For Louisvillians, the top domestic travel destination next year should be Fairbanks, Alaska, says Lonely Planet, the big travel guide publisher.For everyone else, go to Louisville.Lonely Planet cites the food and drink on NuLu, the shopping on Bardstown Road and the gobs and gobs of available bourbon in putting Louisville atop its 2013 list of top U.S. travel destinations."Could it be that the new Portland is in... Kentucky?" the travel guide asks.Lonely Planet adds: Bourbon reigns in Louisville. This is the traditional jump-off for the Bourbon Trail; with bourbon’s current wave of popularity, new upstart microdistilleries, including some in and around Louisville like the small-batch Angel’s Envy, are giving the old names in bourbon a run for their money. "Our 2013 picks are literally all over the map: once-in-a-lifetime northern lights, new top-tier museums, moose trails, Polynesian paradise and barrels of bourbon." said Lonely Planet's U.S. Travel Editor Robert Reid in a statement announcing Louisville's selection.Lots of Bourbon, which is true.1. Louisville2. Fairbanks, Alaska3. San Juan Islands, Wash.4. Philadelphia, Pa.5. American Samoa6. Eastern Sierra, Calif.7. Northern Maine8. Twin Cities, Minnesota9. Verde Valley, Ariz.10. Glacier National Park, Mont.In the statement, Reid said these are places people should "add to their wish lists" once the new year hits.About Fairbanks.Why, no, Lonely Planet, we haven't seen the aurora borealis. A pub paddle? That sounds great. But getting there is not cheap.
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