Lexington: For the Love of Horses and Bourbon

November 14, 2023 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

If you love horses, Lexington is your place. If you love bourbon, Lexington is your place. Heck, if you don’t like either but love beautiful countryside and a nice urban feel, Lexington is your place. We’ve spent eight nights here and it wasn’t enough!

First let’s talk horses! Lexington is considered the “horse capital of the world,” with the most well-known farms and horses on the planet. We stayed at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground, which is connected to the Kentucky Horse Park, home to the International Museum of the Horse and a massive show facility.

I was lucky enough to grow up around Arabian horses and often visited the barns of Lasma Arabians. *Bask++ was the king of the barn and to this day one of the most legendary Arabian stallions ever. So, imagine my surprise when we entered the museum to find a life-sized bronze of *Bask++ dominating the lobby!

Later we walked through the Al-Marah Arabian Horse Gallery and on the grounds found *Bask++’s grave. It may seem unremarkable to someone who doesn’t know Arabians, but for me it was like arriving to Mecca.

Also at the Kentucky Horse Park we met several of the resident horses including Connor, a massive Belgian and Manny, a rare American Cream Draft. During the season there are over 1,000 horses of 100’s of breeds on the grounds. Unfortunately we arrived at the start of the winter season and only about 100 horses were in residence to meet.

The other cool thing about staying at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground was proximity to the show grounds. While Steve spent Saturday afternoon watching his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers on TV, I wandered the grounds of the US Dressage Finals and caught some great horsemanship.

In Lexington, horse racing is based at Keeneland. While not as well known as Churchill Downs, the track has a legacy as the place to train and race if you are a Derby contender. We toured Keeneland on the second day of the fall breeding stock sale.

A staple on the industry’s calendar, the breeding stock sale brings the Thoroughbred world together under one roof to buy and sell the future of the sport. Over 3,500 horses are sold over a seven day period, with the most expensive horses selling earliest. On day one, two mares sold for $6 million each. Being there on day two meant we got to see some of the high dollar mares auctioned to those who hope to cash in soon. Check out the prices in the photos below.

While Keeneland is the first stop for horse lovers who visit Lexington, number two on the list has to be Claiborne Farms, the industry-leading farm that was home to Secretariat. During our tour of the stallion barns we met two stallions up close. War of Will won the 2019 Preakness and earned almost $1.9 million while he was racing. His stud fee is now $25,000.

We also met War of Will’s sire, the acclaimed War Front. As one of the top producing Thoroughbred stallions, his stud fee is $100,000, and he has been syndicated with a current value of $83 million. I fed him a candy and got a handful of drool that I wished I could have bottled! He also gives really good hugs!

Finally, a trip to Claiborne Farms always takes you past the personal pasture of Secretariat and to his final resting place. Secretariat, commonly known as Big Red, won the triple crown in 1973, setting and still holding the fastest time record in all three races. He is considered by many to be the greatest race horse of all time. Seeing his grave and hearing about the impact he had on so many choked me up, to say the least.

Claiborne is set just outside of Paris, KY, and the town was dedicating the Secretariat Park when we were there. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the sculpture, but the park was stunning. We also had the opportunity to have our photo taken with Big Red.

Okay, enough about horses…how about some bourbon? Our multi-week exploration of Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail continued. In all, between our time in Bardstown, Louisville, and Lexington, we visited 15 distilleries. Some were big, name-brand operations and others were small craft distilleries where we met with the master distiller. Steve still doesn’t have a favorite…he says his favorite is the one in his hand! In case you’re curious, here’s the list of distilleries we visited while in Kentucky:

Richter’s
Evan Williams
Bulleit
Heaven Hill
Bardstown Boubon Co.
Maker’s Mark
Woodford Reserve
Town Branch
Jeptha Creed
Willett
Limestone Branch
James E. Pepper
Hartfield & Co,
Buffalo Trace
Barrel House

Every distillery was unique, as was its process and final product.

One interesting experience was at Buffalo Trace. We arrived at 11 a.m. on Sunday to a huge crowd waiting to get in. We figured it was just a popular place. Later we learned that they have a shortage of their specialty bourbons and when one is released, locals come to buy their allotment. The day we arrived, Eagle Rare, a bourbon aged for 10 years was available. Since we waited for 45 minutes to get through the doors, we figured we better buy a bottle in addition to our walk around the property and our tasting.

At Bulleit we skipped the tour and joined in a Bourbon Brain trivia contest. I guess we’ve now been on enough tours to know the ins and outs of bourbon because we won!!! Hats, mugs, and a cocktail made for a fun afternoon at Bulleit!

We’re beginning our travels southward, with some fun stops ahead before we reach the beach. We’ll keep you posted!

Childhood Memories Ignited in Louisville

November 5, 2023 / marniesteve / 2 Comments

Evoking childhood memories made our time in Louisville, Kentucky even more special than expected. We came for a marathon, but left with lots of warm feels.

You might not know that Steve’s dream job is to be the shortstop for the Kansas City Royals. If his dream comes true he will no doubt hit with a Louisville Slugger. The Louisville Slugger factory and museum introduced us to the process used to make the legendary bats that major leaguers since Honus Wagner have used. We learned how the wood is sourced and crafted into unique versions for big leaguers and sandlot players alike. “Meeting” baseball’s historical figures including Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson reinforced just how influential Louisville Sluggers have been to America’s national pastime.

Did you know big league hitters create a unique template for a bat that works best for them and then order that bat over and over? There are over 3,000 templates in the bat vault from which more unique bats can be designed. Holding some of the most famous major leaguers’ game-used bats left us feeling like maybe the dream is possible. For Steve, this visit was filled with nostalgia.

