The Mountains Are Calling... Part 8

Did you read Part 7?

The two of us with the iconic twin spires

at Churchill Downs

Our flight home from Louisville wasn't leaving until mid-afternoon, and since we're not the kind of folks who tend to wake up late and sit around waiting for things to happen, I figured Saturday morning would be a great time to hit up one more local landmark - the most famous of them all: Churchill Downs!  The Kentucky Derby Museum, located at the Downs, is actually really close to the airport, so in addition to being a great place to look around and kill some time, it truly was on our way out of town.  After finishing our packing and checking out of the Hancock House (including finally throwing away what I couldn't finish of the Publix cake - don't worry, I took care of most of it), we drove to the Museum, taking surface roads so we could peek at even more of the lovely surrounding neighborhoods, including the campus grounds of the University of Louisville.

I'd previously purchased our admission tickets, including two spots on the 10:30 walking tour of the Downs, so after leaving the car in the copious parking lot (just one plus to having a museum at a sporting facility - TONS of parking), we headed inside to see what was what.

As a family, we truly couldn't care less about horse racing -

we understand the athleticism on display

(both human and equine), but the tons of money

around the sport and the history of scandals

generally turns us off.

HOWEVER.

You will find us, the first Saturday in May,

eating pimento cheese and drinking mint juleps

in front of the tv.

We just can't help ourselves.

I didn't really have high expectations for the museum - I figured it would be an air conditioned spot to cool our heels until our tour started - but I was pleasantly surprised.  The exhibits were interesting and most were interactive to some degree, and the museum covered everything from the Derby itself to the history of the Downs to its spot in the city of Louisville to the horses and jockeys and on and on and on.  It's well worth a visit on its own, even if the tour wasn't also included.  There's also an incredible theater in the round telling the story of the Derby, including amazing footage of the most recent year's race - it was heart stopping to be right in the middle of the action, particularly when last year's race was such an outstanding one.

The main gates to the museum

Trying out the interactive "ride like a jockey" exhibit -

in case anyone doubted it, even this was really hard.

"Honey, this is tough!"

Placing our bets at the display window -

neither of us won.  Boo.

Eventually, 10:30 rolled around, and we met our guide, an equine business student from the University of Louisville (as in, she was studying the business of racehorses, not that she was a horse with an MBA or something), in the courtyard.  She told us all sorts of interesting information, including the fastest and slowest Derby winners, how many times fillies have beat out the stallions, and other cool facts (none of which I remember, clearly).  We walked through the back of the grandstands and came out right in front of the fabled track.

The tunnel to the infield.

According to our guide, anyone who shows up

on Derby Day and wants an infield ticket

can buy one.

They never sell out,

they just get really crowded.

That large pole on the inside of the track is where

the starting gates are set up.

That's also the University of Louisville

football stadium looming over the track

in the background.

It's literally right across the street from the start line.

The twin spires - they're a designated

national historic landmark,

so they can't be changed in any way,

and when they want to spruce them up,

even with just a coat of paint,

the Downs has to ask the U.S. government for permission

(Apparently, they're allowed to light them up

red and blue for the annual UK/UL football game).

Sitting on the rail,

looking out at the dirt track.

Apparently, the track is around 25 feet deep,

and since it was built in the late 1800s,

all of that was dug without the use of

modern mechanical assistance.

Part of the infield

Looking toward the finish line

Once our tour concluded, we headed for the Museum's cafe to grab lunch - some sandwiches with a mint julep a piece (what? We were at CHURCHILL DOWNS).

Delicious and served in commemorative glassware

After lunch, we filled up the rental car with gas and sauntered the few miles to the airport.  Checking our luggage and getting through security didn't take long, so we camped out at a nearby restaurant and watched some college football to pass the time.  The flight home was uneventful, and since Southwest allows you to watch live tv for free on your device, I spent most of my plane ride rooting for Texas to beat Alabama (it didn't work, but it was soooo close) and starting the Tennessee game.  We actually landed early, so we were able to make it to the boarding spot before they closed to collect the monsters, and all four of us were at home, watching more football on our own coach by 4:30pm.

What a great end to an outstanding trip!

Later!

Amy