WEG, Day 4: Homeward Bound
Since we’ve been staying in Louisville and had some time before our flight this morning, we decided to visit Churchill Downs. Again, it was one of those things. How can we be in Louisville without visiting the home of the Kentucky Derby? You just can’t. Especially since we were here for horse stuff!
Churchill Downs
Looking toward the finish line
Twin Spires
Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle
2010 Derby Winner, Super Savor’s jockey silks
The place does have an aura about it. The track was beautiful. The twin spires. Old grandstand. The whole view was just humbling. It left me speechless actually. The Derby is the oldest annual major stakes still running, apparently it’s never missed a year. We were fortunate enough to catch some morning workouts on the track, as we toured it.
2006 Derby winner, Barbaro
In front of the entrance gates, it has an amazing statue of Barbaro, covering his grave-site. The 2006 Derby winner, a fan-favorite, who went down with a leg injury during the Preakness Stakes. After months of treatment, he died of complications.
Derby Museum
Derby Trophy
Derby Winners
We didn’t leave enough time for a thorough visit, but will still skimmed through the museum. It was well done. It gave a good history of the Kentucky Derby and Oaks. It listed every Derby winner, gave a history of the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, with tributes to each Triple Crown winner. It replayed the best race ever run… Secretariat’s Derby win. Upstairs, they had a new exhibit about the 2010 movie, Secretariat.
Phantom-on-Tour
Winston
Outside, the museum is also home to one of Secretariat’s grandsons, Phantom-on-Tour. He’s there with his little buddy, Winston.
This morning’s Flickr set: racetrack pics
After that, we headed to the airport. It’s sad that it’s over. This trip is something I’ve been looking forward to for so long, and now it’s passed, But… it’s okay, but it was as fun as I had hope. We had a great time.
After arriving at the airport, we stopped for lunch and headed straight to the barn. We had big plans. We were extremely motivated to not only start working on some upper level dressage skills, but also getting back into jump training. Yeah, well, the barn manager messaged saying the horses were good and we slowly started to get a little tired. By the time we reach her town, we were down. I just dropped her off at her apartment and headed home, with a plan to pick up at the barn tomorrow. She’s taken two more days off, and I should be able to get to the barn by late afternoon the rest of the week.
What can I say, traveling wears on ya.
Part 3: Coming to an end
Fulton/DeKalb Counties
Here’s the third and final installment for my Georgia vacation (parts 1 and 2). It’s sad it’s coming to an end and real life is just around the corner. Boo.
Monday
Despite the fact it was freezing, we went to the zoo. It was a clear day and the forecast for the next two days didn’t look good, so we wanted to get the final outdoor activity in while we could. I still can’t believe the temperature. The main reason I decided to come down over my winter break was because I was told it was warmer, but then I get here and it’s snowing for the first time in who knows how long. How does that happen?
City Pass Activity – Zoo Atlanta
To start, we ended up slightly lost getting there. The signs pointing us to the zoo took us in circles because we kept missing the actual entrance signs. We looped around Grant Park at least twice. Finally we just pulled into a parking lot marked by large civil war artillery pieces, which turned out to be right. Makes sense, what says ‘zoo’ more than cannons?
Considering the below-freezing temperature, it wasn’t busy at all. I think there were maybe three other small groups of people wandering around. It was so cold, we were told most of the animals, including the giraffes, lions and primates, were not going to be out, but they were nice enough to give us complimentary passes to come back before April.
brrr… it’s cold in here!!
The Chilean Flamingos seemed a tad irrigated. There were quite a few squabbles within the group, although, who could blame them. They were standing in partially frozen water!
~African Plains~
Dottie
Most of the African animals weren’t out, except one of the African Elephants. Her care-taker was walking around the edge of the habitat getting her to chase him for treats. It was fun to watch at least.
The African Rain Forest was completely empty. The Apes were inside, and off exhibit.
~World of Reptiles~
Ahhh, a heat lap… jealous??
