Sunday morning started similar to Saturday with my son walking up to the Hotdog stand for breakfast biscuits. Then he chose to ride his bike around the campground and down around the midway. The trip back had to be fun coming up that hill. He was gone around an hour and when he returned he was sweat soaked and ready to sit down. Within a few minutes, he really wanted to crank up the air conditioning. Even though he didn’t want to feel as if he was throwing me out, I told him that I would take my turn of doing some wandering around the campground.
And I had a blast.
Call me an introverted recluse, I’ll show you my son.
I have always greeted those I pass, but on this morning, I took it up a level. I was able to greet every dog and those who were walking them. I had conversations with people sitting outside their campers, I had conversations with those on the golf carts giving rides to those in need. I even fist bumped one of the guys riding on and collecting the trash from the campgrounds. I had a couple of brief conversations with the guys who were manning the entrance to the campground. All the while making laps up, down, and around the roads marking the camping spots and access to them. After my fitness band buzzed letting me know I had reached ten thousand steps I decided to wander over and check out the souvenir tents. I deliberately took no methods of payment with me so I knew I wasn’t going to buy anything. Though at the very far end there was a tent with really cool cowboy hats. As I walked back toward the campground I debated on those hats and if I really wanted one. Okay, I wanted one, but would I wear it enough to purchase one?
As I crossed back into the campground I began walking along the roadway inside the campground once again chatting with dog owners and petting the dogs that showed invitation to the attention. One couple had a pair of brother Yorkies that were full brothers but eight months apart in age. One of which quickly decided that I was a good person and sat with his front legs draped over my arm for a long while. I had stooped down, not picked the pup up. Not long after that I met a lady originally from Ireland, who had lived up north but recently moved to Myrtle Beach, SC. She was walking a Mastif-Shepherd mix. This was a nice large dog who decided that sitting between my feet and leaning up against my legs was the place to wait out the conversation taking place. Finally after almost two hours my son called wanting to know where I was. Somewhere in the campground. Was I lost? Nope. Hey, do you want to buy a hat for me? He met me at the entrance to the campground and we walked down to the tent holding the hats among other items. In the end, I didn’t get the hat. I have so many now that I don’t wear, I saw no need to add another to that collection.
We went back to the camper and rested for a while but I got bored…and cold. I decided that I was going to wander down to the midway and see what was going on down there. Back out, across the campground and down the hill I went. I was able to do what I usually couldn’t. I was able to take my time and wander from tent to stand to gathering of people seeing what they had to offer. I had still made a point to not bring money nor card. I have Jeep events coming up and need to save money for them. Besides, my son had already purchased a shirt for me. I did take photos of two signs with information that I thought my son would need to know. Then, I made my way back to the camper.
One of the signs I had taken a photo of my son was glad to see. He had purchased pre race passes and the sign told how to get the wrist bands that allowed access. To the track. Once he had the information he wandered down to the track himself to get the bands. As he came back he went on up to the hotdog truck and got sandwiches for me saying he thought he would get a pizza at the track later.
After I finished eating one sandwich we headed for the track. We made our way around the track to the point of entrance to the track. Taking our place in line, we waited. Slowly we made our way toward the tunnel taking us to the track. Our wrist bands checked twice before we stepped onto the short stairs set up to take us to the track itself. We were among the masses walking on the same track that within hours cars would be traveling just short of two hundred miles per hour. This was an odd and yet exciting feeling. We walked from one end of where we were allowed to the other. We signed the start finish line, actually, I signed twice because…well, because. We found winner circle and had our photos taken there. There was a band playing, and they were actually good even though I don’t recall their name. At one point I told my son I had to have something to drink so we slipped away long enough for water and then were back. We took photos of the cars, the stands, the track all while enjoying the band. We then found a spot that was fairly close to the stage where driver introductions would be made. When that finally happened it was interesting watching the different reactions and attitudes of the drivers crossing the stage. Some where happy to do it, some seemed to take it as a necessary chore. Once that was completed we had to leave the track. There were hundreds of people on that track with only a few exits to the stands. Some guy wanting to prepare the track for the race was trying to hurry us along. One guy near us turned and told him we could only move so fast with such a small way to exit. The track guy finally walked off but he wasn’t happy.
We made our way to our seats, and waited. The race itself was good. My favorite was out early due to smacking the wall and breaking something that couldn’t be repaired within the ten minute time limit. Still, there were exciting moments of wall smacking and fires and all the other things one would expect in a race. At one point my son noticed the guy with the camera and we waved boldly both times it was pointed in our direction. We hoped that dad would see us as he is always watching the crowds for my son.
The race ended with a guy driving a car with a number that had not seen the winner’s circle in many years. His win came in part thanks to the favored driver’s car engine giving up near the end of the race. That’s racing.
After the fireworks and interviews and a large part of the crowd had left the stands we headed out ourselves. Though the stands and even the thousand steps down were mostly empty, we found the masses. We joined them as we all tried to make our way up the road toward the campground. My son had been unable to get a pizza thanks to the long lines during the race. He did have a microwave meal in his small freezer so he wouldn’t go hungry while I ate the second sandwich. It was late, the time ticking swiftly toward midnight. Exhausted I went to bed and left my son to wind down playing video games. I knew that at some point tomorrow, we would head for home. As much fun as this had been, I was ready to sleep in my own bed.
Words from The Dirt Road 