The Southern Loop
My Goal was to get to the 2024 Kentucky Derby at My Buddies House in Louisville Kentucky. Turn this into an 8 day road trip.
This guy is a legitimate Kentucky Colonel who (along with his buddies) has been hosting a Derby party for over 50 years.
This will be my third time going. I attended once in 1986, then in 2003, and now in 2024.
I went there the long way around taking the familiar southern route to pass through and visit other folks in South Caroloina, Atlanta, Chattanooga and a few other places. And on the way back following the Ohio River through Portsmouth and then into Pennsylvania town of Ohiopyle.
Day 1: Sunday 28APR Philly to Greenville
[todo]: visit for fall foilage and night sky
Left on 28APR around 1000AM headed south towards South Carolina. Basically on I-95 South around washington West on 66 and towards Route 15 Front Royal and Skyline Drive in the Shenandohah Valley. Forgot my National Parks Pass, so i just bought anotherone for $20 bucks.
Along skyline drive is about 3,300 feet elevation. By 6PM I was back down in the valley driving through the valley. Valleys at dusk are beautiful with the mountain outlines with light pink and gray and blue behind them.
Kept going until I got near Greenville, SC. Slept in a resttop.
Day 2: 29APR Greenvile to Atlanta
Met my niece in Greenville for Lunch. Nice meal at an outdoor food court and great cnversation. MY siblings kids are wonderful adults. After a few hours, onto Atlanta. Took the long way of course.
Got a Hotel next to this great donut shop.
Day 3: 30APR Atlanta to Lafayette GA
Missed connections with Atlanta Friends. Comforted myself with Donuts, and headed out to Lafayette to catch up with Brent. In Lafayette, at the same hotel and room as last year.
Day 4: 01MAY Lafayette thru Chattanooga TN to Cave City KY
Lafayette happens to have a new unique Donut Shop. Got some (I deserved it) and headed to Brent's Sheep Farm. Helped him and Hannah vaccinate some sheep. (I just held the notebooks). Talked, Laughed. Tried to convince Brent to come to Derby, but he was a no-go.
Headed North to Chattanoogo to drop in on Anne and Rardy. Got to see their grandkid too. Nice visit, as always. Headed out late afternoon for Louisville. Beautiful ride up through the rockcuts and farmlands.
Day 5: 02MAY Cave City to Loisville
Morfy and I both got some grooming done here in Glasgo, KY. Wanna look nice for the Derby.
Made it to Chris's House. Hang out, catch up, and head to one if his Derby co-host's house for dinner. Met his "crew". Listened to their stories of Derbies of the Past. Interesting.
Day 6: 03MAY Louisville, Kentucky
Chris and Cindi have backyard chickens. Just a few. They've started a tradition of "the chicken derby" to coincide with the more famous, but less interesting, derby in Louisville. After breakfast they ran the trials. See videos below. Queenie and Shirley did their test runs. Queenie wins the trial, and becomes favored to win tomorrow.
Got to know Chris's beau Cindi a little more in the lazy afternoon. Wonderful lady.
Tonight is the traditional dinner at Nan's house. Nan is another of the Derby Co-hort and hosts this annually. Ursula also prepares food for this event. Nan's "boubon brownies" are a thing. Nan took to morfy with treats, toys, and kindness. Morfy loves Nan now. Nan had a big bowl filled with photos from the past sitting on an end table. I like that idea.
Day 7: 04MAY Louisville, DERBY DAY
Gonna be a big day for those going to the Derby. I'm gonna sit it out and watch on TV tonight with some others. The real Derby crew though has to rush and perform their Derby Day traditions starting from breakfast and they won't be back till after the races around 800PM.
** But First, let the Chicken Derby Begin....** (see videos)
An upset and Shirley wins, as I predicted yesterday. And everyone took off for the day. Most going to the Derby infield I hung out, explored around Louisville with Morfy, hung out on the river taking photos of bridges.
Found a Donut.
I ran a little betting pool over text messages with family and friends throughout the day. Each pick a horse, I make a $5 bet on that horse, and if that horse wins I'll split the money 50/50 with them. Had 30 picks from 30 different folks for $5 bucks each; say $150 of bets. Luckily the actual horse that won (Mystik Dan) paid about 20 to 1. Three friends had picked the winner so I sort of broke even (5x20 = 100 x 3 = $300) and paid each of them their 50 bucks and the remaining $150 cove3red ALL of the original bets.
Had the second place finisher Sierra Leone (paying about 10 to 1 and I had 2 people select) I would have walked away with MINUS $100!! (5x10 = 50 x 2 = $100 - 50 remains $50). So it was fun and Paul, Angie, and Judy have memories of picking the winning horse!
Day 8: 05MAY Start the trip back to Philly
After a fine traditional after-derby breakfast at Chris's started the long road home.
Breakfast at Chris's house and Cindi's is another traditional event closing the Derby weekend.
Similar friends from the last 3 days. Just talking and getting to know each other more. It was fun.
Morfy had a wonderful time in the backyard. Cindy put the chickens up so Morfy had free range of the whole yard and the rabbits that Mike sneak in.
She tired herself out real fast.
I left around 1:00. I'm going to head up through Portsmouth Ohio. Per Brent, this is a nice place to stop and has Murals. Maybe see some some nice artwork on the levees.
Made it there by about 6:00PM. Beautiful route followeing the Ohio River on the Ohio side mostly.
The relatively small downtown of Portsmouth does indeed hava a Levee around it and the town has commissioned hoistorical vignettd Murals on the iterior walls. The river side of the walls is left to a more modern artform. Looks great. Walked around, learned some history.
There are over 55 murals depicting the 2,000 year history of the Ohio River Valley.
The 5 block area in the immediate downtown also had a welcoming feeleing and unique streetlights, traffic lights, and streetname signage. Liked it.
I'd go back there for another visit.
Day 9: Leaving port get to Ohiopyle rest at hotel go see it tomorrow and back to philly.
Overnight at another Red Roof breakfast at Tim Hortons. Don't know where I'll go today yet
Day 10: 07MAY Ohiopyle, PA to Back home.
Ohio pile breakfast sandwiches go back and stay in one of those hotels near the water finish
Last One.
The gallery
JUST HAV E PHOTOS ABOVE, NO GALLERY OR SUBGALLERY ???
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