Alligator Snapping Turtle
We stopped in the snake-filled World of Reptiles building, despite my friend’s extreme fear, just to get out of the cold for a moment. Slasher, the Komodo Dragon, who had this own special house, look quite content in his toasty home. I would have had no problem jumping in to join him, I was frozen by that point.
~Asian Forest~
Mother-daughter breakfast, how precious
Clouded Leopard
The Giant Pandas were inside in their habitat behind plastic windows, but I still managed to get a few decent pictures. It was obviously breakfast time. There are three at the zoo. The father was set off in his own room to the left, with mother and cub together.
Moby, the clouded leopard was out and active. He may have been waiting for a meal or wanting in. He paced around his door, occasionally making a larger loop around the entire habitat. His exhibit mate, the tiger, was not out, but Moby was enough for me. He’s certainly a beautiful cat.
~KIDZone~
It’s too early for pictures
Food? Pet? Something?
Parrot
The Red Kangaroos weren’t quite awake yet and were in no hurry to change that. The goats and sheep in the petting zoo were though, even if they didn’t seem pleased about it. We went in just for the heck of it, but I’m pretty sure as we approached some of the animals we were given the mean eye. It was quite apparently no one wanted to be bothered on this unusually cold day. The final leg through the children’s zoo area was scattered with various birds.
Overall, I enjoyed myself. Of course, I wish it had been warm enough for more animals, but that’s life. Hopefully I’ll make it back to use the complimentary pass in the spring.
Monday’s Flickr set: animal photos
The rest of the day
We spent another hour or so at a bookstore, then I waited through my friend’s previously-made appointment. Surprisingly, I didn’t nap in the waiting this time. It was tough though. The calming water-sounds make me very tired. After dinner at Applebee’s, we went back to her place and worked on our art projects. While being creative, we turned on the Band of Brothers HBO mini-series and then Will & Grace. I’d say, all in all, a nice night.
Tuesday
This was our quiet day. We didn’t plan anything and we barely did anything. We woke up late, then spent the morning just hanging around the house. My friend put on an Adobe Photoshop workshop for me. She’s a talented graphic designer and well versed with the program and felt I would enjoy it if I learned the basics. We worked through one of my photos from the Botanical Gardens. After that, for whatever reason, I crashed. I zonked out for over an hour. All of this activity finally hit me I guess. I was out cold.
Once I finally woke up, we went to lunch, hung out at a nearby mall and then went to another eating disorder support group. This one was a smaller group and led by a pair of therapists and is apparently her favorite of the many she attends through the week. After that we went back home for the night. Like I said, it was a quiet day.
Wednesday
The morning was spent with me packing and trying to pull out a detailed plan of our day from my friend. I’ve been pretty good at repressing my need for a plan most of the week, but today it reared its ugly head.
City Pass Activity – World of Coca-Cola
I think the museum was nicely done. There are certainly a lot of items with the Coke logo on them. Crazy. We went to the old one during a previous visit and I wasn’t impressed, but the new one is nice. It’s much bigger and brighter.
Coca-Cola Loft
Milestones of Refreshment
Coke Polar Bear caught sleeping on the job
Pop Culture Gallery
Taste It!
To start, a lengthy Coca-Cola commercial, from their current Happiness Factory campaign, was played in the loft, then we released to wander around the rest. The loft is full of Coke collectibles. The company’s archivist was there to point out a few significant items for us. The Milestone exhibit displays the company’s extensive marketing efforts over the years. The pop culture gallery displayed varies ways the brand has been included in, well, pop culture. It included an Andy Warhol collection using the logo and the American Idol Season 5 Red Room couch. In addition, it had an exhibit telling the story of the public backlash to a new Coke recipe, thus forcing them to return the Coca-Cola Classic. Of course, tons of Coca-Cola Santa memorabilia were also on display.
The Taste It! portion, where you can sample a selection of Coca-Cola brand drinks from various countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America, was at the end. Some were pretty bland, some too sweet or sour. The Beverly drink from Italy was recommended on multiple occasions, however it was terrible! I can now see those suggestions were made as a joke. I didn’t like any of the other drinks, and was more than happy to grab a comforting Diet Coke on the way out.
