Our Kentucky Vacation, Day 3 (part 2): Bourbon and horses - may as well...we ARE in Kentucky after all.

After leaving Buffalo Trace, we drove down to Woodford Reserve. Because of time, we didn't take an official tour, but I bet it would have been cool. This place was gorgeous. The grounds were much more remote. Buffalo Trace was in town, but the road to Woodford was wonderful.

Mot was trying hard not to salivate all over himself. (Those roads were built for motorcycles!!)






(my two gargoyles)









We walked to the end of the lake, to the spillway. Over the spillway was a rickety rusted metal grate. I assumed it was for walking over the spillway, so I did.

Did I mention it was rickety and rusted. (gulp)




(taken from the metal walkway)

We ate lunch (chili and potato soup), sipped some bourbon, bought a tshirt, then headed out. We weren't going to any other distilleries that day, tours usually only lasted until 3:00 or so.

On our way along another twisty, gorgeous road, Steve spotted a small family cemetery on the corner of the road.


Again, the boys got frustrated with me when I asked them to stop so I could take a picture or two. "Nej, we're on a blind corner."

(sigh)


We saw this place while driving. It appeared to be a new home. As cool as it may seem to build your own castle, I would recommend NOT doing it in the middle of civilization. The cheese factor was just too much. :-)

Since all the distillery tours were shutting down for the day, we decided to go do some "horsey." I mean, we're in Kentucky. In Nebraska and Iowa where we live, there are pastures full of cows. You don't notice the cows, because they are so common place.

Here, there are pastures full of horses. Horses everywhere!!!!

Doing something "horsey" only made sense.

We ended up here......


...not knowing what Keenland really was. I mean, yeah, it's a racetrack. Big deal.

Holy smokes....we didn't know what we were approaching.

The place was magnificent! There are no words, and I'd have to post a million pics to get a good sense of it all!!!






Keenland is one of three major tracks to have "artificial turf" on their track. Apparently it's a special mixture geared towards the safety of the horses and riders. You'd never know it just looking at it.








Danny placed a $2 dollar bet, and won $9. :-)

The track wasn't being raced, but it was open for people to watch the Breeder's Cup on the big screens on the track.

There were stables as far as the eye could see. Mot and I wandered down into them....but didn't stay too long.



And....the thing that cracked us all up....

...drive thru betting.

These people are REALLY into their horse racing!!

For dinner that night, we felt like pizza. The young man at the hotel front desk suggested we go to Joe Bologna's.

Unbeknownst to us, the University of Kentucky had a home basketball game that night.

UK whomped Clarion, 117-52.

Clarion was staying at our hotel. (small world, eh?) The team didn't look too happy when we saw them later.

So, what does pizza and UK basketball have in common?

Location, location, location.

It took us FOREVER to get to the pizza place....THROUGH the basketball arena traffic. :-)


Joe Bologna's was housed in an old church. Stained glass, wood floors, and pews to sit on when you waited to be seated.

We ordered a small pizza for an appetizer, and everyone got a different pasta dish for dinner. The pizza was amazing!!


The bread sticks were.....ummm.....well endowed??


The place was packed, so while sitting in wait for our table, we started feeding quarters into the gumball machine in front of us. Fake mustaches all around. :-)

After dinner we headed back to the hotel....got in some hot tub time, played some cards, and went to bed.

(to be cont)