Tom’s alarm sounded at 5:00 a.m., rousting us out of bed for the move to the track; we were already hooked up and just had to pull the electricity. By 5:45 we were in line on a side street waiting for the parking lot to open. Our first observation was that, indeed, some people had been able to talk their way into the gates a night early – there were a lot of rigs already set up. They must have had a better “line” than Tom. It was dark, overcast, rainy, and dreary as Micah and Tom set up in our 4 spots. Our arrangement was different this year as Tink wasn’t in her Rpod in her usual spot next to us – with another 4 parking spots. This year, two of our four spots would go for Caleb’s tent/mini-van set-up. Time would tell how it would all fit! Dinner was a new BBQ place Micah had scouted out. The rain had shut down and the lot was drying up, and things were looking good for Friday! YEP – the sun came out on Friday, the temperatures rose, and the party started for real! Tom and Micah left at 9:00 for the mid-morning events at the track and the Indy Lights race. They were back early afternoon, and we cooked hamburgers, and waited on our Caleb and Halie to arrive. They were in the lot and set up by 8:30 – just as strong storms moved in. They weathered the thunder, lightening, and torrential rain in their mini-van/tent combo, while Tom and Micah and I did the same in the Airstream The tent set-up gives Caleb and Halie a "bedroom" in the floor of the mini-van, and lots of storage for equipment and "stuff" in the tent. Not quite a motorhome, but . . . Alarms were set for 6:00 Saturday morning, and the three young-ones headed off to stand in line for the gates to open (at 8:00) for legend’s day; so they could race to the pagoda plaza . . . to stand in lines for autographs. Tom strolled over at 8:00 and managed to score 6 autographs and a legend’s day pin. I arrived at 9:30, and didn’t even try to get close enough for pictures of the drivers, relying on the ones taken by Tom, Caleb, Halie, and Micah.
Dinner was at the “Big Woods” restaurant in downtown Speedway. Excitement was picking up in the streets of Speedway as people were out walking from bar to brew-house, and Micah and Caleb and Halie stopped in for brews-in-a-milk-jug at Sara Fisher’s brewery. Time urged us back to our parking lot by 7:30 – before the Keith Urban concert at the track let out! In the evening there was a lot of groundwork to lay to get ready for next-day’s race: charging phones, radios, cameras and loading backpacks and getting coolers ready. The big experiment for the evening was when all 5 of us took showers in the Airstream – INDIVIDUALLY! When we were all done, the Silvermine still had 20% of her water left – and everyone was feeling fresh and clean! Stay tuned for race-day pictures and details!
1 Comment
7/4/2017 04:37:30 pm
You took some great shots of all the race festivities! Thanks for sharing. And I LOVE seeing all your Alaska stories. It makes me excited to do the same trip some day. THANKS!
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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 |