Churchill Downs and a Few Breweries…

We also couldn't resist taking the bridge across the mighty Ohio river into Indiana.  The views of the river and the skyline were great and we could see the Four bridge in the distance.  At a later date we plan to walk or bike across this old railroad bridge turned into a pedestrian/biking attraction.  Apparently it offers beautiful panoramic views of the city of Louisville skyline as well as a trail to the falls in Indiana.

On the way home we went to Churchill Downs and lucky for us it was partially open since they have a pari-mutuel betting parlor on premises. We parked out front and walked in and as we were walking up an outside stairway a security guard yelled at us saying we weren’t suppose to be up there. I apologized and then the guard, Joe, asked if we wanted to join him and a couple he was with to go see the track. We emphatically said yes and off we went…

Well Joe not only showed us the track but he took us all through the facility giving us a private tour. He took us up an elevator to observe the track from high above at a plaza just below the Millionaires Row which he also toured us through. We even saw the glass replica of Churchill Downs created because Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana had commissioned it as they loved their experience on Derby Day. It was donated to the track after Lady Diana's death. Joe also took us to see some great art depicting each of the owners and jockeys who have won the Kentucky Derby  Really cool art…

 

Wow, what serendipity it was meeting Joe and chatting with the very nice couple from Los Angeles,  The four of us couldn't get over the luck we had in being treated to such an interesting private tour. Joe obviously has a passion for the place as he explained he has been in and around the track since he was three years old. He had originally worked with the horses part time and seasonally as a security guard.  He persisted and over time he achieved his dream full time position at the track.  His passion and knowledge of the history of Churchill Downs was amazing and we really want to find a way to write to someone in charge about his kindness in giving us this wonderful tour.. We certainly appreciated the time Joe took to show us around this grand and historic racing facility…

As if the day couldn't get better we visited a couple of breweries in Louisville. The first was  downtown called Bluegrass Brewing Company and we liked the vibe of this brewery much more than we did their just average beer . So for our second beer we ventured over to Apocolypse Brewery.  A news station was there and a big crowd of people.  We discovered the brewery was hosting a "Poorcastle" Music Fest to mock the bigger aforementioned event down by the river (Forecastle). For five dollars people could enjoy local bands along with their brews. 

Food trucks were there and a lineup of bands.  We elected not to participate in the music event because of time limitations and instead only visited the brewery.  We were glad we came as we enjoyed this beer much more than our first brewery.  Sharon particularly enjoyed her black pepper APA that was indeed tasty.  Louisville has been really welcoming so we are really glad we made a return trip to this fine city!