A year in review: Louisville edition

What I'll Miss About Louisville, KY:
-the Frankfort Avenue train
-bourbon culture
-New2Lou and my favorite New2Louies
-horse racing at Keeneland and Churchill Downs
-the parks: Cherokee, Iroquois, Miles
-when it gets dark at 10 pm in the summer because we're so far west
-a great job with wonderful colleagues

What I'll Gladly Leave Behind:
-the worst pollen and seasonal allergies in the country in the Ohio River Valley
-terrifying thunder storms that are also a result of the Ohio River Valley
-never being able to find a recycling bin

Top 10 Louisville Experiences:
10. My many visitors
9. Getting Lulu
8. Train hopping
7. St. Patrick's Day festivities
6. Maker's Mark Distillery
5. Receiving a letter from the Mayor
4. Sunday Fundays
3. The RRG
2. The Moth
1. The Oaks & Derby

Truly Terrible Moments of the Past Year:
1. Leaving my keys in North Carolina.  It's STILL not funny.  The photo featured above is actually about 4 hours before I realized my keys were NC.

Love you Lou.

My Old Kentucky Home

Ya'll, I'm starting to get sad about the idea of leaving Kentucky.  Though it started out rough, it has been a great year.  I was impatient when my friends told me that it takes a year to feel comfortable in a new place, build a community of friends, and feel settled in your niche.  Turns out, everyone was right.  And after a year, I'm really going to miss this place.

Derby in Review

In case you didn't know, horse racing is a big deal in Kentucky.

And despite the warnings about the chaos in the Infield, I dressed impeccably.  Nothing but class.

The Oaks almost didn't happen because of a torrential thunderstorm.

But NOTHING could spoil our fun.  

Derby at the Downs is the biggest event I have EVER seen.  Two hundred thousand spectators from the world around and I barely even saw a horse the entire day.

New2Lou ladies representing Louisville's finest twenty somethings.

And the men.

Stay around long enough and there's always a door that opens... Sometimes it's the door to the track and you get to stand on it.  Apparently Muhammad Ali was the last one to make it happen... Until ME.

And even if all your horses come in last...

At the Derby, we're all winners!

The Oaks

Deemed "Louisville Day" at the track The Kentucky Oaks is the race where 3 year-old fillies (girl horses) race the 1 1/8 mile track to win the coveted "Lillies for the Fillies" garland.  It's a local holiday, on par with Thunder and Christmas, and the town will be painted PINK.  The Oaks also has a huge effort for breast cancer awareness and celebration of survivors.

Check out the parade and the pink out that will certainly have the Infield tickled.  I'll be on the Paddock with the rest of my New2Louies.

Ladies first!

Derby Festival

Post-mini-marathon (which I thankfully abstained from) the girls and I had a derby hat making party, complete with champagne and accouterments for our said-derby head wear.  I made my fascinator for The Oaks while Rachel made her hat...  All you need is a few feathers, some ribbon, and a hot mess with the glue gun and you got yourself a derby masterpiece!

Our classy escapades landed us at Cafe Classico which I have been dying to go to since it's right at the end of my street.  Three courses and a hail storm later we were still interested in ringing in derby week so we headed to the 2nd grand opening of St. Charles Exchange followed by the ever-favorite Garage Bar.  It was an absolutely splendid evening to make me very excited for the boisterous week ahead.  This town is about to explode and I plan to be there for it... impeccably dressed.

Where to get your Derby wear:
Ladies: For The Oaks, pink is mandatory, flats are a must, and a hat is optional.  I'm going with the fascinator but steer clear of the high priced department stores.  Head to Joann's or Michael's instead and make your own out of feathers and ribbon.  For Derby, look at Burlington Coat Factory for some quality discounted hats and make sure your dress has pockets!  There's nothing worse than losing your keys in a crowd of 200,000.
Gents: Skip J.Crew and head instead to the fantastic consignment shops where you can get your preppiest digs at discounted prices.  Target has some great Panama hats if you're inclined to wear a hat.

Upcoming Events:
4/28-4/29- Cherokee Triangle Art Fair
5/1-5/3 Dawn at the Downs: Brunch at Churchill downs with a sneak peak on who's who of horses
5/2- Walk the Moon at Waterfront Park (free admission with a Pegasus pin)
5/2- The Great Steamboat Race
5/3- Pegasus Parade on Broadway
5/4- The Oaks
5/5- The Kentucky Derby

... Look for the cute blond in the REALLY BIG HAT

Thunder Over Louisville 2012

Despite colder-than-average temperatures last Saturday night, Thunder over Louisville rang in the start to the Derby Festival with a bang... or ten thousand of them!  As the nation's largest fireworks display, Thunder is a must-see from either side of the river.

