Off to the Races!

Have you seen Seabiscuit? Did it make you cry too!?  I knew we were friends for a reason!  Owen and I got invited to go to the Santa Anita Race Track in Pasadena with our friends Jenny and Jordan.  I've been wanting to go to the races for a while now, and was so excited that we were finally going to be able to.  Obviously, I had to make sure I looked the part- you can't show up at the horse races just looking like some bum off the street!  Operation "Floppy Hat" had to be completed before we could go anywhere!  Being the expert procrastinator that I am, I didn't exactly start shopping for floppy hats until the morning of the races.  We were running late and there was only one option, black, which meant that we had to go back home so I could change so that my hat would match my outfit.  Owen wore a plum collard shirt, black shorts, and a beard to the races!  We were ready to go!

The Santa Anita was a bit like walking back in time!  So classy, so clean....

At the top of these stairs just to the right is the Bud Light Buffet, which is as awesome as it sounds. You could wander in and out all day, and we did!  We would have a drink, have a snack, place a bet, and go watch our favorites run, then repeat.

The view was AMAZING!  The track is nestled right up under the mountains.  For this MT girl, there was something so nuts about watching horses under the mountains AND palm trees.  Loved it!

The Horse Hall of Fame!  Guess who I was looking for?!

Speaking for myself here, but one of the biggest concerns we had is that we didn't want everyone to know that we were new....it took us a while to figure out how to interpret the racing guide, fill out the betting sheets, and figure our way around the park.  One of my favorite parts of the day is when Jenny went to place her bet and the lady helping her said, "You're new.  Be careful here."  Busted!

How did she know?!  We had the floppy hats!  We were indulging in the libations and buffet!  We were cheering and waving our betting sheets in the air as the horses, who we chose mostly by funniest name, were racing by!  Maybe what gave it away is that I was busy taking selfies at a reserved table in the $20 minimum ordering section...

By the 3rd or 4th race, we had the process down, and had even won some money!  Bets start at .10 and go up from there.  You could bet on any race taking place in the country, so you had to be very specific when placing your bet.

1. State the name of the racetrack

2. State the number of race you're betting

3. State then dollar amount of your bet

4. State the horse

5. State the type of wager (Win, Place, Show, or some kind of magic combination that is nigh impossible of ever happening)

So, a bet sounds something like this: 

"Santa Anita, race 2, $2 for Divorce Settlement to place."

Admission was only $5 and we could get right up close to the track!  We stayed for about 9 races, or 6 hours, and had an amazing time!  Granted, nobody won big, but we had more food than we could eat, more beer than we could drink, and a view that could not be beat!

Labor Day Weekend With Dave and Peggy

The first time I met Dave and Peggy, I had to borrow a shirt from my roommate Lindsay because we were going out to a fancy dinner.  I think we went to the Sacajawea Hotel and I drank a lot of wine because I was so nervous to meet to people that Owen held in such high regard.  Over the years, I've looked forward to Dave and Peggy's stories, advice, and general grandparentiness.  Bob and Cathy paid for us to fly down and celebrate Dave's 90th birthday over Labor Day in Denver.  We knew that there would be great food, funny stories, and lots of memories to be made.

On day one, we had reservations for dinner at a place right outside of Denver called The Fort.  On our way there, we took a detour to check out the Red Rocks Amphitheater.  It was raining, sprinkling really, so Owen and I HAD to go outside and take a big whiff of the rain!  It was beautiful- there was a wedding party down below and I was halfway tempted to stop and tell the bride that "they" say it is good luck if it rains on your wedding day but didn't feel like getting punched in the face.

The Fort is an adobe-style steak house that was built after a fur trade fort....Just read below:)

It was massive.  You walk in and there is a courtyard with a fire, tepee, and gift shop.

I didn't get a picture of the courtyard, so thank you Google Images :