G
Guest
I admit it ... I'm fascinated by how lives are intertwined, especially when people don't even realize it, and I'm fascinated by nostalgia (as you may remember from some of my posts). Put those two together ... and you have one helk of a combination.
Case in point ... the former Meadowdale International Raceway. In its heyday (1959-1969), the raceway featured many races along its 12-turn, 3.27 mile road course, situated NW of Chicago, in Carpentersville IL, north of the then new I-90 tollway. In recent years, it has been turned into what is now known as Raceway Woods ... a forest preserve that features a path that follows the old raceway concrete.
I recently became aware of this gem when someone from one of my message boards posted about it ... and I can hardly believe that something like this is nearly in my own backyard. Since then, I've learned that, Phil, the owner of the garage where my older 4 MCs are stored, went to many a race there. I've also learned that my Dad went to a few races there, that my brother-in-law played around in that area during the years that the track and park lay dormant, and that my bro-in-law's Mom can recall times when they heard the races from their home. This all just fascinates the helk out of me ... from the fact that it was a premier raceway ... to the fact that many people I know in some way or another "touched" the place, without knowing about the others' ties to it.
You can read more about Meadowdale Intl Raceway and Raceway Woods by surfing this website:
http://www.meadowdaleraceway.homestead.com/
...and take your time in doing so. Lots of cool links, including pictures from actual races, recent newspaper articles about the place, and lots of other cool tidbits.
Earlier today (Saturday), I drove out there to find where it was ... because I couldn't picture the entrance. I first found the entrance off IL RT 31 ... a very small place with just a sign and a placard giving some details. At this entrance, you can see the famous Silo (tho, I didn't know it at the time I saw it). Later, I drove out to the other entrance, the "main" entrance, off Huntley Rd. This entrance features a bit more parking (well, more defined parking, anyway) a couple different placards ... and a path that leads, apparently, directly to the old concrete raceway.
One of these days, I'm going to take time to go and walk around.....
Speaking of taking time ... I also want to find time to travel Route 66. My interest in this road was heightened by watching the movie "Cars" earlier this year. I was interested by how much the movie commented about this famous road. Earlier this week, I happened to catch a PBS special, "The Mother Road", about a mother and daughter duo who took a 3-week vacation to drive Route 66 from Chicago to California. In that special, I was amazed to see some of the scenes ... and just how true to Route 66 "Cars" was ... including the hotel with the Wigwam rooms..... Heh, now I REALLY want to see the movie "Cars" again, not only to see the '76/'77 MC featured as one of the announcers, but also to pay a little closer attention to the scenic details.... Now, if only I could find a job where I had 3 weeks vacation right away .
Heh ... I could go on and on about how different things like this interest me, including this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_W._Posvar_Hall
Specifically: Wesley W. Posvar Hall is a classroom and administrative building located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. (AND) The building stands on the original site of Forbes Field, home stadium of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team from 1909?1970. The stadium was dismantled starting in July 1971, and construction on the new building started soon afterwards and continued until 1974. The building incorporates many reminders of the famous ballpark?the home plate of Forbes Field remains near its exact spot, protected under lucite glass. The outfield wall is outlined in the sidewalk by bricks, and the portion of the famously deep left-center field wall still stands, marked "457 Feet".
I'm sure I could bore ya'll with various other things ... such as the Elgin National Watch factory right here in my hometown, stuff I've seen and learned about in my famous road trips, music and cars ... but, I won't.
Instead, I ask: Does any of what I've mentioned fascinate anyone else? Or, maybe there are things in your home area that are fascinating like this...? Or, perhaps I'm the only one that enjoys this type of thing...?
Hmmm...I believe my fascination with the "web of life" ... past, present AND future ... is one of the reasons why I love to meet people along my road trips.....
Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
"I knew she was a jewel in disguise" ... Kathy Mattea ... '455 Rocket'
Case in point ... the former Meadowdale International Raceway. In its heyday (1959-1969), the raceway featured many races along its 12-turn, 3.27 mile road course, situated NW of Chicago, in Carpentersville IL, north of the then new I-90 tollway. In recent years, it has been turned into what is now known as Raceway Woods ... a forest preserve that features a path that follows the old raceway concrete.
I recently became aware of this gem when someone from one of my message boards posted about it ... and I can hardly believe that something like this is nearly in my own backyard. Since then, I've learned that, Phil, the owner of the garage where my older 4 MCs are stored, went to many a race there. I've also learned that my Dad went to a few races there, that my brother-in-law played around in that area during the years that the track and park lay dormant, and that my bro-in-law's Mom can recall times when they heard the races from their home. This all just fascinates the helk out of me ... from the fact that it was a premier raceway ... to the fact that many people I know in some way or another "touched" the place, without knowing about the others' ties to it.
You can read more about Meadowdale Intl Raceway and Raceway Woods by surfing this website:
http://www.meadowdaleraceway.homestead.com/
...and take your time in doing so. Lots of cool links, including pictures from actual races, recent newspaper articles about the place, and lots of other cool tidbits.
Earlier today (Saturday), I drove out there to find where it was ... because I couldn't picture the entrance. I first found the entrance off IL RT 31 ... a very small place with just a sign and a placard giving some details. At this entrance, you can see the famous Silo (tho, I didn't know it at the time I saw it). Later, I drove out to the other entrance, the "main" entrance, off Huntley Rd. This entrance features a bit more parking (well, more defined parking, anyway) a couple different placards ... and a path that leads, apparently, directly to the old concrete raceway.
One of these days, I'm going to take time to go and walk around.....
Speaking of taking time ... I also want to find time to travel Route 66. My interest in this road was heightened by watching the movie "Cars" earlier this year. I was interested by how much the movie commented about this famous road. Earlier this week, I happened to catch a PBS special, "The Mother Road", about a mother and daughter duo who took a 3-week vacation to drive Route 66 from Chicago to California. In that special, I was amazed to see some of the scenes ... and just how true to Route 66 "Cars" was ... including the hotel with the Wigwam rooms..... Heh, now I REALLY want to see the movie "Cars" again, not only to see the '76/'77 MC featured as one of the announcers, but also to pay a little closer attention to the scenic details.... Now, if only I could find a job where I had 3 weeks vacation right away .
Heh ... I could go on and on about how different things like this interest me, including this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_W._Posvar_Hall
Specifically: Wesley W. Posvar Hall is a classroom and administrative building located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. (AND) The building stands on the original site of Forbes Field, home stadium of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team from 1909?1970. The stadium was dismantled starting in July 1971, and construction on the new building started soon afterwards and continued until 1974. The building incorporates many reminders of the famous ballpark?the home plate of Forbes Field remains near its exact spot, protected under lucite glass. The outfield wall is outlined in the sidewalk by bricks, and the portion of the famously deep left-center field wall still stands, marked "457 Feet".
I'm sure I could bore ya'll with various other things ... such as the Elgin National Watch factory right here in my hometown, stuff I've seen and learned about in my famous road trips, music and cars ... but, I won't.
Instead, I ask: Does any of what I've mentioned fascinate anyone else? Or, maybe there are things in your home area that are fascinating like this...? Or, perhaps I'm the only one that enjoys this type of thing...?
Hmmm...I believe my fascination with the "web of life" ... past, present AND future ... is one of the reasons why I love to meet people along my road trips.....
Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
"I knew she was a jewel in disguise" ... Kathy Mattea ... '455 Rocket'