Just moved back to Texas from Lexington.
Rent a car so you can drive.
Yes, book tours now. The wife will like the tours. They are beautiful, and there is shopping. If you can only do a few, I suggest Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace if coming from Lexington. Also, check James E. Pepper in Lexington. It's small but in one of the oldest distilleries in the state. It's in the Distillery District, which also has a Goodfellas pizza by the slice in part of the old distillery. Pretty cool area.
Go to Keeneland early in the morning to watch the horses workout with no crowds.
Check the Keeneland schedule. Depending on your dates, there will likely be active horse races. Keeneland is way nicer than Churchill Downs.
If either of you like horses, Kentucky Horse Park is cool.
If you are outdoorsy, drive east an hour to the Pinnacles or Daniel Boone National Forest for a beautiful hike. If you don't have that much time, check out Raven Run Sanctuary just southeast of Lexington. Great hiking trail through the forest with creeks and such. These all are typical Appalachian terrain with limestone cliffs and moss covered rock.
Don't expect to find good bourbon in the retail liquor stores. They are picked over. Buy some at the distillery. For example, you can usually get Eagle Rare and Blantons when you visit Buffalo Trace.
If you are really into baseball, the Louisville Slugger factory and museum in Louisville is pretty cool.
If you want to knock out a city you've never been to, Cincinnati is only a 1.5 hour drive north of Lexington.
