Today we got to see where our Highlander was assembled. Not too many pictures though. Car manufacturers love to keep their assembly line design a secret.
This sign explains the assembly line very well. Everywhere we looked we saw automated equipment doing the heavy lifting and the precision work. It takes less than a day from the beginning of assembly to the completion of a vehicle. They complete a vehicle about every 72 seconds.
From the Toyota plant, we traveled to Evansville Indiana to see where Steve used to live. It is true, you can’t go back home again. Things were very different, but at the same time , still familiar. This is the house where Steve lived while the family was in Evansville.
From Evansville, Indiana we traveled to Louisville, Kentucky to see Churchill Downs.
We spent some time in the museum and we took a tour of the property.
We saw the famous twin spires to Churchill Downs.
And we also got to see how large the facility really is.
Today the grandstand was mostly empty.
But races were still being run.
The horses are faster than you think, especially when you realize they have just run a mile to get to this point.
After the first race we watched, we had a chance to watch a race more completely. We began with a review of the horses in the paddock area. We both chose our favorites. Steve had three top horses, with a favorite. Marlene liked several horses, but picked her top choice from a large group. One of us chose well, the other not so well.
This race was run on grass. As the race developed, it became clear who knew the horse and who did not.
At the end of the race, Marlene’s choice got top billing as the winner of the race on the really jumbo Jumbotron. We were told during the tour that the screen you see is as big as three basketball courts. Steve’s top horse finished in the middle of the pack.
It was a fun day. We spent the night in Louisville.