One day left until the Odyssey begins in earnest (an actual major league game!), so today we'll make a stop at a hallowed site of a sport I have no real interest in. When you think of Indianapolis, you think of the Indy 500. Probably.
I can't really get into auto racing for a number of reasons. I don't really like loud noises, I like to root for the Celtics knowing that if Antoine Walker collides with Kevin Garnett, they won't both burst into flame, and I fail to see what's so damn funny about funny cars. But the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or the Brickyard, is one of the most famous venues in all of sports. Even if, as I'm told, the real famous racers don't race in the Indy 500 anymore. I don't pretend to understand it.
The Brickyard's site is not that flashy. There's info about the museum, which seems to me to be pretty interesting, if and only if you're interested in old race cars. You can take a lap around the track if you visit on a day when they don't use the track for anything else. That might be fun. No word on whether you can buy a "Pit Crew Guys Do It In 25 Seconds" T-shirt (thanks, Letterman).
After that hectic trip around the Speedway, a perfect place to spend the night seems to be Larry Bird's Boston Connection, a hotel and family-style restaurant in Terre Haute. There's no sign that Larry's built a web page for the hotel. Too bad.
Day 3: Niles to Terre Haute
Mileage Today: 421.7
Terre Haute Weather: 84°. fair
States: Ohio, Indiana
Route Traveled: 422 south, I-80/76 west to just past Akron (left), I-71 south to Columbus, I-270 around Columbus, and I-70 west through Indianapolis to Terre Haute.
I'm so dissappointed. You could have spent the evening watching the Columbus Clippers or Indianapolis Indians instead. Sure, you could make the argument that stops like that would infringe on your reasonable ability to make it to St. Louis on time for Wednesday. But I don't think anyone gives a hoot about the wear and tear on your virtual car or the strain on your virtual sleeping patterns.
Posted by: Andy on July 17, 2002 12:25 AMYeah, Indianapolis could have been done. They were playing the Toledo Mud Hens for God's sake. But it's my experience when driving across mid-Indiana (2x in my life) that the lure of Larry Bird's restaurant clouds my thinking.
To make up for it, I'll skip Dodge City and see the Midland/Wichita game on Thursday. There goes my plan to retrace the Griswolds' steps as long as possible. Dammit.
Posted by: michael on July 17, 2002 12:42 AMWell, don't make me ruin your virtual vacation by dictating where to go on the off days. Although I will suggest virtually visiting Engel Field? in Chattanooga, old Rickwood Stadium/museum/whatever it is in Birmingham, Erie, PA, and the one in Johnstown, PA (I think I read it has the 2nd tallest left-field fence in all of professional baseball).
Oh, yeah, and make a virtual stop at the Kinsella farm in Dyersville, Iowa. You never know when Ray and John (thank you imdb.com) will be out playing catch.
Posted by: Andy on July 17, 2002 11:27 AMGood suggestions - I'll see if I can work them in. As for the Field of Dreams, not only is it a virtual must-see, but I'm very tempted to plan a real-world road trip themed around visiting that.
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