This year we had the opportunity to attend the Kentucky Derby and oh how much fun did we have! I consumed a little more alcohol than I usually do and I ended up getting sick from all the rain but it was worth the experience. We can check it off the bucket list!
Travel and Stay
We flew into Indianapolis and got a rental to drive the two hours into Kentucky. Why? Because a plane ticket straight into Kentucky would have cost us $900. A piece. We were able to cut the cost by taking a little extra time to get there. Apparently, that’s what everyone else did because the airport was a zoo.
The hotel we stayed at was the Hampton Inn. Nothing fancy. Even at the Hampton, the rooms were $500 a night. Everything is three times the regular price the weekend of the Derby. We did get a cute welcome bag full of chocolates and booze!
Runnymeade Farms
The first stop on our journey was to Runnymeade Farm in Paris, Kentucky. It is THE oldest horse farm in Kentucky and the family that owns it goes back five generations. Our tour guide was actually the president/owner of the farm and he was full of information and history (and money). They’ve had longstanding success and multiple wins at the Kentucky Derby.
The farm was about a two hour ride outside of Louisville. If you’re into history and tours, it’s worth it. I enjoy listening to people share their wealth of information so it was worth the ride. We were also on a party bus, so the trip wasn’t that bad.
Woodford Reserve Distillery
After the horse farm tour we drove about 45 miles back towards Louisville to visit the Woodford Reserve Distillery. Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby so of course we had to learn about it!
The distillery had a little section where you could grab lunch and do some shopping. I had the best, most delicious chicken salad sandwich.
Kevin, from the Backstreet Boys, was in town for the Derby and was also taking a tour of the distillery!
Inside one of the buildings were these vats full of fermenting mash. They were huge. And there were about eight of them lined against the wall. As soon as you walked in, the smell of bourbon would just permeate your lungs!
I won’t bore you with the process of making bourbon. When we finished our tour, we did a bourbon tasting. I’m not a big bourbon drinker, but it was so interesting how that piece of dark chocolate would change the taste of each of those shot glasses. It was all very scientific and each of the bourbons had different notes in them which was brought out by the chocolate.
Friday Night Dinner
I didn’t take any pictures of our Friday night dinner because I had been on my phone all day and didn’t want to seem rude. We ate at Captains Quarters which is a beautiful restaurant on the water. I had the lobster mac n’ cheese and it was delicious. Scott ordered roasted Brussels sprouts and they were phenomenal. We also tried the skillet cornbread and the spinach queso. All delicious. But I also don’t have a refined palette so I think everything tastes good.
Since I didn’t take any pictures Friday night, this is a collage of the outfit I wore. It was a pretty casual setting, although we did see many people in their Kentucky Derby hats. My jeans: super cheap. I only paid $25 for them. But you would never know it. They are currently my fave and I wear them often. I LOVED this blue and white top and I grabbed the last medium and it sold out but they have been restocked in all sizes. I have these shoes in a neutral color and I wear them with everything. The bag I carried Friday night is old but this one is similar. It was the first time in a long time that I didn’t have to carry a diaper bag and it felt glorious.
The day of the Derby was a little rainy and chilly, but it wasn’t that bad. I wore a lightweight poncho and it was perfect.
Hat // Poncho (similar) // Dress // Shoes // Clutch
A Few Things We Learned:
- It’s going to rain
- You’re going to have to walk a long way no matter where you park. Packing a pair of flip flops in your bag is essential. I didn’t and ended up overpaying for a pair at the Derby that I’ll never wear again.
- Your bag can be no more than 12 square inches
- Cameras and umbrellas aren’t allowed
- Make sure you eat carbs because you’re going to be drinking a lot (that is, if you drink)
- There are races all day, starting in the morning. The actual race for the Derby isn’t until the evening, so you’re there ALL day. I thought we were only going to be there a few hours.
Grocery Store Joe and Kendall from Bachelor in Paradise sat in front of us. We thought that was pretty cool.
Saturday Night Dinner
We went straight from the Derby to dinner. We ate at Brooklyn and the Butcher and our reservations weren’t until 8pm. I hate eating that late but the food was so delicious that it didn’t matter. The ribs were astounding. The seafood platter was fresh and crisp. The steak you could cut with a butter knife. We left full and happy.
The trip was so fun and it was an adventure to remember. I don’t know that we’ll ever get to do it again, so I would say we made the most of it!