Day 19: 4H Club (humidity, hamburgers, hot-rods, Harrison)

Indiana did its best to live up to its "muggy buggy" reputation this morning. Overnight rain made the humidity thick enough to cut around noon, when we were preparing the camper for a few days' storage. We can't complain, having made it two-plus weeks with mild weather. Our plans for the day were all indoors, so we knew the bother was short-lived.

Our first stop (VERY unplanned, for my part) was White Castle for a slider burger. Stan thought it would be fun to try the mid-west food joint (not sure what we ate qualified as food, though). I warned him it would be bad, and it was. He admitted as much, saying "I feel pretty ripped off." I restrained myself from an "I told you so." I've put the Pepto Bismal by the bed, just in case.

The second stop made up for the first...Indianapolis Motor Speedway, also known as the Brickyard, and home to the Indy 500. We checked out the museum, which features winning cars all the way back to 1912. The 2.5 mile track was made in 1909 as a place for car manufacturers in the area to test their latest models. Races were a natural by-product. As the potential speeds increased, the need for a tougher surface was answered with thousands of bricks mortared into place around the track. The bricks have all been paved over with asphalt, but the history is interesting, nonetheless. Of course, Stan's interest wasn't the bricks...it was the cars! It was amazing to see how some of the technology in the early cars is still in use today. But the speeds have changed dramatically; from a high of 50 mph in the first years of the Indy 500 to over 200 mph now.

Next up, the home of Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President. He was an Indiana man who practiced law in Indianapolis prior to and following his political career. He and his wife built a beautiful home downtown in the 1820s, and it was never occupied by another family. Consequently, all of the furnishings are authentic to the Harrison family, a pretty unusual status among the older presidential homes in the U.S. We learned all about Harrison from Jim Johnson, a retired teacher who volunteers as a guide in the home. He was wonderful, helping the girls to make connections with the home, its stories and people. A few facts we learned: Harrison had electricity installed in the White House; he signed six states into the Union, bringing the total to 44 by the end of his term; his children and grandchildren lived in the White House with him and his wife Caroline; he had a pet goat named Mr. Whiskers, that pulled his grandchildren in a cart; his wife died in the White House (of tuberculosis) near the end of his term; he was a Presbyterian Elder with a deep faith. And we'd forgotten that his grandfather was William Henry Harrison, ninth President, who served 30 days in Office before dying of pneumonia. Benjamin had big shoes to fill: his grandfather was President, his father was a state senator, and his great-grandfather (for whom he was named) was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. No pressure!

Following the Harrison home tour, we headed to the home of dear friends, Gregg and Laura, in Fishers, Indiana, northeast of Indianapolis. Laura and Stan were teaching partners before she and Gregg moved to Indiana a couple of years ago. They now have two young kids whom our girls adore. We're having a wonderful time catching up and relaxing (and their A/C works great!). Our evening together culminated in s'mores at their outdoor fire pit. Looking forward to more fun together tomorrow!