Wednesday’s Flickr set: museum pics
The rest of the day
We took a brief shopping excursion and then sat at Barnes & Nobles for a while. We found a set of chairs and looked through baby name books. We ended up losing track of time. It’s amazing how books can suck you in. We went to dinner at Friday’s, for old time’s sake, and then she dropped me off at the airport.
My flight home went well. No complaints. The check-in attendant told me the wrong gate number, so I did have that small mishap. I didn’t check my ticket and sat at the wrong gate for a few minutes, but it was easily remedied. The plane reached BWI late at night, and we were the only ones waiting for luggage, which was depressing. Well, everyone on my flight grabbed their bags and left, leaving me there completely alone waiting with nothing else coming out. Not fun. Turns out my suitcase had been tagged with someone else’s information and came back on the earlier flight (which left the gate I was originally instructed to go to) and was waiting at the airline’s baggage claim office. That seems a little wrong these days, but I’m just glad it was there.
It turned out to be one of the best vacations I’ve had in a long time. There was a perfect mixture of fun, tourist activities and down time. We had some great talks. Everything just felt comfortable. It’s definitely one for the memory books. I had a few moments where my physical symptoms limited us or just put a damper on things, but overall, I think I tolerated everything pretty well.
Part 1: A much needed break
Fulton/DeKalb Counties
My vacation has begun!! So far, so good.
Wednesday
I tolerated the air travel relatively well with all things considered. I check-in and went through security in no time. My flight was on time and we actually arrived early! My luggage was on the belt when I reached it. Things were just moving along great, which is much different than my most recent traveling experiences. Wow.
However, I went from a gorgeous day in Maryland to a snowy one in Atlanta. Unbelievable. That’s not how this is supposed to work. It’s supposed to be warmer in the South!! Oh well. We landed without a problem, but the taxi line for departing flights was long. The only real hiccup was that my friend was stuck in traffic because of the weather. Apparently, the area’s beltway was a mess and it took her a couple of hours to reach me.
The airport provided plenty of entertainment during my wait. I found an empty bench in the baggage claim area, where a seemingly irritated, possibly schizophrenic man had also parked himself. For a short period, he sat still, talking to himself, struggling to roll a cigarette of some type. Then he began badgering the women sitting next to me until she moved. After that he stood up and circled the small area, then sat beside me, or should I say practically on top of me and started mumbling to me. Another young guy on the benches laughed at me, and I decided to move to the relatively empty check-in area. No offense intended towards him, but I felt a little uncomfortable. There I watched the drama of a young woman and her father (I assume) arriving a few minutes before their (or her) flight took off. They were turned away despite her protests. Next a woman came in with her little dog and literally brought a blanket so the dog wouldn’t have to stand on the cold floor.
It’s true… it was snowing in Atlanta
Our plan is to visit one of the six Atlanta CityPASS sites each day, with one day off. That way we have something to do every day.
Thursday
We slept after our long evening, which was much appreciated, but led to a slow start to the day. It’s surprising how a good night’s sleep can make such a difference.
City Pass Activity – Inside CNN Atlanta Studio Tour
Our first choice was the CNN Center tour, but it didn’t work out. As we approached the ticket booth to turn in our pass, we noticed a warning regarding the eight flights of stairs along the way. Well, that I can’t do right now, so we had to skip it, but there was still things to see.
~News Timeline~
1999-2001 stories, including the Sept. 11th Attacks
Along one wall there’s a timeline of major stories covered by CNN from the late 1970’s. I remember quite a few of the images. The Challenger explosion, Gulf War, September 11th and on and on…
~CNN Wall of Images~
2000 USS Cole Bombing Coverage
Another wall is covered with small images from news stories over the network’s three decades, which create the CNN logo. It’s kind of neat.
