will walk inside this amazing Ark and feel as though you are actually with Noah and his family. Our next stop of the day will be back on the Whiskey Trail. We will do bourbon tasting and have a tour at Buffalo Trace Distillery. For over 200 years, Buffalo Trace Distillery has been defined by a dedication to one craft: making fine bourbon whiskey. By honoring tradition and embracing change, the Distillery has earned its place of leadership among the legendary spirit makers of the world. This is an enormous property with displays, areas to wander and explore and a huge gift shop. This evening we will be dropped off directly at the dock on the Ohio River downtown Louisville for a Steamboat River Cruise and farewell dinner. Built in 1914, the Belle is the only remaining authentic steamboat from the great American packet boat era. A National Historic Landmark and an icon of the Louisville waterfront, the Belle is the most widely traveled steamboat of her size in American history. You will be treated to a dining experience with live entertainment! Pair this with the stunning sight of the Louisville skyline and there’s no place better to spend our final evening in Kentucky!
Saturday 10/5
Today after breakfast we are heading home but not without a visit to Covington, KY. Here we will have a private Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption followed by a tour. We’ll stop for a late lunch at the historic Indianapolis City Market which is a Massive food hall operating since 1866, with various vendors, a farmer’s market & a craft beer bar. From there we will head back to LaPorte and sadly say our goodbyes after a week filled with holy and fun memories that will last a lifetime!
