I had decided a few months ago that I really wanted to do something fun and 'adult-like' for my birthday this year. Initially the plan was to have a group of people travel into Hartford and attend a show at the comedy club. Frank, however, decided that was not enough and came up with a whole other plan. What did he come up with?
Saratoga, New York.
At first I was a bit skeptical. After all, the horse races? I am not a gambler. I am that person who enters the casino clutching my money and I leave clutching the same money! But it sounded like a fun time and the thought of spending the weekend with our friends sounded even better. On Friday night we jumped into the car with our friends, Elaine and Glen, and met Laurette and Jim, my sister and brother-in-law there. We owe both these couples-- Elaine for hooking us up with her sister's apartment to stay in for the weekend and Laurette for watching Tyler for us for the entire week! Thanks guys!
As we spoke to people about our weekend plans, we all learned that there are certain ways to do a day at the races. The main theme people suggested? Waking early the day of the race and placing blankets on picnic tables to claim them for the day. The catch? You need to get there when the gates open. What did we do? Not that! We took our chances and opted for extra sleep in the morning. After all, we were kidless for the weekend! When we arrived to the track we found a spot in the grass by the tables. Fine by us! We plunked our coolers down, spread out, and took in the sights.
Turns out that the spot we chose was better than we thought! We were situated right near the walkway where the trainers brought the horses from the track to the barn. As the guys poured over the odds on each race and horse, the girls looked over the horses as they walked by and picked the one we liked best!
The horses coming down the track for the final stretch.
In between every race we would gather at our "spot". We had packed coolers with food and drink to enjoy throughout the day. Good thing we did-- it was a beautiful August day, not a cloud in the sky, but very warm! The trees over our heads were a blessing! There were also televisions set up in this area to watch if you did not want to go by the track to watch a race.
No day at the horse races is complete without a fancy hat!
Frank and I....
Jim and Laurette...
Glen and Elaine. 
On Friday night when we arrived we hung out at Maggie's, a sports bar. The guys were able to watch the Yankees, the girls talked, and there was Karaoke to entertain us all. On Saturday we were unsure of where to go, what to do, so we headed back there. The owners were very friendly on Friday and on Saturday shared their secret of how Maggie's came to be.... the owners won a Pick 6 at the track one day... the rest was history. Twenty-four hours earlier I would never have known what a Pick 6 was, much less a Trifecta, Box, or Show!
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