Catching Up – East to West

January 7, 2026 / marniesteve / 2 Comments

Time flies when you are on the go! The last time we posted an update we were in New Hampshire, where Steve completed his first of four fall marathons. A lot has happened between then and now, so we’ll try to give an update of the highlights.

From New Hampshire we headed south to Connecticut for Steve to run the Hartford Marathon. It was a great excuse to connect with some very special friends. One day we drove to the coast to see our friends Alan and Cheryl.

A group of four adults smiling outdoors, holding two small dogs. They are wearing sunglasses and standing on a grassy area with a beach in the background. An American flag is visible, and the sky is clear and sunny. — Alan, Marnie, Cheryl, and Steve + Bob and Poppy

Other days we were guided around by our RV friends Gail and Jeff. These two even came to the race expo and cheered Steve at the finish line.

A group of people sitting in bleachers, with three adults in the foreground taking a selfie. One woman is wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, while another is wearing a gray jacket. An older man with glasses is sitting next to her. The background shows several spectators, including children holding signs. — Waiting at the finish line with Gail and Jeff

A male runner in a blue t-shirt with 'Missoula Marathon' printed on it, wearing sunglasses and earbuds, running past a crowd of spectators enjoying flowers in pots. — Final steps to the finish

Three individuals at an outdoor event: one woman standing with sunglasses and a hat, a man in a blue shirt holding a snack, and another man sitting on the grass displaying a marathon medal. — Final steps to the finish

From Connecticut we headed west through Pennsylvania and caught the trotters at Mohegan Casino. We also made a quick stop at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville.

Harness race with two horses racing on a track, in front of a scoreboard displaying race information. — Cheering on the trotters

A person standing near a tall, modern concrete tower against a clear blue sky. — Cheering on the trotters

Our next major destination was my hometown of Ashland, Ohio. There we had a great reunion with the Finley/Shoemaker clan, including several meals with Uncle Dave Shoemaker (Uncle Shoey), who is turning 96 this month.

A group of five people standing together in a warmly decorated room, featuring a wooden shelf in the background. The individuals are smiling and casually dressed, including two men wearing jackets and a woman in a patterned sweater. — Steve, Marnie, Uncle Shoey, Judy, and Dave

A man sitting in a rolling walker smiles at the camera, flanked by a woman leaning on the chair and a man holding a small dog, all in a rustic setting with wooden walls. — Barn party with Uncle Shoey

A group of seven people posing together indoors, with six standing behind a seated elderly man in a wheelchair. Some individuals are holding small dogs. — Barn party with Uncle Shoey

While in Ohio we also took a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. The historic former prison, is now a museum famous for being the filming location for The Shawshank Redemption. The reformatory was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained in operation, without much maintenance, until the Federal government ordered it to close in 1990.

A wooden door with a glass panel displaying the text 'OFFICE of PRISON SUPERVISOR' and 'SAMUEL NORTON WARDEN'. The view shows a room behind the door with patterned tiled flooring, a wooden table, and curtains.

Two people smiling in an old, possibly historic building with peeling paint and barred windows.

From Ohio we made a quick trip to Indiana to have our refrigerator replaced and then back to West Virginia for the Marshall University Marathon. Steve finished the race without issue, and I even completed the 3.25 mile race. We both crossed the finish line in the football stadium on a chilly day.

A woman smiling while walking on a football field, holding a football, with a university stadium in the background. — Finishing the 3.25 at Marshall University

On our way to the fourth fall marathon, we stopped in Lexington for a few of our favorite things…horses and bourbon. We hit up the big breeding stock sale at Fasig-Tipton and visited a few farms to see the top stallions. Of course we also took several distillery tours including one at Wild Turkey.

A man holding a horse on a lead next to a woman smiling while posing for a photo, with a man nearby and trees in the background during evening light. — Streak of Luck sold for $6.2 million

A man leads a brown horse on a brick pathway in front of a large building, with a group of people observing and taking photos. — Streak of Luck sold for $6.2 million

After a too-short stop to see Steve’s brother Gary and his family (not sure why I don’t have more photos) we made it to Tulsa for Steve’s fourth fall marathon and his 44th state.

A young woman sitting in the backseat of a car, smiling while holding a small brown dog with curly fur, wearing a turquoise harness. The background shows a clear blue sky and grassy fields outside the car window. — Poppy loves Brynn

A man poses next to a large illuminated sign that reads '26.2', surrounded by colorful balloons and star decorations. — Last marathon of the year

A person stands next to large illuminated letters spelling 'TULSA' in blue lights, with a black curtain in the background. — Last marathon of the year

From Tulsa we made a last minute decision to go north to Nebraska for Thanksgiving, rather than heading to Arizona as planned. Spending time with Steve’s brother Brian’s large family for the holiday was full of fun.