Thursday’s Flickr set: CNN Center pics
The rest of the day
We made one of many trips to Borders in the late afternoon. I’m a nerd and being around books seems so natural. I absolutely love hanging out in bookstores, but I don’t have time for much ‘pleasure reading’ so I always have to leave empty handed. Bummer.
In the evening we went to an eating disorder support group for individuals and their family and friends. My friend has been a regular for a while and wanted to include me. I felt a little out of place and didn’t say much. Afterwards, we grabbed a bite to eat with a couple of friends, how appropriate after an eating disorder group. Overall, a good start to the week.
Friday
Today started with an entertaining breakfast at Einstein Bros. Bagels. One of the most enjoyable moments happened to be when my overwhelming strength cause the cap to my OJ bottle to jump a good two feet in the air. You probably had to be there, but I get a kick out of the story. Then, on a strange note, the two of us caught the attention of a few people and I don’t know why. We were just sitting there quietly eating a normal breakfast for the shop, with a bagel for each and an orange juice for me and coffee for her. One person decided to stop and randomly asked about the sweatshirt I was wearing. Well it was odd because it felt like a question that would have been followed up with a comment or further questioning, however, the guy just said “oh” and walked out. Again, hard to explain.
City Pass Activity – Atlanta Botanical Garden
The Pass for this site was an “option” ticket for either the gardens or the area’s natural history museum. We decided on the botanical garden. It seemed like a decent photo opportunity and a chance to be outside.
~Children’s Garden~
The caterpillar portion of a butterfly’s life cycle
Story Time Frogs
~Winter Garden~
Considering the area is in the middle of a drought, it’s not surprising even the winter garden is dead.
~Conservatory~
Great Lawn and Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory
Tropical Rotunda
It was so nice in the rotunda. Warm and humid. A welcome change from the bitter, cold outdoors.
~Fuqua Orchid Center~
We were told at the entrance that the orchids were a must-see while there, so we went. The ‘center’ section of the exhibit was closed for maintenance, but the part that was open was still amazing.
The whole garden was a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting much, but we had fun. Most of the plants were dead because of the drought and/or the temperature, still that didn’t matter. I actually think I’d like to find similar places in my area when I get home. I know there’s at least the US Botanical Gardens on the National Mall, which will make a great weekend excursion.
Friday’s Flickr set: flower photos
The rest of the day
The evening was filled with an irritating run in with a disgruntled World of Smoothie employee, an unexpected nap during my friend’s therapy appointment, dinner and some shopping. Meaning, overall it was another good day.
This vacation is turning out to be just what I needed.
A little random piece of state history
Baltimore, MD
Forecast called for rain, so I planned accordingly. Instead of hiking around outside somewhere and getting soaked, I tried my luck at a relatively large museum house.
Mount Clare
Mount Clare is a very old Georgian Manson, once owned by one of the many Carroll families in early Baltimore. It was the center of a self-sufficient plantation in colonial times, and has seen three wars, the American Revolution, War of 1812, and the Civil War. Kind of interesting.
Mount Clare Mansion
“Carriage-side”
Rear view
I was the only one there. In fact, by looking at the guest book, I’d say the house isn’t very busy, with the exception of a few school trips. That’s too bad. So, I got my own personal tour of the house. All of the furniture is original to the house, and property of its former owners. Apparently, the museum association has been tracking the property’s original furnishings down over the years. They’ve bought what’s there back and the search continues.
Carroll Park
View of Inner Harbor
City’s Great War Memorial
After my tour, since the rain held up, I briefly strolled around the small park surrounding the house. It wasn’t much. The city’s local World War I Memorial is about the only thing, other than the mansion, on the grounds. It does have a nice view of the <bharbor though.
Today’s Flickr set: house pics
Day 1: Life on the New England coast
Mystic, CT
and
Stonington Lighthouse
Stonington, CT
New London County
First things, first. The E-Z Pass is a must have when travelling north! It just makes things so much easier. Driving right through the tollbooths is SO nice. Anyway, speaking of traffic, it wasn’t too bad this morning. Fortunately, I woke up early enough to miss the rush out of town for the holiday weekend.