I heard a cool story from a buddy that said that back in the 1800's there was a really terrible thunderstorm (not too hard to believe if you've ever lived in the Ohio River Valley-- they're terrifying!) in Louisville that spooked all the horses and they went racing through downtown Louisville... and that was the first Kentucky Derby!  It's a neat story for the Derby tradition but my guess is that it's hearsay.

I am champing at the bit for Derby week to come!

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Picture this: A gorgeous spring afternoon, not a cloud in the sky, dogwoods in bloom all around.  You're driving through rural Kentucky with the windows down while the sun kisses your cheeks.  What could be more perfect, right?  Try adding bourbon.

Another bucket list item came to fruition this weekend as I ventured out with my buddy to the Maker's Mark Distillery.  There are 6 distilleries near Louisville but we chose Maker's because it's the most delicious-- known for its smooth taste and sweetness instead of its bite.  Maker's is also the most well branded with its characteristic red wax top made famous by Mrs. Margie Samuels (the brains behind the man of the operation). The tour takes you through making the mash, distilling the bourbon, the print shop, warehouse storage, and finally to a tasting of Maker's and their specialty 46 bourbon.  You can even dip your own bottle of Maker's in their red wax!

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon, and not all bourbon is Kentucky bourbon.  Though 95% of the world's bourbon supply comes from the Bluegrass State because of its changing seasons and water sources that make it perfect for distilling the finest.

You can't live in Kentucky without learning about two things... One is horse racing, the other is bourbon.  Check out the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (it's $FREE!)and any of the distilleries in the area: Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, and Jim Beam.  

Things I've learned in Kentucky

When you live alone and you run out of pie... It means that YOU ate the entire pie.

This is America.  Buy comfortable toilet paper.

Have a go-to beverage.  You don't make your first impression, your drink does.  Bourbon > umbrellas

Girls be crazy.  Good girlfriends are hard to come by.  Make time for them.

ALWAYS have an escape route: NYC, Colorado, VA, NC.

Having children is inversely proportional to your knowledge of the best viral videos.

Dogs are like children.  They will infuriate you to no end but you can't help but love them... even when they're turds.

Fortune favors the bold.

Breeders' Cup

 An unexpected invite to a horse race and an even more unexpected Carolina blue sky made for a wonderful Friday afternoon when the Breeders' Cup came to Louisville's Churchill Downs.  I'm still quite new at the horse racing thing, but I'm getting the hang of it and will be ready for Keeneland in the spring.

Becky's rules of gambling:
Rule #1: If you're not okay with losing money, don't gamble.  Simple as that.
Rule #2: Get a program and sit with someone who knows what it means*.  Preferably a Kentucky boy who has been at the races his entire life.
*See Rule #3
Rule #3: Don't be a sucker for statistics.  In the 5 races we saw, only 1 of the favorites won.  Sometimes you're better off betting based on a pretty horse, good jockey colors (i.e. Carolina blue), or the size of the horse's booty (the bigger the better).
Rule #4: Know how to place your bet.  Name the dollar amount, type of bet, and horse.  Ex: Hiii!  I'd like to place a $2 exacta bet on 2, 4, and 9**.
**Make sure you name the right horses.  Otherwise you'll end up like me and think you won but realize you told the lady at the booth the wrong number.  Oops.
Rule #5: Cheer loudly-- it makes the horses run faster.  Not really, but it's very exciting so you can't help but cheer!

We finished up the night at O'Shea's, dining on fish n' chips and a beer sampler.  I highly suggest the Southern style breading (c'mon, would you really think I'd suggest anything else?) and the BBC's Bourbon stout.

I am currently taking reservations in my sweet little apartment for the 2012 Kentucky Derby.  I've already had 3 RSVPs and there is plenty more room.  

Keeneland

Sundress? Check.

Sunglasses? Check.

Bourbon? Check.

Dollar bills? Check.

No, I did not go to Vegas.  I went to Keeneland for their fall series of horse races!  Whit and I loaded up on Saturday morning for an easy 1 hour drive down to Versailles, KY outside of Lexington.  Although a little apprehensive about being allergic to horses (it was not fun to realize that) and not knowing what to expect, we headed inside.  Here's how the day panned out:

1st race: bet $4, no win
2nd race: bet $6, won $12
3rd race: bet $4*, no cash win**
4th race: bet $3, no win

*some guy told me to place on a certain horse and I bet him that if that horse lost then he owed me
**a $6 beer

There's one more weekend at Keeneland this weekend before next spring.
October 29
FREE parking
$5 admission
Lowest bet- $2

...getting very excited for DERBY!  Local Townie is currently taking reservations for May 3-7.