A group of five people sitting at a dinner table with plates of food, drinks, and a festive atmosphere. The table is set with various dishes, including turkey and rolls, and decorative elements are visible in the background. — John, Hannah, Lydia, Elise, and Jarrot

Two young men smiling at a dining table set with plates of food and drinks during a festive occasion. — John, Hannah, Lydia, Elise, and Jarrot

But the real reason we drove 400 miles out of our way was the Nebraska Cornhuskers! All three Green boys, Hudson, Brynn, and Nathan braved the cold to support the Big Red football team.

A group of five people posing for a photo at a Nebraska football game, wearing red and black apparel, with a stadium view in the background and the field visible. — Brian, Brynn, Nate, Gary, Hudson, and Steve – Go Big Red!

We finally made it back to Arizona on December 1st and set up camp at the Sunflower RV Resort in Surprise. We took advantage of a few of the resort’s activities and celebrated the season with Steve’s parents and our dear friends Russ and Susan Shoemaker who were also staying at the resort.

A man with glasses holds a small dog while standing in front of a recreational vehicle at night, with a lit decorative tree nearby. — Celebrating the season

Two men taking a selfie in a sunny outdoor setting with palm trees and a building in the background. — Celebrating the season

Our year of full-time travel ended in our happy place, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. A week at the condo was a great way to wind 2025 down. Mitch, Lauren, and Caleb joined us for a few days of fun as well.

A pair of feet resting on a lounge chair with a view of a shimmering ocean and a clear blue sky, alongside a sign that reads 'Owner Only Area.' — Ahhhh…

A dog sitting on a striped cushion, gazing at the sunset over a beach with palm trees in the background. — Ahhhh…

Whew! We’ve caught you up to present day, but there’s more to come. We have BIG changes planned for 2026, more marathons, and more adventures. Stay tuned!

Our Happy Places: Horses, Bourbon, and Running

May 4, 2025 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

Two years ago we spent time in Kentucky and fell in love with the horse and bourbon culture. We couldn’t wait to return, so this week we settled ourselves in the state capital of Frankfort to continue our exploration of this beautiful area.

Let’s start with horses. During this visit, we were able to catch the last day of racing at Keeneland’s spring meet. Our general admission tickets allowed us to approach the rail and see the horses up close.

Despite some periods of heavy rain, it was a fun afternoon, cheering the ponies, losing a few dollars, and watching the people.

Dad always said, “bet on a grey horse on a sloppy track.” Well, that didn’t work for us today but we gave it a shot!

This trip coincided with one of the premier equestrian events in the world: the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event.

The competition draws Olympic-level competitors including Michael Jung, Boyd Martin, and Harry Meade.

We attended on Saturday, which featured the cross country competition. Over a four mile course, riders and their mounts race the clock over 20+ fence combinations. As you can see from the photos, we were able to get very close to the horses and were able to walk through the course, seeing the event from all angles. What a day!

And, to finish the horse part of our visit, we took a tour of Spy Coast Farms, one of the leading performance horse breeders and trainers. In the fastest two hours ever, we toured the 800+ acres seeing the training, rehabilitation, and breeding facilities.

We met the stallions, who are treated as royalty. The best part, of course, was meeting the mares and recently foaled babies. Did you know that in operations like these they use “recipient mares,” or what we might consider surrogates, to carry and birth the babies for top performance mares?

In between horsey fun, we hit a number of distilleries we missed when we were here two years ago. The bourbon industry has been exploding, so there were quite a few new operations added to the Bourbon Trail.

During our week in central Kentucky we visited: J. Mattingly, Buffalo Trace (twice), Castle and Key, Whiskey Thief, RD1, Bluegrass Distillers, and Four Roses. Each stop is a unique experience.

For example, tasting at Buffalo Trace is free, and every day they sell a different featured, sometimes rare bourbon. At Castle and Key, we opted for a taste amidst the stunningly beautiful grounds.

RD1 is moving to a new facility in Lexington, and we were given a tour of the yet-to-be-completed facility and a private tasting experience. Soon they will offer a premium blending experience, and we were invited by the tasting room manager to try some of the samples right from the tiny barrels.

At Four Roses we opted for the legacy tour, which gave us access to the fermentation tanks and historic grounds. Of course, a guided tasting of their tasty bourbon followed the tour.

We are leaving Kentucky with our supplies restocked.

We started each morning at the local Planet Fitness, which was a convenient way to maintain a little fitness while on the road. We’re thankful for this useful benefit from United Healthcare.

Leaving bourbon country, we traveled 90 minutes north for a marathon in Steve’s 40th state, Ohio. Before race day, we hit a few of northern Kentucky’s bourbon distilleries. Each stop gives us another stamp in our Bourbon Trail passport book, with goal of filling the whole book! We also found Party Source, considered to be the largest liquor store east of the Mississippi.

The Flying Pig in Cincinnati is considered one of the best races on the calendar, with over 5,000 marathoners and 49,000 total participants in the weekend’s pig-themed events. The expo, sponsored by Proctor and Gamble, was a celebration of running with lots of free P&G samples.

Race day met Steve with off and on rain but decent temperatures for running. With this he has just 10 more states before completing all 50 states.

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!