So this post is oh so late, yet ever so important. Not this past weekend, but the weekend before, my friends and I attended the 70th Iroquois Steeplechase Horse Race. Words cannot describe how much fun we all had together.
In the time leading up to our big Nashville trip, we were all chaotically preparing our hats, dresses, tailgating necessities, and hotel accommodations. While our excitement built up the closer the race came, the stress of everything working out did too. During the week of, us girls finally just decided to throw our hands up with the idea that whatever happens, happens. If it rained, it would. We wouldn't melt. If we ran out of food, we would make it until dinner when the race was over. We had tried our best, and that was all we could do.
Hays, Morgan, and I were lucky enough to be able to head to Nashville on Thursday. Sarah Heldman had made reservations at a sushi place called Virago, and another good friend from UGA Margaret Dodson met us for dinner. I was SO excited because I had not seen Marge in probably 2 years. The sushi and drinks were absolutely delish!
Friday was a day spent running errands and making sure that everyone one was getting in town safely. We had friends scattered all over Nashville. The central meeting location that evening was Urban Flats, another fabulous restaurant. Table for 24 please! It was like a huge college reunion. I saw so many faces that I had not seen from several months to over two years. Such a treat! Dinner ended up being so good, as I knew it would. From there we went downtown, starting out at Paradise Park. Here, we thought we would hear great country music. Boy, were we wrong! Following the first song by some horrible, heavy metal band, we quickly closed our tabs and relocated to another downtown location. I think this one was called Rigby's?! Whatever the name was- It was still fun. We ended up calling it an early night, knowing we had a long Saturday ahead of us.
5:45 am- Good morning! Six girls, one hotel room. We had to wake up early in order for us all to be ready on time. Success! We were all ready with some time to spare, even despite some issues with the shower not wanting to heat up properly. We met three other cars at the gas station. After making sure everyone had ice and had eaten breakfast, we started our five car caravan to Percy Warner Stadium in Brentwood. It was so neat winding our way through Brentwood, seeing all of the huge houses and estates. Each one surpassed the one before. What a great way to start the day!
We arrived to our tailgating spot on time. YAY! I had been really skeptical that would happen. Setting up the tailgate took no time since everyone pitched in. From then, I mixed my mimosa and double checked to make sure my hat was angled just right. Let the fun begin!
The weather cooperated for most of the day. However, when it did not, we all packed under the tent or in the cars to stay dry.
The horse races started much later in the day. This being my first ever horse race, I was so excited and clueless on what exactly to expect. These horses were HUGE. I mean ginormous, yet so beautiful at the same time. None of them got hurt, thank goodness. A jockey did fall off his horse, but we were updated later that there were no major injuries. This all was such a neat experience, certainly one I will never forget. All of the hats were definitely a spectacle to take in.
We wrapped up our time at Steeplechase around 4 that afternoon. Since we had been there since 9:30, we had already had a good day, yet it was only getting better. Here was where my major contribution came into play. Assuming no one wanted to drive the 30 minute journey back downtown, I rented a party bus for us to use. This was not just your average party bus either. You all know me; I have to be a little different. It was an authentic, double-decker bright red bus named "The Majestic." Holding 40 people, it came with strobe lights galore, a VIP lava lounge, and a DJ to serve all of our music needs. This bus was awesome! Everyone had a great time! Since the bus was a double-decker, there were obviously stairs aboard. While I knew I would probably fall, I really didn't think that I would be the only one. Out of 40 people, I'm still the clumsiest. My bruise on my hip is now almost gone, and my bruised rib gets better each day. It really only hurts when I sneeze. I didn't let this fall ruin my evening, even though it gave me quite a scare at first. Thanks to my good friends, who made me feel better!
After the bus ride, we grabbed a good dinner downtown and went out for a little while. Most of us were home and in bed by 11:30 pm though. Such a fantastic day where so many memories were made. I cannot wait until next year to do it all over again, except for the fall.
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