Indianapolis

Today and tomorrow look like the peak of the heat wave. The temperature will push 100 on both days. This morning was so humid that when I took my lens cap off the front of the lens was completely fogged up.

Nevertheless, I headed over to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and Racetrack. I went ahead and signed up for a tour to try to get some perspective on the track itself. I have little personal interest in either cars or racing, but the IMS is such an icon of Indianapolis that I felt a visit was in order. On the tour, we were taken up to the winner’s circle, where we could also look down on the track. We were also taken up to the 8th floor, where VIPs watch the races in comfort. Normally there is a clear view of the Indianapolis skyline, only five miles away, but it was so hazy, that it was barely possible to make out the skyscrapers.

The IMS runs a performance driving school for interested amateurs. Today, they were running a BMW class and we were able to observe a couple of actual race cars as well as the student cars. The race cars were likely topping 200 MPH, while the students were likely going about 100 MPH.

The museum itself houses - wait for it - lots of racing cars. It is interesting to see the oldest versions of racing cars from the beginning of 20th century. Most modern commercial automobiles go faster than did those early models. Perhaps the most interesting to me was the car driven by Janet Guthrie , the first woman to qualify and compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, both in 1977. As in many male-dominated endeavors, she experienced blatant sexism and lack of sponsorship. Never mind practical details like woman’s restrooms at the racetrack. The docent on the floor also shared that she competed in the 1978 Indy 500, in which she finished 9th, with a broken wrist.

After a short break at my hotel to download, grab lunch and do some laundry, I walked the blessedly short distance to the Kurt Vonnegut museum . Vonnegut is, of course, a revered author to my generation. I was greeted by Rachael (yes, that is the correct spelling), a bright and enthusiastic young woman who is also responsible for writing grants to fund the museum. I enjoyed talking to her throughout may visit. The museum is set up very much in the style of Vonnegut himself, eclectic, non-linear, self-effacing and with strong opinions. The first floor features a variety of exhibits on first amendment advocacy, including a bookcase of banned books and on the wall is the letter Vonnegut wrote to the school board of Drake High School in North Dakota after they burned 32 copies of Slaughterhouse 5. It is worth clicking the link to read the full text.

The second floor contains information about the women who influenced Vonnegut - his mother, his wife, his sister and the Vonnegut family African-American cook and housekeeper. It also contains a bar and reading room. Many of Vonnegut’s original drawings are displayed on this level as well as around the museum. The third floor is devoted to a 100 year retrospective of Vonnegut’s life and career, including a large display about his experiences in WWII that ultimately led to the writing of Slaughterhouse 5, the book that became his greatest commercial and critical success.

Tomorrow I may drive down to a natural area, but will also be keeping a close eye on the weather to see how realistic of a plan that is.