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June 16 , 2008
This morning we headed right over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the Indy 500 has been since the early 1900s. We had the opportunity to watch a short film on the history of racing and to ride out on the track on a bus to experience what the drivers see – albeit at a MUCH slower speed. The track is 2.5 miles around with the museum situated in the middle. We saw the “brickyard” which is at the finish line. Exposed brick commemorates when the track was constructed wholly of bricks. We also saw the Pagoda where much of the announcing takes place on our lap around the track. Inside the museum there were over 75 cars on display and many trophies. My favorite car was the Marmon "Wasp," which won the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 with Ray Harroun at the wheel. There was also a race car that we could sit in to have our pictures taken. I almost couldn’t get out!
From the speedway we headed a few blocks into town and visited the Benjamin Harrison Home. Benjamin Harrison was our country’s 23rd president (1889-893) and our Centennial President, presiding over the country 100 years after our first president, George Washington. He is the only president to date from the state of Indiana. Benjamin Harrison’s grandfather was William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States making Benjamin’s father, John Scott Harrison, the only person that could claim both a father and a son as president of the United States. Benjamin Harrison lost his wife Caroline while serving as President and he did not seek re-election in 1993. Benjamin Harrison is thought to have been a good president in the United States and he added six states to the Union during his tenure. We enjoyed seeing the grand style in which Benjamin Harrison lived at his home in Indianapolis. He was a self-made man and enjoyed many comforts in his day. Our tour guide was very thorough and we especially enjoyed seeing the old fashioned “CD” music player and the cribs in which William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison slept in as babies.
From the Harrison Home we headed into downtown to explore and had a quick bite of lunch at Jimmy Johns sandwich shop. We were amazed at how pretty the downtown area of Indy is. From Indianapolis we headed southeast toward Cincinnati.
Arriving at our hotel just on the other side of the bridge from Cincinnati in Covington, Kentucky, we unwound from our busy day and enjoyed some downtime. The kids swam and after a bit of rest we headed to Willie Sports Bar to watch the College World Series.
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