Thursday afternoon report

SPEEDWAY, Ind. - I’m blogging on battery power from our campsite just east of the Coca-Cola bottling plant.

We had our tents and fly set up by 8 a.m. and rode to breakfast at the Crawfordsville Road Einstein Bros. Bagels where I reveled in one of my favorite breakfasts, the Santa Fe.

Then we rode down to the BMW dealer where we spent an hour or so ogling bikes, apparel and accessories.

I was delighted to find the dealer has set aside a spot for the Indianapolis BMW Club. The club presence includes a plaque enumerating each Active (high mileage) Rider Award winner since 1984. I’m on it twice.

Since the Speedway doesn’t open until tomorrow, we were at a loss for how to spend our time. I suggested a run up to Thorntown to show Charlie where we used to live. A quick romp up I-74 to Ind. 75, which had loose gravel all the way from the Interstate to Thorntown because of resurfacing, and we were at the corner of Pearl and Mills Streets, gazing at the old house. That’s when Charlie offered, “You know, now this trip is deductible.”

Oh, yeah, a ride from Jonesboro to Thorntown to check on our rental property. I took a couple of photos for evidence.

We rode up the street where I introduced Charlie to an authentic breaded tenderloin sandwich at Stookey’s Family Restaurant. Mike Hankins, the owner and our former neighbor, came over and said hello.

After lunch, I led Charlie over to the Ropkey Armor Museum near Crawfordsville where Fred Ropkey welcomed us and turned us loose among his tanks, howitzers, jeeps, and aircraft while he went into his woods to cut firewood.

Then it was back to Indy and the Kroger store for beer, Ice and snack food and thence to the campsite. And here we are.