The track is ready, with just the right mixture of sand, silt and clay. Twin spires gleam in the sunlight, a sign to the owners, trainers and jockeys, who have spent countless hours in preparation, that glory is within their reach. All eyes will be on Louisville, Kentucky this weekend, as 20 extraordinary 3-year-old Thoroughbreds participate in the race of a lifetime, hoping to join the likes of Secretariat, Seattle Slew and American Pharaoh, to name a few.
Churchill Downs: Site of the Kentucky Derby
I'm talking about the 143rd annual Kentucky Derby and, this past weekend, I had the honor of joining several other Macaroni Kid publishers from around the country to have an up close and personal look at Churchill Downs, a site as sacred to Louisville as the Grand Ole Opry is to Nashville, where this famous race takes place the first Saturday of May each year.
Our tour began with a yummy breakfast as we watched the Thoroughbreds practice on the track and learned some of the history about the track and Churchill Downs. It was amazing to be so close and really get a feel for just how fast the Thoroughbreds run! We modeled our Derby hats and also saw the historic Winner's Circle and Millionaire's Row. It's hard to believe how, on Derby Day, approximately 160,000 people will fill the infield and grandstand to see the race.
Kentucky Derby Museum
We arrived at the adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum to discover we were in for a treat. Because the Kentucky Derby was only a week away, jockey Calvin Borel and trainer Carl Nafzger spoke about their 2007 Derby experience when Street Sense came from second to last place to winning the Derby! Hearing from them made the Derby really come to life for me, which made the visit to Churchill Downs that much more poignant. In fact, it left such an impact on me that when I returned home, I spent some time researching past winners!
Their visit was part of the second annual Fan Fest Day, which was a celebration of Thoroughbred racing, and featured a wide range of activities, including children's events.
Louisville Mega Cavern
The Kentucky Derby isn't the only attraction in Louisville making headlines. Beneath the city of Louisville lies another treasure - one of the largest caverns in the United States, the Louisville Mega Cavern. Originally a limestone mine, the 100 acre cavern boasts a tram tour, a zip line tour, an underground mountain biking park and is also home to several businesses.
Our crew boarded a tram to see unique features of the cave, which include rock formations, a worm recycling and tasting room (our tour guide ate one of the worms!) and a replica of what the cavern would've looked like had it been used as a fallout shelter during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 50,000 people were on a list to enter the shelter if needed. One fun feature of the cavern? It lies under part of the Louisville Zoo and goes under all 10 lanes of the Watterson Expressway or I-264.
I'm looking forward to coming back around Christmas to see their popular light display "Lights Under Louisville."
Aloft Louisville Downtown
Just as memorable as the sights of Louisville is the hotel we called home for a couple of days. The Aloft Louisville Downtown, located on historic Whiskey Row, is close to several fun attractions. Only a few steps away from the hotel is Doc Crow's, which serves an impressive array of dishes. I had shrimp and grits and bread pudding, both of which were divine! Walk a few blocks further to find several museums, including The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, the Frazier History Museum and the Kentucky Science Museum.
The hotel itself is fun and modern. I loved how the rooms have a baseball theme, which nicely represents an important aspect of the city.
I enjoyed touring the city with my fellow publishers and will definitely bring my family to Louisville in the near future. It's only about a 3 hour drive from Nashville, so it's perfect for a weekend or long weekend trip and has activities for all ages! I highly recommend it.
For more information things to see and do in Louisville, visit the Louisville Area Convention and Visitors Center website.
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The Louisville Area Convention & Visitors Center hosted Macaroni Kid for a weekend press trip. Meals and activities were complimentary. No other compensation was received in consideration of this article and all opinions are that of the writer.
