Thursday, June 14
Flight to Indy is uneventful. $3.00 for a bag of M&Ms. Miss the good old days. Chicken or beef? Finished The Road and started The Kiterunner. Both fantastic. Landed, picked up the car, and headed for the hotel at rush hour. Took us forever to drive that 8 miles, but we got there. Swarmed by bellmen and valets. This is going to be good. Starting to feel like Paris Hilton before she went to the pokey.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/guestRooms.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI
Love it when the picture is exactly what you get. The room was magnificent and well worth the price. Wish we could live like that all the time. Drop the bags and head down to our favorite watering hole in the lobby hoping to see some of the drivers.
Our favorite table is empty and we grab it. (We spent a lot of free time in there last year) Two Absolut mandarin and tonic. No Absolut? Only Grey Goose. Hey. I can adapt. Ordered a little appetizer of fried sweet potato with red pepper dip. Glance up at one point and see Flavio Briatore in the lobby on a cell phone (he's the manager of last year's world champion Renault team, but Frank thinks his real claim to fame is being Heidi Klum's ex) . Hoping he'll come into the bar but he heads outside with some people.
Upstairs to change for dinner. We go to Barcelona, which is a tapas bar. Tapas in Indiana? What was I thinking. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was mediocre. Sangria was good.
After dinner, we head for the mall because we have some time to kill. Looks like Nordstrom is having a men's sale starting on Friday. Bought some pants so we had to go back to the room to drop them off. It's like a Hollywood set outside the hotel. Red velvet ropes holding back crowds of people waiting for the drivers to come back from the track. Pretty cool. We just stroll inside. Drop off the bags and head back out to the waiting fans. Please, no autographs.
Head around the corner to a Martini bar. Frank has a cigar and a scotch. Me, a chocolate martini. Sitting on leather couches listening to a really good jazz band. Doesn't get better than that.
http://www.nickyblaines.com/
Friday, June 15
Happens to be the first day of the men's sale at Nordstrom and our hotel is across the street. Grab a Starbucks and head for the mall. Place is jammed. Frank dives into the frey and gets some nice shirts and shorts. My clothes stink from the cigar bar, so I go to cosmetics to get a spritz of cologne. My packing strategy of wearing clean clothes for dinner, and then again the next day doesn't work with a cigar bar in the mix. Lunch at PF Changs. Blech. We could be anywhere. More shopping.
Ferrari Club of America is having a walkabout at Monument Circle. Not as grand as last year. A few cars. Nothing spectacular. These pictures are from last year, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
http://www.fca-cic.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=0
Dress for dinner and head back to our bar in the lobby. Sit at the same table. Freaks the waiter out. Weren't you just here? Don't want to get too snockered tonight, so we have wine and a cheese plate. Out the door to the waiting crowds and around the corner for dinner at McCormick and Schmicks. Pretty bad. Fish swimming in butter. Should have asked for it on the side. Lots of people walking around. Going somewhere. Nowhere to go, so I'm puzzled. Kill time at Borders.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfmfuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=83
Flight to Indy is uneventful. $3.00 for a bag of M&Ms. Miss the good old days. Chicken or beef? Finished The Road and started The Kiterunner. Both fantastic. Landed, picked up the car, and headed for the hotel at rush hour. Took us forever to drive that 8 miles, but we got there. Swarmed by bellmen and valets. This is going to be good. Starting to feel like Paris Hilton before she went to the pokey.
http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/guestRooms.do?ctyhocn=INDCICI
Love it when the picture is exactly what you get. The room was magnificent and well worth the price. Wish we could live like that all the time. Drop the bags and head down to our favorite watering hole in the lobby hoping to see some of the drivers.
Our favorite table is empty and we grab it. (We spent a lot of free time in there last year) Two Absolut mandarin and tonic. No Absolut? Only Grey Goose. Hey. I can adapt. Ordered a little appetizer of fried sweet potato with red pepper dip. Glance up at one point and see Flavio Briatore in the lobby on a cell phone (he's the manager of last year's world champion Renault team, but Frank thinks his real claim to fame is being Heidi Klum's ex) . Hoping he'll come into the bar but he heads outside with some people.
