We got all dressed up and took some pictures at the house before we left and then hit the road about 10am.
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Every girl needs a little Lily Pulitzer in her life! |
It seemed like such a nice day, a little overcast but nothing major.
About 2 hours into the drive, it started to rain! We were hoping and praying that it would clear up before we had to venture out...but it never did. It rained the entire time except for 1 hour, which made for a very muddy experience.
We anxiously arrived and found parking right off of the highway. We tried to walk across the street to eat at a Cracker Barrel, but realized how crazy the traffic was and settled with Burger King.
We ended up buying some ponchos, which quickly sold out.
Churchill Downs was about a mile walk from where we parked and by the time we reached our destination, we were soaked, especially our shoes.
We entered in Gate 3 and it was complete chaos!! There were evangelists on the side and about 1,000 or more people trying to get through four gates to security!
Standing in the mob of drunken people for 30 minutes was the worst part of the entire experience, except for the rain.
I was getting so frustrated and overwhelmed by people acting ridiculous and pushing. I almost wanted to turn around and just go back to the car, but I am happy we stuck it out and we were able to finally make it through.
We had tickets to the infield and so we had to walk underground in a tunnel to get inside.
The infield was almost like a fair, with lots of food and booths. We walked around a bit and searched out the area. Being that I am a nonprofit major, I quickly noticed that some of the booths were operating for a Not-for-Profit organization, although they did not specific which organization.
For weeks I have been talking about trying a Mint Julep, so Ben bought one for us to try..and it was disgusting! A Mint Julep is made with water, sugar, mint, and bourbon...lots and lots of bourbon. It was so bitter, I could barely take a sip but I am happy we tried it.
We then took some shelter under a tent for a while and did some people watching. Honestly I was a little sad to see the young adults who could not even stand on their feet because they had overdone themselves. I am just happy that I do not participate in those types of activities.
Drunkenness is not pretty folks.
We watched a couple of races and decided we wanted to bet on a horse for the Derby. Ben choose "Palace Malice" to win, but unfortunately he lost to Orb, who was the winner!
When it was time for the race, we made our way over to the fence. Hearing the horn sound off to mark the nearing of the race was amazing! It is such a neat experience.
The horses did a little pre-parade to show off before lining up. When those gates opened and the horses started down the track, Churchill Downs went wild! People were screaming and cheering for their horse to take the lead and win.
We watched the screen until they made their way to our side of the track. It was amazing to see those horses run by so fast and to feel their energy that they gave off as they raced down the course.
I can not believe that the race was over in 2 minutes!
After the race was over the winner, Orb, was presented with a garland of roses, which were beautiful.
We all slowly starting making our way out of Churchill Downs, back to our cars.
There were taxis lined up all through the streets..107 to be exact.
I actually was a little relieved to get back to the car because that meant warm air and an escape from the rain.
While we were there, Ben and I received many compliments such as that we were a lovely couple and that we looked very dapper (even if we were wearing ponchos)!
Overall, I had a great time and I would love to go back next year for the 140th Kentucky Derby!
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