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. 

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!