Tag: travel

Kentucky Derby weekend–anyone planning to try a Kentucky Hot Brown?

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

July 2024 at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. I am feeding a peppermint to a retired race horse worth…wait for it…$85 million.

That’s right, $85 million. Just ten minutes prior to this I had fed a peppermint to his grandson worth $11 million.

I am not a proponent of the gambling involved with horse racing, but I do love the drama of the Derby, the build-up of talking about the horses, the two-minute race that keeps you on edge wondering if the horse you think will win actually does. And I love horses.

Last summer, some friends called to see if we wanted to make a quick trip to Lexington, Kentucky, with a stop at Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace and childhood home in Hodgenville, Kentucky. It was a great trip, one of those unexpected surprises when you really have no particular expectations and end up having a great time.

Claiborne Farm is a breeding farm and is the location of Secretariat’s grave. When a race horse’s career is over at a young age, he is then used for breeding. Our tour group was small with an in-person guide instead of the usual audio or iPad device, and we were able to ask questions as we walked from barn to barn. The walk was an easy one, nothing long or strenuous, and for a gal like me who longed to live on a ranch even into adulthood, it was extra special.

I learned that normally only three parts of the horse are buried–the head, the heart, and the hooves. In Secretariat’s case, though, the entire body was buried. We had seen the movie, but hearing about the famous racehorse prompted us to watch the movie again after we returned home and to pull up all three of his races that were a part of the Triple Crown on YouTube.

We also went to the Kentucky Horse Park where we saw more horses along with demonstrations, but the highlight for me was seeing the skeleton of Lexington, the horse on which Geraldine Brooks’s book Horse is based. Everyone knows that is my current favorite book. Like some of Lisa Wingate’s books, I listen to it at least once a year. I have blogged about it before, so go back to my previous blogs and look for a photo of Barry and me standing in front of a horse skeleton.

I told our friends that we would get together for the Derby in May 2025. I would make Kentucky Hot Browns, and we’d watch the race together. No, no large hats and no mint juleps and no wagering, but we’re going to do it. I’ve never made a Kentucky Hot Brown before, so this could be interesting.

And I’m going to share something about me. I seem to have an uncanny ability to pick the winners. My pics are often against what the odds makers say. No, I’m not going to post my picks so you can bet on a horse I think will win. But I want to see if my streak holds out. I don’t study the horses in advance. I just watch the preliminary information then watch each horse as the jockey rides it to the starting gate. That’s when I make my decision.

Will I be right this year? I’ll find out on Saturday. And even if I’m wrong, it will be a fun time with friends as we relive our fun trip and make new memories. You can’t beat that.

Great places I’ve seen, and places I want to go

by Pam Harris, "blind" writer

I took this photo in Nassau, Bahamas, when we went there on a cruise in 2023.

We live in an amazing world, and one lifetime is not enough to see all I’d like to see. After all, life has been full of responsibilities and busyness, not to mention financial considerations, so to think that anyone outside of the very rich could go everywhere they’d like to go is unlikely. Notice I didn’t say impossible.

Some people don’t like to travel to new places. I know many who prefer to go to the beach every year on vacation, and that’s fine.

But that’s not me. Maybe it’s not you. Maybe you’re still dreaming of all the places you want to go. Maybe you “visit” them by watching YouTube videos. Maybe you wonder if going there would be worth it.

Allow me to make a few recommendations:

  1. The Grand Canyon, specifically the south rim. No video or photograph can do it justice. It is a feeling as much as a view.
  2. Washington, D.C. Don’t think I’m crazy, but seeing our nation’s capital (and Capitol) is a must. The museums, the historical buildings, Arlington Cemetery, the house where President Lincoln died…be sure to go to Alexandria, Virginia, and ride the trolley down King (or is it King’s) Road (Street?) and hang out by the Potomac
  3. The Great Smoky Mountains. Whether you are into nature or into commercialization, you can pick and choose. Whether you choose to hike, go tubing or rafting, ride zip lines and mountain coasters, or spend hours shopping in one specialty/touristy shop after another, it’s all there. And rent a cabin. They have amenities to keep you busy or comfort to allow you to be lazy.
  4. The Outer Banks, North Carolina. Stay in Southern Shores or Duck. Go to Manteo to explore a replica of The Lost Colony, go to Kitty Hawk (well, Kill Devil Hills) to see the site of the Wright brothers’ first flight, and enjoy time on a beach NOT lined with condos but rather private residences and not as crowded as Florida beaches. By the way, I’m not a fan of Florida. It’s okay, but just not a fan.
  5. Sedona ad Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. Enjoy Sedona’s shops, restaurants, red rock beauty, and surreal atmosphere. Enjoy an upscale old west environment in Scottsdale. Shop at Gilbert Ortega Galleries in Scottsdale, but be prepared to pay a high amount for anything you buy. Still, it’s fun to look at what they have to offer.
  6. San Antonio, Texas. Six Flags Fiesta Texas for the kiddos, and the whole family will enjoy Sea World. Be sure to eat at Mi Tierra and shop in El Mercado, take a boat ride on the San Antonio River by the mall across from the Alamo. And, oh, of course, visit The Alamo. It’s not very big.

I could continue with more, but I’ll move along to where I would like to go.

  1. All over Europe, specifically France, Spain, Switzerland, and Austria. Yes, blame “The Sound of Music” for Austria. Blame “Heidi” for Switzerland. Blame my majoring in Spanish for Spain. And blame my ancestry and minoring in French for France.
  2. New York City. Not a long stay. Just enough to see all the must-see stuff.
  3. Boston, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard.
  4. Wyoming and Montana.
  5. I once had a desire to go to Israel, but the area is too unsafe, so I am content watching “Drive-Thru History: The Gospels” and “Drive-Thru History: Acts to Revelation” on Prime Video. It’s free, by the way.

Now you know my top picks. What about yours?