My childhood revolved around horses. The first Sunday in May was always spent watching the Kentucky Derby with Dad. He would talk about why certain horses looked stronger than others and why the Derby was such an important race, the first in the Triple Crown. Every year we picked our favorites and cheered them on through the television screen. Visiting Churchill Downs was nostalgic for me.

The Museum is the gateway to Derby history

We took the “Go Baby Go” tour which offered the most in depth look at Churchill Downs and its history. With our guide and just one other couple, we had full access to the barns, the backstretch, and all the areas in between the legendary twin spires. In the backstretch we watched morning workouts around the one mile track. In the barns we met the lead ponies and fed them peppermints. Our visit to the barns of some of the most famous trainers in Derby history reminded me of being in barns as a kid. The sights and smells brought it all back!

After exploring the backstretch, we returned to the grandstands where we toured many of the spectator areas, including the terraces next to the famed twin spires. Television coverage of the Run for the Roses often features shots of celebrities in these coveted seats. The views of the track from the elevated terraces are certainly spectacular.

There are many luxury seating options at Churchill Downs. Many are filled with high rollers on Derby day. One coveted area is Millionaires Row. On Derby day seating in this all-inclusive area starts at around $5,300 per person. Our tour included lunch in Millionaires Row, along with a great view of the day’s racing. Our guide even helped us place our bets. We weren’t big winners, but it was a day that brought back so many sweet memories and one I’ll never forget.

In between all the childhood reflections, we put our bikes on the trails near the RV park. We camped at North Louisville Campground, just blocks from the Ohio River. Quick, “get your blood flowing” rides were a nice way to lead up to the marathon and provided some pretty cool views over the river to the Louisville skyline. For those of you into geography, you’ll know that the campground and trails were actually in Indiana.

While in Louisville, Steve completed a marathon in his 32nd state. With an early start, just as the sun was rising, Steve took off for his 26.2 miles through the Kentucky hills. An hour later I started the 6.2 mile (10K) race. We both finished in respectable times and celebrated at the finish line with a beer and a piece of Derby pie (pecan pie with chocolate). The Louisville Marathon was a success!

While our time in Louisville is concluding, our time in Kentucky continues with more bourbon and horses. We’ll provide a full report once we’ve left the state!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

October 10, 2023 / marniesteve / 3 Comments

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is considered the most photographed event in the world and we now know why! Warning: Photo dump to come.

Our weeklong excursion in the heart of the Fiesta was supported by Fantasy RV Tours, which supplied our campsite in a lot within walking distance of the festivities, along with power, trash service, meals, and several additional activities. We loved having a close by home base from which to take in this massive event, along with a built in set of fellow travelers with which to enjoy every minute.

Our crew in the Fantasy RV group: Kathi, Sharon, Steve, Doug, Jacqui, Steve, and Dwight

We started this “once in a lifetime” experience with a tour of the Balloon Museum, where we learned about the sport of ballooning including its history, the mechanics of ballooning, and the details of the Fiesta.

The 51st annual Fiesta began before sunrise on Saturday morning where we joined over 100,000 others on the field for Dawn Patrol and the Mass Ascension. Before we got here we didn’t know what any of that meant, but now we do! After making it through the gates we took in the early morning drone show followed by the inflation and launch of the first dozen balloons, Dawn Patrol, who test the winds for the other balloons that will follow.

The line to enter the park on Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m.

The Mass Ascension occurs on the weekends of the eight day Fiesta and involves the inflation and launch of over 500 balloons. We were able to be on the field and up close to the balloons and their crews. We selected one balloon and watched the detailed process of setting up the balloon, inflating it, and launching it.

The Mass Ascension is an overwhelming spectacle whether you watch it from the field, from the borders of the field, or from afar. We spent Saturday morning on the grounds of the Albuquerque Balloon Park and Sunday outside the park on our bikes. Every angle is incredible!

On other days we stayed in the campground and the balloons came to us! Our accommodations in the South Lot were the perfect place to watch the balloons land and chase crews rush to provide assistance. Look how close they got to the RVs!

Evenings at the Fiesta are fun as well, with the evening glow and other activities. During the glows, the balloons do not launch, but rather inflate and then light their burners in a synchronized way. Again, we were able to get close enough to hear the burners and feel the heat. Wow!

The evening we attended the glow was special because they also launched gas balloons as part of the Gordon Bennett balloon race. These balloons run on hydrogen and are designed for long-distance flights. They come from all over the world and can travel thousands of miles. The goal is to travel further than your competitors and as I write this several days later many are still in the air on the other side of the country. Hosting the Gordon Bennett race this year was a unique feature of this year’s Fiesta.

Balloon Fiesta Park is filled with fun photo ops during this event. Besides balloons there are sky divers, drone shows, chainsaw carving, and even Darth Vader sightings.

In addition to the balloon activities, we spent a little time on our bikes exploring the miles of trails that weave through the city of Albuquerque. We also had the opportunity to connect with my cousin Jon and his wife Monja for dinner to catch up on family affairs.

And, when the balloons weren’t flying, Fantasy RV Tours took us to other fun places in ABQ like Old Town where we visited the Breaking Bad Store and Museum, among other shops! As you can see, we had perfect weather all week.

The Balloon Fiesta is all about photo ops, so we’ll finish this post with a photo dump of our favorite balloon photos and a nudge to you. If you ever have the opportunity to attend the Fiesta, jump on it!