lorimarsha: Kentucky Derby 2017

Although the Kentucky Derby is a bucket list for many, for me it was just a good idea proposed by my husband, Carl. We brought it up to our friends, Mark and Linda, and asked if they were interested. They were in! So the planning began. We decided to fly into Nashville and spend time both there and in Louisville.

First up: Fashion.

The fact that Carl gave me full responsibility for getting our ensembles together started things off right. I thought seersucker would be fun for him- a classic preppy look but not too out there. Once I found the suit, the fun began. Shirt, shoes, socks, bow tie and pocket square.... I found it all. And he was thumbs up to everything.

Of course I offered my services to Linda and we texted back and forth as she worked on her and Mark's outfits.

Linda and I had so much fun coordinating our outfits. She paired a fuchsia feather fascinator with a gorgeous floral silk dress. I found a vintage straw handbag online for her, as well. I had purchased a dress in Paso Robles the prior month and I found a vintage straw hat online that came all the way from France. I added a huge flower and decided on a pair of short rose colored leather boots. I also designed a handbag from vintage Kentucky Derby graphics.

We spent the first night in Nashville. We cruised up and down Broadway (with the other 35,000 tourists) and had a nice dinner at Merchant's.We met up with Mark and Linda's friends who also happened to be in town.

Next morning, on to Louisville- it was Derby Day!

All dressed up, we ordered an Uber and headed to Churchill Downs.

The race was great but I had more fun looking at the fashion. Some of these people really knew how to dress! Hats everywhere!!

Those derby people know how to have a good time! We left before all of the races were over and waited two hours for a cab back to the AirBnB.

The next day was our tour of a thoroughbred farm. We started the day with a trip to The Waffle House. Don't laugh. It was something I'd been wanting to do for a while. Don't ask me why. I even bought a souvenir mug.

Keeneland Thoroughbred Farm was a really fun tour. Driving through the countryside you see exactly what you'd expect the green grass of Kentucky to look like. We got to pet new born foals, see the final resting place of Seattle Slew, and learn more than we could ever remember about the history and ancestry to the most famous thoroughbred horses.

Next up was bourbon tasting at Buffalo Trace. We toured the distillery and sampled several kinds of bourbon before hitting the road again.

The next morning we explored Louisville further by visiting the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, the campus of the University of Kentucky, Muhammed Ali's final resting place, and some of the city's architectural gems.