The Run for the Roses

This is probably the nicest Holiday Inn I have ever visited. The hotel is located 11 miles from downtown Louisville, about a 15-20 minute drive from the Louisville airport and most of the Louisville area attractions.

Inside, the rooms were the standard hotel room with bed, desk, dresser, and wing back chair, but clean and comfortable. The cable could have used a few more channels, however.

The hotel was abuzz with derby guests and had several special activities planned. In the evenings, the lobby had a piano player and there were free refreshments, such as lemonade and finger foods. The hotel bar ("The Winner's Circle") was a lively place with reasonably priced drinks, but the appetizers were only so-so.

There were plenty of dining options nearby. Across the parking lot was a TGI Friday's, which was thankfully open late. In the other direction was a Perkin's Café. There was also a small takeout Chinese restaurant and a burger joint in the immediate vicinity.

Although, I didn't have time to use the hotel pool or gym, there was what seemed to be a nice indoor pool and indoor fitness facility.

Overall, this is a nice hotel, especially for the price and is a good option for the derby weekend when the Marriott can be over $400.

The price above is for normal times. Expect to pay two to three times more for the derby weekend.

Churchill Downs is the place to be on the first Monday in May. This year's 129th running of the Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race, was no exception. The weather was perfect, there were several exciting races, including the Derby, and plenty of mint juleps to go around.

Here are some helpful hints for your visit to the Derby. First of all, for you ladies, you must have a hat. Typically the bigger the better. Usually, you will want to have large plastic flowers adorning your hat. To go with your hat, you will want a nice dress or pants suit. Elegance is definitely the way to go for this race, unless you are in the in field where girls lifting their shirts are much more common.

For the gentlemen, hats are also fairly popular. Most gentlemen are wearing sports coats and ties in a conservative but comfortable manner. However, there is a large group of men who strive to wear the loudest most colorful sports coats known to mankind. It is not that uncommon to see green, pink, orange, and yellow all in the same coat.

When at the derby, you must try at least one mint julep, which is a strange concoction of Kentucky bourbon and sugar garnished with a sprig of mint leaves.

Binoculars are a must for most seats in the grandstands to be able to see the races. Another helpful hint is to be sure that you are in your seats well before the Derby starts. It is amazing how many people come out of the woodwork for this race compared to races earlier in the day.

All in all, this is definitely a must-see at least once, even if you are not a horse-racing fan.