Tommy has a love for the movie Secretariat! He knows the scenes by heart and can quote most of them. He jams to the songs and loves the dramatic parts with the horse racing.

I had been scouting out where we could take him to actually see horses’ race. We don’t do casinos but, in my research, I found that at Delta Downs in Vinton, LA you can drive up on their side parking lot and walk directly to the track. They have concessions and seating as well as viewing at the fence for that up close and personal experience.

As I explained in my eBook, that I wrote about how to prepare your Autistic child for travel, I made Tommy a book about going to watch the horse’s race. I used photos I found online from the facility along with photos from the Secretariat movie to help him understand what would be taking place. Here are snapshots of the actual pages of the book to help with ideas for what your needs may be.

Where to Stay…

In planning this trip, our friends told us about an RV park called Nibbletts Bluff. Ironically it was in close vicinity to Delta Downs, so we incorporated it with our visit of “Secretary” as Tommy calls it.

The RV Park was perfect. we got all set up next door to our friends, parking our doors facing each other which made a very welcoming combined camping area.

Friends that travel and eat together stay together!! We did just that for several days. Enjoying time together and loving the campfire each night, as it was a chilly time in November over the Thanksgiving holidays!

Animals in Hand!

Tommy gathered his horses in hand and loaded up! He was ready to go see “secretary!” Not only was it cold we had some rain to deal with. We were praying that the races would not rain out. Tommy was so excited, I feared that I would not be able to explain that to him.

We made it to the track with just a few sprinkles. Tommy had no issues picking out his spot along the fence as the horses began to promenade into the staging area. Their handlers walked them, saddled them and the jockeys were mounted. Tommy called out their numbers as they passed by!

As the first race began, Tommy cheered them on! Standing right at the fence with no fear! As they passed him for the finish line he said, “There you Go, Go, Go, There you Go,” just like in the movie!

It was getting cooler outside, and we learned that the facility had large windows with indoor seating upstairs. We enjoyed some food and coziness as we watched the remaining races. Tommy even took some of the photos.

**Being this time of the year, Delta Down’s had Christmas trees and other festive decorations on display. They were ready for Tommy favorite time of the ye**ar!

Here is a slide show of Tommy’s experience watching the horses do their thing!

We concluded our camping trip with better weather and a great time with friends and family.

Thanksgiving should be a meaningful time for families. As Christians, we always have something to be thankful for. The Lord has blessed us abundantly. Sometimes when we are in the “throws” of Autism, it can be difficult to see the blessings. But this now, not so little boy, has given us the opportunity to see things through his eyes. The perspective/view is very different than the views we would normally see.

In life, take the time that the Lord has given you to view a situation or a valley you may be in from a different angle or perspective. Through the eyes of God, the way through and out of it is always with purpose!

-God Bless