Upstairs to change for dinner. We go to Barcelona, which is a tapas bar. Tapas in Indiana? What was I thinking. The atmosphere was nice, but the food was mediocre. Sangria was good.
After dinner, we head for the mall because we have some time to kill. Looks like Nordstrom is having a men's sale starting on Friday. Bought some pants so we had to go back to the room to drop them off. It's like a Hollywood set outside the hotel. Red velvet ropes holding back crowds of people waiting for the drivers to come back from the track. Pretty cool. We just stroll inside. Drop off the bags and head back out to the waiting fans. Please, no autographs.
Head around the corner to a Martini bar. Frank has a cigar and a scotch. Me, a chocolate martini. Sitting on leather couches listening to a really good jazz band. Doesn't get better than that.
http://www.nickyblaines.com/
Friday, June 15
Happens to be the first day of the men's sale at Nordstrom and our hotel is across the street. Grab a Starbucks and head for the mall. Place is jammed. Frank dives into the frey and gets some nice shirts and shorts. My clothes stink from the cigar bar, so I go to cosmetics to get a spritz of cologne. My packing strategy of wearing clean clothes for dinner, and then again the next day doesn't work with a cigar bar in the mix. Lunch at PF Changs. Blech. We could be anywhere. More shopping.
Ferrari Club of America is having a walkabout at Monument Circle. Not as grand as last year. A few cars. Nothing spectacular. These pictures are from last year, but it gives you an idea of what it looks like.
http://www.fca-cic.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=6&pos=0
Dress for dinner and head back to our bar in the lobby. Sit at the same table. Freaks the waiter out. Weren't you just here? Don't want to get too snockered tonight, so we have wine and a cheese plate. Out the door to the waiting crowds and around the corner for dinner at McCormick and Schmicks. Pretty bad. Fish swimming in butter. Should have asked for it on the side. Lots of people walking around. Going somewhere. Nowhere to go, so I'm puzzled. Kill time at Borders.
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfmfuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=83
Saturday, June 16
Breakfast at the hotel. Absolutely fabulous. Ask the hostess about dinner reservations for tonight. No reservations, but they take walk-ins. We plan on doing that tonight as I had cancelled our reservation at Ruth Chris. After the butter extravaganza last night, decided to lighten things up.
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/Indianapolis/Main.asp?Location=Indianapolis
Get the car and head to the track for qualifying. Lots of people there and it's brutally hot. Qualifying was quick and my guy didn't get the pole. Oh well. Frank and I are split on our driver of choice. Here's why I like F1. A couple of cuties.
https://www.mclaren.co.uk/eshop/index.php?aff=mclaren
After qualifying, we make the long trek from our seats to the Indy museum. Lots of cars and men. Father's day weekend. At least we are in air conditioning. It's blazing hot outside. Amazing to see how cars have changed. But Indy is still heavy on Indy cars. F1 not so much. You can get your picture taken in a race car but Frank won't do it.
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/museum/
Dress for dinner. Head down to the lobby. Frank grabs me and flips me around. There is Alonso waiting in the lobby. Man! What a cutie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso
Restaurant is full and can't serve us. Great. Now what. Pass Alonso again and head upstairs to find a restaurant online. Frank picks one and we head out for the 2 mile walk. Whatever. I have my doubts, but there is a private party for Bridgestone upstairs, so this place must be OK. Food was terrific. Frank had a Rocket Salad and Blacked Tilapia. I had Gazpacho and a fillet with blue cheese crumbles. Shared a bread pudding for desert. Ack. Now I'm stuffed. Take a cab back to the Martini bar.
http://www.scholarsinn.com/cafeindy/about.shtml
The Martini bar is different tonight. Packed with people and no jazz band. We get our cover charge back and go to our hotel bar. It's also packed with people. We find a table in the back and settle in. I see flash bulbs popping in the lobby and run out to see what is happening. Alonso is out there letting people take their picture with him. Man. Bellman starts throwing people out of the hotel. I scurry back into the bar. Jazz band isn't too bad. Look up and see Alonso and his entourage waiting for the elevator. I want to go see what floor they go to, but didn't. Three sightings in one evening. Not bad.
