Road Trip: Lexington, Kentucky!
The Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event takes place every year at The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The event is the biggest of the year in this country and it’s worth it just for that. But Lexington is a huge bonus and, if you can tear yourself away from the Horse Park, well worth the short trip into town. In fact, there’s so much to do this post will be woefully incomplete. I, like most riders watching Rolex, got sucked into all the hubub at the Horse Park and barely scratched the surface of what Lexington has to offer. So, maybe we’ll just consider this a Part One that’s to be continued next time we road trip? I’ll make sure to write that at the end with ellipses and all. Totally 80′s tv at it’s best!
If you haven’t been to Lexington (I hadn’t) then I can say it’s worth the trip. It feels like Middleburg, SoHo, and Europe rolled into one and placed in a modern city. Here’s a street that almost feels like Mercer Street in SoHo.
And here’s a street that feels like Europe. France, to be precise. I like the French shopkeeper evaluating things outside.
I can’t help myself. It’s just that everything seems better in French. Wouldn’t it be nice to meet up for a drink there and hang out in the afternoon sun? Un biere s’il vous plait!
On the way into town there’s a park and in it you’ll see this team.
There’s a actually a whole group of horses and jockeys racing down the homestretch and it’s so realistic I actually felt a bit nervous standing in front of the thundering herd.
Mostly I see this style of highly realistic sculpture outside shopping malls and they’re of children swinging on swings or dancing in the rain and I think they’re creepy. But the horses are beautiful. And I can’t help but root for the one who’s falling behind.
Something I noticed about Lexington, Kentucky was how many 50′s/ 60′s-era signs there were. Like this one.
And this one.
Can we please meet up there next year and have a shake with fries? Chocolate for me, please!
But I left the best for last. My favorite was the Keeneland Track Kitchen that feeds exercise riders, jockeys, and trainers, yes. But also me and you! The kitchen is open to the public and I put it on the MUST list. It’s like stepping through a veil to visit another world for just a moment. And the food is what you think (biscuits, gravy, bacon) but way better. I made friends with Norma and Alberta. I suggest you take their suggestions to eat the biscuits with gravy. I did. How could you not?
They were the best. As was my experience in Lexington. But we’ve already established that this is just the beginning of our road trip in Kentucky. So, as promised:
To Be Continued…
