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Indianapolis Speedway with Zeb the Duck

Let’s race.   I, Zeb the Duck, am ready to tour the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wow. Let’s check out this speedway

This is an exciting place and famous for many races.   Perhaps the best known is the Indianapolis 500 race held annually the end of May.   Also NASCAR race, the Brickyard 400 is held here.   And this is the former home of the United States Grand Prix.   Such an impressive place.

Looks great. Indianapolis Motor Speedway

This building is huge and holds so much history of racing.   Of course, this car, #7, that I am on is very impressive also.   Mom and I, with Kristi, our former neighbor, board the tour bus and soon we are driving on the racetrack.   **

I, Zeb the Duck, inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Yep, we really are on the track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.   Meet my new friend, our guide.

Our guide

He is so nice and tells us so much about this speedway.   In fact, he tells us the first race held here, was not on this track.   On Saturday, June 5, 1909, the first race was hot air balloons.   The Balloon Universal City won the race, landing 382 miles (615 km) from here.   Also, there is a golf course in the infield of this race track.   I never knew.   Here is the platform where a flag starts the race.

Flag from this platform starts and finishes the race.

From this same platform, a flag ends the race. I’m looking down the track here.

Looking down the race trace

Can you imagine driving at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, with other cars all around you?   These highly skilled drivers must have nerves of steel.   Shortly after the track opened and races were held, there was a problem with the surface of the track.   To fix the problem, the track was resurfaced with bricks.   Each brick was hand laid over 2 inches (51 mm) of leveled sand.   The gaps were then filled with mortar.   The track soon had the nickname of ‘The Brickyard”.   Years later, the bricks were removed and the track was once again, resurfaced.   However, this line of bricks remain.   The brick strip is one yard (.91 m.) of original bricks.

Row of original bricks

Custom requires that the winner, of whatever type of race, must kiss the bricks.  I, Zeb the Duck, follow tradition, and everyone knows that I am a winner, so I am kissing the bricks.

I, the winner, kiss the bricks

Some of my fellow tourists, humans, are sharing my victory.

Kissing the bricks with human visitors

We all kiss the bricks.    Let me tell you a little about this speedway.   There is permanent seating of 257,325 places.   With the additional infield seating during most events, there is a capacity for 400,000 spectators.   Right here, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is the highest capacity sports venue in the world.   The track is 2.5 miles (4.0 km).   The name of the major races includes the length of the race in miles.   The Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.   These are all day events.  Our guide now takes us into the building and to the museum.   We love this car.

#19 car driven by Al Unser, Jr.

This is #19 driven by Al Unser, Jr.   The Unser family is a legend in Indianapolis 500 racing.   The car is sponsored by Coors Brewery.   Coors Brewery, of Golden, Colorado, is a few miles from our home.   This trophy is for the Indianapolis 500 race winners.

Silver winner trophy for Indianapolis 500

This sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy has been symbolic of victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1936.   A silver likeness of each winner has been added to this trophy since 1936.   To each winner, Borg Warner presents a smaller sterling silver replica of this handsome award.  I like this trophy, but I don’t see any likenesses of racing or traveling ducks.   So, I guess I will not be receiving a trophy this time.   Look at the winning car from 2016.

2016 winning car of Indianapolis 500

I like it and it sure doesn’t look like mom’s car.   But, the earliest winning car I could find was from 1932.

Winning car from 1932

This also doesn’t look like mom’s car, but it doesn’t look much like the latest winning cars.   The designs keep changing for more speed and more safety.   If you are near Indianapolis, I hope you take time to go the speedway and take a tour.   This place is really interesting.   I, Zeb the Duck, liked it and I think you would also.

 

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Estes Park and a Close Encounter With Elk

A gateway city to Rocky Mountain National Park, we love the resort town of Estes Park.

Estes Park, Colorado

It was overcast with car headlights on the rock.   We liked the shadows on the stone.  Fall River flows from Rocky Mountain National Park into Estes Park.

Water wheel in river by park

We love the water wheel in the river by this small park.   Elkhorn Avenue is the main street in Estes Park.

Elkhorn Avenue

We usually walk from one end to the other, stopping in various shops and often a restaurant.   One of our standard stops is The Taffy Shop.

The Taffy Shop

There are several taffy shops, but we have been coming to this one since mom moved to Colorado in 1975.   The taffy is made right here and it is delicious.  Try the Texas Pecan.   Another regular stop is Laura’s Fudge Shop.

Laura’s Fudge Shop

A few years ago, Laura’s expanded but the shop is always crowded with locals and tourists.   That really says the fudge and more is excellent.  We enjoy Turtle Fudge and Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge.  And the toffee, and the caramel apples.   Yum!   We did our shopping, crossed the road, followed the river and got in our car.

River flows under main street near parking area

This is fall, the rut, or mating season of the elk.   This time of year, we hear the male, or bull elk, calling his mates, sounding like a bugle.   The female may answer with a rather shrill squeal.   The elk often leave Rocky Mountain National Park and wander in and around Estes Park.

Elk herd leaving lawn of Aspire Residence at Stanley Hotel

This herd is behind the Aspire Residences, part of the Stanley Hotel.   There were several humans sitting on balconies enjoying the elk herd.   As you can tell, the herd is gradually moving to another area.   But some are not in a hurry.

Baby elk nursing

This young elk is hungry and trying to nurse, but mom doesn’t stand still very long.   They have moved, crossed a major street, and are now in the golf course.

Elk herd on golf course

The lone male watches the females.

Bull running to keep females together

He tries to keep them together.   This bull does a lot of running, or sprinting, to keep the girls where he wants them.   Oh, a second herd is arriving.

Second herd approaching golf course

They will join the first herd on the golf course.   How will this end?

Two bulls calmly passing

The two bull elk, one from each herd, pass each other, without incident.   But, we don’t think the elk can read.

Tee time?

Only golfers on the golf course.

Elk on the Golf Course

Well, is it tee time ladies?  The elk and humans mingle well.   If the elk want to move, the humans scatter to allow the elk freedom to go wherever they wish.  Further along, a herd is around Lake Estes.

A bull elk in Lake Estes

This bull is cooling off and probably drinking in Lake Estes.   The sun has set.

The Stanley Hotel at sunset

The Stanley Hotel is illuminated by the glow of the setting sun behind the Rocky Mountains.   A beautiful end to a beautiful day.