Kiss the bricks is a tradition we learned at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis was our weekend getaway during my husband’s spring break. The city is about three and half hours away and has a number of fun things to do for a family.
Food Option: The Tamale Place
We first had to make a pit stop for lunch and if you love tamales, tacos, and tortas from a family recipe The Tamale Place is where to go. You can easily stop here on the way to the speedway. The tamales are moist and not dry and there are many different choices. It is a small place, but it is well worth the stop with their quick service. One warning of caution, you might call ahead to make sure they have tamales still available, we once and they were out, although their other options are still worth munching on.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Next, we took the short drive to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was constructed in 1909 and is unchallenged as the world’s oldest continuously operated race course and the site of the largest one-day sports event anywhere. The seating capacity for the race is over 250,000 spectators.
Kiss the Bricks Tour
We took the Kiss the Bricks Tour in which you take a lap around the speedway’s historic 2.5-mile oval track and stop to “kiss the bricks” at
the Yard of Bricks, the 36-inch strip of paving bricks from the original 1909 track surface at the start/finish line.
The tradition of “kissing the bricks” was started by NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett. After his Brickyard 400 victory in 1996, Jarrett and crew chief Todd Parrott decided to walk out to the start-finish line, kneel and kiss the Yard of Bricks to pay tribute to the fabled history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and tradition was born!
While you’re near the start/finish line look up and check at the pagoda. It has nine tiers or viewing levels and reaches a height of 153 feet, equal to a 13-story building. The pagoda facility was built for race control, safety, time, and most of all scoring and broadcasting of the race.
Also, the bus ride is a little different since the track is built on an incline so it is a bit different to ride out on.
If you go out on the track, you might also see race cars out there. The day we were out on the track there was a race car and personnel checking out the course.
You can also tour the museum, we were going to skip it, but we noticed this huge space with racing cars and he was all about checking it out so we decided to do it. It also helps that he is under five, so he is free.
Museum Tour
The museum has over 30 race cars that have won the Indianapolis 500 on display. These include the 1911 Marmon Wasp, 1922 Dusenberg, 1950 Wynn’s Offy, and more recently the 1990 Domino’s Pizza Hot One Lola/Chevrolet. There are a wide variety of other automobiles on display including passenger cars and trophies. Our son liked checking out the huge engines on display. You can also get a photo of your kid in a race car.
Hotel Stay: Staybridge Suites Downtown
After a long day at the race track, we headed to our hotel in downtown Indianapolis. We stayed at the Staybridge Suites Downtown which is close to the museums and had an indoor pool and a morning breakfast. If you stay here Monday through Wednesday they have early receptions with drinks and snacks.
Kurt Vonnegut Museum
I wanted to check out the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Vonnegut was born in 1922 in Indianapolis. Vonnegut served in World War II and saw the horrible things that war can do and wrote his literary masterpiece, “Slaughterhouse-Five,” on his experiences during the war. He went on to publish a total of 14 novels and became world-renown for his writings and his viewpoints. The museum has his typewriter, drawings, doodles, family photos, rejection letters, and a store. It is a small museum, but if you look like Vonnegut and the art of writing, it is worth checking out.
Then we checked out Indy Reads Books. An awesome bookstore in downtown Indianapolis. We found a book for a kid. It is nicely done with a wide variety of books for browsing. Our son enjoyed using an old manual typewriter, you don’t see many of those these days.
Indiana State Museum
We ended the day by seeing the Indiana State Museum, which still had a broad range of exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Native Americans through prehistoric times. The museum also has an IMAX. Yet, after paying for our
tickets, and we found out that part of the museum was closed for restoration. There were still plenty of exhibits, but it would have been nice to have a discount since we couldn’t even see the mastodon close-up because it was wrapped in plastic.
According to the website, it seems that they made additions to the prehistoric section and have two other new galleries, including a Native American and Naturalist’s Lab. I can’t give you a real feel for this place, since it seems a lot has changed and hopefully been improved. If you visit this museum let me know what you think in the comments below!
NOTE: I kept this version of our time here as a warning to check out museums before you go for changes or closures.
Children’s Museum Indianapolis
The next morning we ate breakfast and made plans for the day. We were going to do the Children’s Museum Indianapolis. It has over 400,000 square feet, five floors, and over 120,000 artifacts. You can see simulated dinosaur habitat, a carousel, a water clock, and a playscape for children five years and younger. You can spend many hours here exploring the museum.
Noticing all that we could do, we thought we didn’t have enough time, we were heading back home that early afternoon, and opted to do other activities. We do have plans to check it out next time we’re in Indianapolis.
WEBSITES FOR SITES AND RESTAURANTS YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT!
ATTRACTIONS
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
RESTAURANTS
Near Speedway
Downtown Area
Kountry Kitchen Soul Food Place
Broad Ripple
Other Restaurants
RETAIL