Now the traffic on I-95N in the late afternoon in Connecticut was completely different story. After chatting for a while and catching up at my sister’s place, we headed out for our first day trip. Well, the traffic caught up with me. We crawled through the New Haven area. It took us over twice the estimated time to reach Mystic, and we only had about an hour and half before the museum closed.
Mystic Seaport
We decided to go to Mystic Seaport as our afternoon activity. I had a list of various places to go and/or things to do, and the seaport caught both of our attentions. It looked interesting and seemed different than anything we’ve done before. Established around 1930, in a once booming seafaring community, the maritime museum is dedicated to this country’s connection with the sea.
Preservation Shipyard
The shipyard, equipped with traditional tools, is fully functional. Wooden ships are brought in for repairs and/or preservation by the traditionally-trained shipwrights. Obviously, they also maintain the museum’s fleet. It’s kind of a neat area.
Tall Ships
L.A. Dunton
Joseph Conrad
Charles W. Morgan
Speaking of the fleet, it includes three tallships, the L.A. Dunton, Joseph Conrad and Charles W. Morgan. Two of those ships, the Dunton, a 1921 American fishing schooner, and Morgan, are registered National Historic Landmarks. The Morgan is actually the only remaining 19th Century wooden whaleship in the world and the first tallship acquired by the museum.
In addition, the fleet also includes two more National Historic Landmarks, the steamboat Sabino and sailboat Emma C. Berry. The Sabino is currently used for boat rides around the museum. We didn’t take the ride, but we did board two the tallships, the Conrad and Morgan before we left.
19th-Century Seafaring Village
Coastal Village
The village’s waterfront area included various shops and such you’d expect to find in a seaport. The neat part is, the buildings were actually brought in from coastal villages around New England. The short line of shops included a shipsmith, print office, cooperage, bank and tavern, among others. Each was set up just as it would have been in the 19th Century. Several of the shops were even open for business.
Thomas Oyster House
Ropewalk
The rest of the village area represented the various activities and ship-maintenance/supplying were needed in a seafaring town. Fisheries Row was made up of houses and shacks displaying the tools of the trade for catching lobster, calm, oyster and salmon. There were several buildings focused on different types of boats. The ropewalk, in its lengthy building, demonstrated the process of winding the thick rope needed for ships.
Misc
We were both starving, so we decided to check out the Galley Restaurant. Well, they had the BEST calm strips. I’m usually not a big fan, but these were good. I highly recommend them.
After our little snack, we visited two of the property’s exhibit galleries. There are a few more, but they closed before we reached them. The first was the Figureheads exhibit, then the attached Mallory Exhibit Hall. The figureheads were interesting. The room is circled with wooden pieces that had adorned a number of wooden ships.
The exhibit in Mallory was awesome. It contained large, detailed models of actual ships, displaying them with the vessels’ stories. It even included the brigantine Albatross. The ship, originally built as a schooner, served in various navies across Europe. It was later re-ridged as a brigantine for private use sailing the Pacific. During the 1960-61 academic year, the ship was used as a schooling vessel. On its voyage home, it was struck by a white squall and sank, killing two staff members and five students. Its story is loosely interpreted in the 1996 Jeff Bridges’ movie, White Squall, one of my all-time favorite films. It makes me cry every time. [tear]
Stonington
Old Lighthouse Museum
Stonington Harbor
What visit to New England would be complete without seeing a lighthouse? So, not to take any chances, we stopped by one in a relatively nearby borough. The Stonington Harbor Lighthouse is currently open to the public as a museum, but not while we were there.
The harbor itself is gorgeous. There was a small beach that would have been nice to relax at for a bit, but it was getting dark so no luck. The town is VERY small. On the way out we ended up stuck behind a small local parade. We couldn’t help but laugh. Not that it was a big deal, it delayed us maybe twenty minutes, if that. It was just so late and all we wanted to do was to go home, yet had to crawl behind a high school band marching the streets.
Today’s Flickr set: waterfront pics
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