Thursday, March 21 We took care of a few housekeeping duties in the morning, and then headed for the COTA track and our parking lot “N”. Early arrivals, we had a good choice of camping sites in the very large, open field that sat on top of a hill overlooking the track. We settled in on the second row from the fence/gate that led to the track, and a few sites down from the “General Store” and the bathroom/shower facilities. These were all mobile units – very clean and under good supervision. The general store sold shower passes for $10/shower or $25/weekend. Otherwise – no water or electric hookups! The fact that there was also no shade was of minor consequence as the temperatures were to stay in the 70’s! The surroundings were part mowed scrub grass with lots of silt and rock pads to park on. We were positioned so the awning offered shade all day long, and for extra measure we sat up the Kelty awning. From under our awning we had a great view of the track and tower. There wasn’t much to do but get settled in, meet the neighbors, and head out for a Mexican dinner in the evening. I turned to the internet to get some overview pictures of the track.We were truly out in the middle of nowhere, and the whole facility was like a colorful racing oasis far away from anything. On the track map you can see our location in Lot "N". Friday, March 22 The track opened at 8:00, and with our setup next to an entrance gate, the boys were off. I am not sure what the morning attraction was except they wanted to scope all the possibilities and get oriented for the next 3 days. Later in the morning was a driver autograph session and with small crowds they were able to zip right through. Later the cars came out and there was practicing. They made a quick trip back to the Silvermine for lunch and then headed out for afternoon practice, where they got some of their first pictures of the track, the surroundings, . . . and the empty stands! Back at 3:30 to relax. Dinner was a pick-your-own from the freezer – chicken wings, deluxe hamburgers, and steak! No day would be complete without the dash into Walmart for whatever-we-though-we-needed. ME? I stayed at the camper all day with the dogs and had a relaxing time finishing a pine-needle basket, reading, and walking the dogs. Saturday, March 23 The action picked up this morning with Indy Car Lites practice and race followed by qualifications for the Indy Cars. There was a slight chance of rain (30%), the sky was clouded, and the temperatures stayed cool and breezy. The schedule was picking up a bit, and Tom and Micah had a lot to do while at the track. They were back by 4:00, and we fixed dinner at the campsite and relaxed away the evening. Sunday, March 24 - Race Day For race coverage, I asked Tom to step in and give his perspective: COTA offered a ticket package with seating in a different stand for each of the three days of track activity. Not having been there we chose Turn 1 Stand for Friday Practice, Turn 12 Stand for Saturday Practice, Indy Lights Race, and Indy Car Qualification, and the Main Grandstand just across from the IndyCar Pits for Race Day. Sitting in the MG offered Micah and I a different perspective than we had seen before….the cars were zooming by at speed and also the crews were busy with fast pit stops consisting of changing 4 tires, filling the tank with fuel, and making wing adjustments as needed . . . all in 6 seconds. As the race began it was a typical IndyCar Event with a Penske, an Andretti, and the Ganassi cars in the front positions. The COTA track is 3.427 miles long so much of the action took place on the video board in front of us….we watched as much TV as we did live action. The race was fast and entertaining and surprisingly an 18-year-old rookie, Colten Herta, won his first Indy Car race. Micah and I followed the crowd onto the track, after the race, and walked up the steep hill leading from the main straight to Turn 1, wow it was steep, and the walk provided us with an understanding of the unique elevation changes the course offers. We did not get pictures of the race, but did get a few of the sights around the track and from our seats. Since this was our last night in Austin, we returned to the Silvermine, loaded up in the Rubymine, and headed back into Austin for one more taste of Texas BBQ at Coopers…a real treat, and a fitting way to bring this trip to an end. Ella back to wrap up the trip! Monday morning we dropped Micah at the Airport and retraced our route north and back to Hot Springs for the night. Tuesday we made the Bowling Green, KY area, and Wednesday we were home in the early afternoon.
We have a whole week to regroup for our next outing -- a Rally in Elkhart, Indiana hosted by Airstream-enthusiast Alan!
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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 |