You can't go home

Well, you can and I did this past week, making the five-hour drive to my native Cleveland for family activities.

One of those activities was a wedding shower for a family friend that my wife and mother attended. That left the guys involved (me and the bride-to-be's father) with something to do on Sunday.

We had initially planned to go to Thistledown for the races, but the big T no longer races on Sunday. This is tragic because Sunday racing at Thistledown helped mold me into the racing fan I am today.

I attended the races with my grandfather throughout the year, but once a year--for my grandparents' anniversary--my family would gather in the Silks Dining Terraces for Sunday Brunch at the track. The spread was incredible (omelette and pasta staions being the highlights), and to my youthful eyes, the clubhouse setting was totally galmorous.

My grandpa died in spring 1999 and with him went the family tradition of an annual Sunday brunch at Thistledown, but not having the option when I happened to be in Cleveland with a Sunday free definitely killed a part of my childhood for me.

On the plus side, I went to Cedar Point instead, and even though it was a Sunday with perfect weather, the park was not crowded at all. Just as Saratoga Race Course is a Mecca for a Thoroughbred racing enthusiast, so too is Cedar Point a destination for roller coaster enthusiasts.

To make my Cedar Point reference even more on topic, I will note that the "amazement park" features Cedar Downs Racing Derby, a carousel that simulates a horse race. It is one of only two such carousels in the world, and it will celebrate its 90th birthday next year.