Another US trip report - but this one's about the home of disco balls and hand transplants

NSun · Friday at 9:29 AM

The tour took about 2 hours and here are some of the things we learned:
- The city was named after Louix XVI as a thanks to France for siding with America in their endeavours against the Brits.
- Louisville's position on the river meant it has always been a major cargo town - 90% of cigarettes in the 1890s went through Louisville. These days, with most cargo shipped by road and air, it is still important being within 2 hours flight or 5 hours drive for 80% of the population.
- It is a highly multicultural city, with the 3rd largest Cuban population in the US.
- It is the 'Disco Ball capital of the world' given it purportedly has the world's only factors,
- It is the birthplace of 'Hi 5s' and the tune to the 'Happy Birthday' song (then it was 'Good morning to you')
- It has the hospital where the first female heart transplant happened and the first hand transplant.
- Despite the reputation of KFC being from Kentucky, the first franchised outlet was actually in Utah even though Colonel Sanders' first owned outlet was here. Nonetheless, it is the birthplace of Texas Roadhouse
- The key sports team is the Louisville Cardinals (college sports) and they are major rivals with the KYU wildcats. Famous athletes to come out of Louisville's football program have inclued Johnny Unitas and Lamar Jackson. And,
- It is the 3rd worst city for driving behind Boston and Austin.

We were told all this as we were being driven along. I only took a few photos, one was of the state's only casino. Gambling is not allowed except for horseracing so this place uses the loophole.

NSun · Friday at 9:31 AM

Then we had lunch at a place called 'Mussell Burger'.

Followed by ice cream at Graeter's - Blackberry Chocolate Chunk.

NSun · Friday at 9:33 AM

After lunch we headed to the Kentucky Museum.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:05:22+1000

After 3 nights in Kentucky, it was off to Atlanta. So a 9 hour bus ride to Georgia via Nashville for me. It was an early start with a 6am departure.

Again, I got a row to myself at the front. It was an interesting trip in terms of the people you meet - people who wouldn't get through the TSA for whatever reason.

We stopped at a gas station at Horse Base, right next to a zoo called 'Kentucky Down Under' which is apparently Aussie themed. I want to visit at some point.

Fireworks for sale.

Coming into Nashville

You can see in the last couple of photos they've got a football stadium right across the river and they're building a new football stadium. It'll be enclosed and will likely put the city in the running to host a Super Bowl within a couple of years after its opening.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:08:02+1000

I only got to spend an hour or so in Nashville and want to come back for another visit at some point. Ultimately I wouldn't regret going onwards to Atlanta as I feared I would at that specific point of the trip. But it was fun to see Nashville.

Couldn't resist.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:12:00+1000

After an hour, back onto the bus. Not before having some Nashville chicken.

Found right in the first gas station in Georgia we stopped at.

Made it to Atlanta, then walked 30 minutes to my hotel.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:16:27+1000

Made it to my hotel. Overall, I thought it was great value for money. The downside was that I had to take 2 lifts to get to my room, one to the second floor from the lobby and another further up. The upside was having a proper shower rather than a 'shub' for the first time in a week.

So I had two things on my agenda. The first was to visit the Coca-Cola museum and the second was the Georgia aquarium - in that order, given the first was to close at 7pm and the second at 9pm.

It was quite interesting to visit the museum. I didn't like how it started in that it seemed we would be shunted from exhibit to exhibit like sardines. But this was only for two 'exhibits' and the second of these was for a movie that wasn't even on so then we were let through. The first had various relics on the ceiling and in the walls.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:21:01+1000

And once we got through the 'movie theatre' we were free to explore at our leisure. The first was an exhibit that spoke about the origins of the company, the drink and its secret formula. It is a well-guarded secret, particularly as the company has made it possible to create it without knowing the formula. Key to the drink was Asa Candler who originally intended the drink to be a non-alcaholic 'headache relief'. He bought it from John Pemberton in 1888, two years after Pemberton invented it and shortly before Pemberton's death.

A parody 'vault' where the recipe was (so we were told).

Fair point.

This exhibit ended with this point where we were offered to try a new formula.

NSun · 2025-07-07T09:24:24+1000

There was one exhibit where you could meet the 'Coke polar bear' at certain points but not when I was visiting. I visited 2 further exhibits, one had more momentos from the past.