Tag: the saratoga special

2015 Year in Review: I would drive 5,000 miles

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Hard to believe that a year ago today, I was preparing to move to Amarillo, Texas, in 3 days. Okay, so I didn’t walk 5,000 miles, but over the course of the year I have traveled approximately 5,268 miles by car, and to or through 17 states plus Canada.

It’s been a busy, awesome, fun year – sometimes stressful, but filled with incredible learning experiences.

I had the fantastic opportunities to live in both Texas and New York (about as polar opposites as you could possibly get). I saw mountains, valleys, prairies and big cities. I missed my family but met new friends and other memorable people in the process. I represented my college riding team at the IHSA Zone 7 Championships. I saw Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and worked at Saratoga Racecourse for The Saratoga Special.

Here’s a bit of a timeline and year in review of my 2015. Continue reading →

#FargotoSaratoga Day 3 — Port Huron to Farmington

I love traveling, but I’m sorry to admit that I have a severe bedbug paranoia when it comes to staying in hotels. After a particularly unfortunate encounter with bed bugs on a previous trip, my mom and I have become amateur bed bug hunters. No matter what scale of hotel we happen to be staying at, our nights start with ripping the sheets from the mattress and scanning every nook and cranny of the bed for bedbug poop. Yes, you heard that right, folks.

Last night, our cautious nature (or slight obsession, depending on how you look at it) payed off when my mom found someone’s wallet next to our bed. After a call to the non-emergency dispatch center, the wallet was picked up by the authorities and sent on its way to the original owner. A happy ending for the poor guy who was missing his driver’s license, but I guess that tells you how well hotel rooms are cleaned.

Heavy rain and semi’s up the wazoo made for a nail biter of a drive through Canada this morning, but my mom handled it well and transported us safely to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

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A view of the American Falls and Bridal Falls from the Canadian side.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it’s worthless in comparison to a real life experience. I’ve seen plenty of photos of Niagara Falls, and not a single one did any justice to the magnificence of seeing it in person. Continue reading →