Sunday, June 17
Race day is here. Back to Starbucks. Want to read the Sunday Times in our room. Get the car and head to the race. No traffic! Last year was a nightmare. Guess we are early this time. It's hot hot hot. Grab a spot in the shade next to a guy who chats up the race with Frank. Have good BBQ sandwich. Drinking lots of water.
http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/Locations/Indianapolis/Main.asp?Location=Indianapolis
Get the car and head to the track for qualifying. Lots of people there and it's brutally hot. Qualifying was quick and my guy didn't get the pole. Oh well. Frank and I are split on our driver of choice. Here's why I like F1. A couple of cuties.
https://www.mclaren.co.uk/eshop/index.php?aff=mclaren
After qualifying, we make the long trek from our seats to the Indy museum. Lots of cars and men. Father's day weekend. At least we are in air conditioning. It's blazing hot outside. Amazing to see how cars have changed. But Indy is still heavy on Indy cars. F1 not so much. You can get your picture taken in a race car but Frank won't do it.
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/museum/
Dress for dinner. Head down to the lobby. Frank grabs me and flips me around. There is Alonso waiting in the lobby. Man! What a cutie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso
Restaurant is full and can't serve us. Great. Now what. Pass Alonso again and head upstairs to find a restaurant online. Frank picks one and we head out for the 2 mile walk. Whatever. I have my doubts, but there is a private party for Bridgestone upstairs, so this place must be OK. Food was terrific. Frank had a Rocket Salad and Blacked Tilapia. I had Gazpacho and a fillet with blue cheese crumbles. Shared a bread pudding for desert. Ack. Now I'm stuffed. Take a cab back to the Martini bar.
http://www.scholarsinn.com/cafeindy/about.shtml
The Martini bar is different tonight. Packed with people and no jazz band. We get our cover charge back and go to our hotel bar. It's also packed with people. We find a table in the back and settle in. I see flash bulbs popping in the lobby and run out to see what is happening. Alonso is out there letting people take their picture with him. Man. Bellman starts throwing people out of the hotel. I scurry back into the bar. Jazz band isn't too bad. Look up and see Alonso and his entourage waiting for the elevator. I want to go see what floor they go to, but didn't. Three sightings in one evening. Not bad.
Sunday, June 17
Race day is here. Back to Starbucks. Want to read the Sunday Times in our room. Get the car and head to the race. No traffic! Last year was a nightmare. Guess we are early this time. It's hot hot hot. Grab a spot in the shade next to a guy who chats up the race with Frank. Have good BBQ sandwich. Drinking lots of water.
Race about to start. Head for our seats. We are in the second row of the bleachers. Can't see a freakin' thing. After a bit, we notice that there is absolutely no one near us, so we move to higher seats. Much better view. Not sure what happened here with the tickets.
F1 fans are pretty nuts. We saw a group from Brazil painted green wrapped in their country's flag. Here are some fans from Finland dressed as Santa. Not quite sure what that means.
Frank's guy won the race. My guy came in second. Oh well. Back to the hotel. As we come in the lobby, David Coulthard is standing there getting his picture taken with a fan. I feel bad for him because he didn't even make it past the first turn, having been taken out along with two other drivers in a crash on the first lap. He's standing there with a fake smile, but the fan is grinning ear to ear.
http://www.davidcoulthard.com/
Our last night in Indy. Dinner at Oceanaire. Most people leave for home right after the race so the town is emptying out. We head back to spend one last night in our gorgeous room.
http://www.theoceanaire.com/location/index.asp?id=5
As it was last year, F1 is giving the US a hard time. Threatening to pull the race and give it to India next year. Must we outsource everything to India? So, next year we are headed to Canada for their F1 race in Montreal.
No comments:
Post a Comment