147th Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby

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Day 1 – Home to Bloomington, IL 

This morning our motorcoach departs, with coffee breaks and an included lunch along the way, as we make our way to Bloomington, IL for an overnight. 

Included Meals: Lunch 

Hotel: Hampton Inn 

Day 2 – Bloomington to Louisville area, KY 

After an included breakfast at the hotel, we’ll continue our journey, picking up our flyaway travelers at the Indianapolis airport before making our way to Louisville, home of the renowned Kentucky Derby! After we get settled in our rooms at the hotel, we will motor east to Shelbyville to the Jeptha Creed Distillery where we are guests at their Bourbon, Barbecue and Country Music Dinner event! A farm-to-bottle Distillery, we’ll enjoy a distillery tour, a bourbon tasting opportunity, and an evening on the patio with a barbecue dinner and live Country music, complete with dancing! Jeptha Creed is one of the most modern bourbon distilleries in Kentucky & we have a festive evening planned here as our kick-off event to the Derby! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Hampton Inn, Simpsonville (3 Nights) 

Day 3 – Louisville area 

Breakfast is included at the hotel before we’re off on an exciting & busy day! One doesn’t have to be a baseball fan to love Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory – It’s iconic…it’s linked to legends! We’ll enjoy a fascinating tour with interactive exhibits that are fun and learn how baseball is such a big part of American history. Next we’ll visit Hermitage Farms, a world-class equine operation where champion thoroughbreds are born and nursed. We will see next year’s babies at the age of 4 or 5 months. These soon-to-be racehorses will just be learning to run. Our guide will talk about these foals as well as the Farm’s past babies that grew into champions, including winners of the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, Breeders’ Cup and more than 200 other stakes races. Lunch today will be in the banquet room of Claudia Sanders Dinner House. This restaurant is a replica of the elegant, old home opened by Colonel Sanders of KFC fame in 1959. It was from this very building that Kentucky Fried Chicken grew into a world-wide organization. Then we’ll have the chance to visit the Derby Hat Boutique where one can buy hats and accessories for both Men & Women. Having just the right Derby Hat, with the right accessories, is a very important part of the Kentucky Derby Experience as one has to dress for the Win, the Place, and the Show! Also included on tour today is a visit to Undulata Farms, a Saddlebred Horse Farm. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this is where Civil War veteran Harry Weissinger and his sons once bred the great stallion, American Born. We will tour the first two floors of the family home, the horse training facility and actually see training in progress. At this time of year, it is also possible to see a new foal up close and personal! This afternoon when we return to our hotel to freshen up, gift boxes with a miniature bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon and Chocolate Bourbon Candy will be waiting! A fun evening is ahead as we’re “Off to the Races!” – This feature event includes a special “Taste of Kentucky” Dinner Party complete with Kentucky favorites and Derby Pie for dessert. The Derby Museum’s Master of Ceremonies takes over during dinner with Derby Racing fun. Three pre-recorded horse races will be projected on a big screen, and each of us will have a race program and a stack of play money with which to wager at the row of Betting Windows in the back of the room. Consider this a warm up to the big race tomorrow! When each race is over, there’s time to cash in winnings and make fresh bets before the next race. Fun!! What a memorable day this has been! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 4 – Louisville area 

Today is the big day – The 147th Kentucky Derby!! But today’s first event is the Derby Day Riverboat Races! We have chartered both the Mary M. Miller and the Belle of Louisville. Once onboard there is complimentary coffee and tea as we listen to experts providing a few insider tips on the Derby Race. They will talk about the Horses, how they run in different conditions, who has the post and what that means; plus information on the trainers, their Derby History, and more. There will even be a seminar on how to place a real bet at Churchill Downs! At the end of the “How to Bet” lesson, our two private Sternwheelers will turn downstream and with those big red paddlewheels kicking up a feather trail of whitewater, they’ll race each other back to Louisville! Who will win?! We’ll stop for a quick lunch on your own before we head for what is sure to be the highlight of your trip, the Kentucky Derby! We have a VIP Fast Access Pass to Churchill Downs and 1st floor Grandstand Seats near the Starting Line. We will be at The Derby from about 1pm on to enjoy crowd watching, sample a mint julep, and place a few bets. This is one of the world’s greatest and most celebrated sporting events, “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” and we are on hand to experience it all! While there is a horse race at the heart of this spectacle, there are many other intriguing aspects within this Louisville tradition. America’s most extravagant springtime sports party also includes a festival, fashion show, and more! Be sure to have good walking shoes on today! 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Day 5 – Louisville area to Rockford, IL 

This morning after breakfast, with hat boxes and suitcases loaded, our group departs with another grand event checked off the Bucket List! We will bring the flyaways back to the airport and then continue to our overnight in Rockford, IL. 

Included Meals: Breakfast 

Hotel: Hampton Inn

Day 6 – Rockford to Home 

After breakfast, we make our way towards home with an included lunch along the way. What a unique & fun Kentucky Derby journey this has been together! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch