Off To The Races!!

When I received a random email about the Kentucky Derby, it felt like the stars had aligned for the perfect getaway to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. Tommy liked the idea and the next thing I knew, we had tickets to the 139th Kentucky Derby...and I was in search of a hat. Knowing that the hat was the most important part, I spent countless hours searching until I found "the one". After finding the perfect hat, all of the other pieces fell in to place and I was on to my next mission...finding something for Tommy to wear. I have to hand it to my best friend, she has spent so many lunch breaks going on insane fashion missions with me, but spending an hour in the men's section of Belk might be her biggest sacrifice yet. It took a little while, but to this day I am still obsessed with the bow tie I found for Tommy to wear (he is such a good sport when it comes to the stuff I ask of him). Our outfits (which I considered to be the most important part) were complete.

Derby weekend was finally here, and on that Friday we left early to spend the night in Lexington so that we could have a head start on Saturday. After we checked into our hotel, we spent the night watching YouTube videos and practicing how to tie a bow tie (I probably should have thought about that before I bought one, but I was too distracted by the tiny jockeys on it to care). The next morning I couldn't contain my excitement...it was derby day! We still had an hour and a half drive to Louisville, so we headed out as soon as we finished breakfast and getting ready. My excitement for the day diminished slightly when I walked out of the hotel to find gray skies and it was really windy. Tommy tried to keep my spirits up by reminding me that we still had some driving to do, but it got harder for him as we drove the rest of the way in pouring rain. As we made it to Louisville we quickly realized parking was not going to be an easy task (which ended up being quite a hike from Churchill Downs). Once parked, we decided to start walking in the general direction of Churchill Downs and find a place for lunch on the way. Since the rain had stopped, I went on blind faith that it was over and left my rain jacket in the car. (This later turned out to be one the biggest mistakes ever, and is also why fashion will never trump reason again.) After lunch the floods came, which coupled the wind and rain, left me freezing with only a cardigan to cover up with (what happened to spring?!). I should also mention that my wedges were not only impractical for all of the walking we had to do, but were so slippery that my feet were barely staying in them, making each step a nightmare. The only smart choice I made that day was to grab an umbrella that Tommy and I huddled under on our walk. When we first reached the gates the vibe felt more like we were waiting to enter a football game with the large crowds and loud music. When we were finally past all of the chaos and inside the gates, we went on the search for a mint julep and somewhere dry. As we walked around, I put aside the fact that I was soaked and freezing and tried to enjoy the moment of actually being at the Kentucky Derby. After some exploring we got our drinks and found a little section indoors to retreat to while I thawed. The rain finally let up, so we made our way to the infield. It's called the infield for a reason...it's a field, which meant grass and a whole lot of mud (I had to just give up on my poor shoes by this point). To get a glimpse of the actual track was not an easy task due to the experienced derby goers having elaborate tents using tarps and the fence as their posts (so smart, but a little annoying if you actually wanted to see the races). By this point the rain had started up again (Tommy and I were using his jacket as a shield) when the nicest man walked up to us and asked us if we wanted to take cover under his tent...and even gave me a poncho to wear (faith in humanity was restored). After spending some time in the tent, we went to place our first bet. The lingo that has to go with placing a bet is actually a little complicated, and definitely not as easy as just picking a name that sounds good like I thought. After some practice with Tommy, I walked up to the window, spouted off the correct "bet placing jargon", and then picked the names that sounded good. The horse I chose ended up coming in second but Tommy's horse didn't do so hot, we lost...only four dollars though. Eventually, the rain finally let up for good and we were able to enjoy the rest of our day. Afterwards we began the long walk back to the car and started our drive back to Knoxville. At the end of it all, I had blisters on my feet, my poor hat was ruined, and we lost four dollars. However, none of that mattered because we had the absolute best time with each other celebrating one year of marriage with many more #meadadventures to come.

A few #meadadventures tips for surviving the Kentucky Derby:

1. Bring warmer options to wear just in case the day turns out to be chilly, and carry a raincoat even if there is only a slight chance that you'll need it.

2. Wear comfortable shoes that you can easily walk and stand in, and if it is raining, it would be an added bonus if they are waterproof too.

3. If you just want to get into the Derby and have a good time, infield tickets are perfect. If you are wanting to really see the track and watch all of the races from a good view, splurge for some seats.