The MG was ready to return to her restorer for a 5,000 mile check-up and Indianapolis is one of our favorite stomping grounds. This happy combination resulted in a two-night camping trip to Mounds State Park with a strategic plan to drop off the MG for the day, and then head out on the town for a round of . . . whatever popped up! We had not been planning on taking Scout the Pomeranian on this trip -- we sometimes leave him home to pal around with Caleb. But he knew the camping preparation routine, right down to the last good-bye, and as we left he slipped out the door and refused to come back. After a brief chase Tom captured him and threw him in the car-- which is what he wanted all alone! Finally Leaving home at 9:30 we made the trip to Mounds by 11:30 -- me driving the van and towing the Silvermine, and Tom leading the way in the MG. That view never gets old going down the road! With campsite chosen, set-up complete, dogs walked, and lunch over, we couldn’t resist taking some pretend pictures of the MG and pulling the Silvermine; two classic Icons! Then, we kicked back to read and rest under the trees. My recliner is a relaxing "0-G" experience; when Tom was ready to go horizontal he retired to the Silvermine! From my laid-back position I saw a little 21' Airstream enter the campground and choose a spot several rows over. We're always ready for a meet and greet with Airstreamers, and we added that intent to our agenda. Although I stalked that Airstream for two nights I never was able to meet up with them. Well rested and hungry we cooked lamb steaks for dinner, walked the dogs, and set out on our bikes for a ride to see the Indian Mounds. We have seen them many times before, but the trails to view them make for a beautiful evening walk. The bikes got us several miles to where the trail led through the woods to the mounds without having to drive the car, and then we locked up the bikes and followed the footpath through the woods to the Great Mound. The Great Mound is believed to have been constructed around 160 B.C. It is a circular earth enclosure measuring 394’ with an internal ditch and south to southwest entrance. The 9-foot-tall embankment is 63’ wide at its base, and the ditch is 10.5’ deep and 60’ across at its top. The central platform is 138’ across and was occupied by a 4-foot-high central mound’ feet in diameter. Got all that??? Hiking back to our bikes, and then biking back to our campsite, we were pleasantly tired as the sun went down. Showers at the bathouse were good, although I have to say that mine was a little warm, and I was not able to cool it down as much as I would have preferred! I don't think too many people complain about the water not being cool enough at a campground shower! Tuesday morning we delivered the MG to Bob Connell's and Tom spent some quality time with the shop boys going over the finer details of her first four months back home. There were a few adjustments to make, and lots of good 'ole boy MG talk and some boy bonding under the dashboard. Scattered around the driveway and workshop were several MGs working on their own restoration. It was fun to look and to know that Tom's MG had already been through that long haul! A loose agenda for the day allowed us to pick and choose the shopping we wanted to do and the sites we wanted to see. Jungle Jim's, Gander Mountain, Recreational Equipment Incorporated, Dick's Sporting Goods and Hobby Lobby rounded out the shopping . . . with no major purchases. Then we saw a sign we had never noticed before for Fort Harrison State Park -- right in downtown Indianapolis. We checked that out to find that it was a beautiful preserved Citizens Military Training Camp and World War II prisoner of war camp transformed into a State Park -- but alas there were no camping facilities. We had hoped to find that it might be a nice setting for next year's trip to the Indianapolis 500. By late afternoon we were back at the campground, where Scout and Charlie had been enjoying a private camping experience in the Silvermine. They were ready for a long walk and we were ready to cook supper before ending a looooooooong day. Wednesday morning we were up early and heading for home. During the drive home on the interstate Tom managed to stay dry with the top down in the MG as the rain skimmed above his head. However, when we got off the interstate he had to pull over and hustle around to put the top up! We have one week to repack and prepare for the 150th Anniversary at Gettysburg!
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October 2021
We don’t go camping any more . . . we go ‘streamin’ ! The “SIlvermine and His” is our 2018 25' Airstream Serenity with Salsa interior and front twin beds., and ‘streamin’ is the name we use to describe our adventures. Stream along as we document everything from weekend trips to longer summer excursions and full-blown vacations. You know what they say: if you’re not in an Airstream – you’re just camping!
Tom & Ella Brown |