Tuesday, September 12, 2017
North Indiana Trip options
with Glen and Kim:
Old KOA 421 just south of I-94
Beach/Washington Park/Chicago
view at Michigan City power plant
Michigan City Sports Bar and
Galveston Restaurant
Casinos at Michigan City
Winery Tours
Hwy 421, Indiana's
first "super highway" was the Michigan Road, which was built in the
1830s and 1840s and ran from Madison, Indiana to Michigan City, Indiana via
Indianapolis.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Having spent the past week on
a big-Indiana-loop trip with Glen and Kim, I failed to make a single note, so
now, I will try to note the things that I really want to remember. We had a
fun-filled seven days, thanks to some fantastic planning by Terry and Kim. We traveled
in our separated rigs and had no trouble in traveling in our “caravan” fashion.
Departing Seymour, we made our
way to Lafayette, home of Purdue University. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at
Tippecanoe Battlefield State Memorial, an impressive, historic site.
In the afternoon, we made our
way to Michigan City along US421, the old “Michigan Road, to convenient
campsites at Michigan City Campground. This western Indiana route traverses a huge
prairie of corn and soybean fields. We were also surprised to see thousands of
acres of “popcorn” crops. Now we know, Indiana grows a lot of popcorn.
During several days at
Michigan City, we maximized our “tourist time”. We explored the long expanse of
the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Lake Michigan sand dunes, with scenic
beaches and stylish homes. The dunes are fascinating with rows of high,
tree-covered dunes, running parallel to the Lake Michigan. We were fortunate to
have a cloudless day, allowing us to see the Chicago skyline, far to the
northwest.
We toured the Barker Mansion,
home of the early industrialist and “railcar” manufacturer, John Barker. On the
Washington Park beach, we enjoyed a sunset picnic, as we watched Lake
Michigan’s colors change with the approaching night and the lighthouse (1858)
came to life. We were surprised at how many people stayed at the beach after
dark. With the extreme Michigan City winters, we supposed that the locals take
advantage of every beach-minute, day or night.
Departing Michigan City, we
headed east to Elkhart and accommodating campsites at the Elkhart RV Park. In
the evening, we explored downtown Elkhart, with its scenic River Walk, along
the confluence of the historic Elkhart, and St. Joseph rivers. Downtown had
attractive and curious local art on the street corners and buildings.
Next day, we went over to
Middlebury for a “feedbag” breakfast at the Das Dutchman Essenhaus. After a
huge breakfast, we toured the Jayco RV Manufacturing plant at Middlebury, a
very impressive operation. The guided tour was fun and informative, with the
goal of making the participants informed RV buyers. With a large, hard-working
Amish workforce, they do an excellent job in producing an extensive line of
custom-built products. It was also fun to see lots of Amish with carts/horses
running around town.
On Friday morning, we toured
the Elkhart RV Museum. The RV Museum displays trailers, photos, and memorabilia
reaching back to the 1920's and 1930's and is open to the public. The museum
presents chronological and technological advancements in the industry from
before WW I to the present. It’s a comprehensive story of RV’s in America!
In the afternoon, we drove
over to South Bend, on the St. Joseph River, and visited the Notre Dame campus.
Notre Dame University du Lac, as its name implies, is situated on placid St.
Joseph lake. It was game-day and the campus was crammed with students,
faculty/staff, alumni and friends, enjoying a weekend schedule of events and
programs. We slowly drove around campus observing the historic buildings, art,
and activities, finally parking at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto lot and visiting
the Old Main Quadrangle. From there, we toured the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
and the old gold-domed Administration building.
My Notre Dame favorites were:
The Main Quad is called “God
Quad” referring to the Basilica
the Cathedral windows and the
stunning furnishings
the south view of the
Administration Building and the “Columbus” and other interior art, and the
rotunda, under the dome.
the Hesburgh Library and “Touchdown
Jesus”
Notre Dame Football Stadium
Joyce Center Basketball Arena
Bond Hall where the Irish Band
plays before each home-game
On Saturday, we departed
Elkhart and headed south to Nappanee for a “feedbag” lunch at Amish Acres, an
old Amish farm just east of town. It was a cool, clear, Fall day with a light
breeze stirring the leaves of the large trees, among the old village buildings.
We had a huge lunch, followed by a good walking-tour of the various village
shops and outdoor demonstrations. I especially enjoyed the cider-press, and a
young man making “apple butter” in a large kettle over the fire. (Constant
stirring with a long-handled paddle.) We took a buggy ride around the Amish
village and enjoyed talking to the old Amish gentleman, driving the buggy. He
had been a builder but now does easy-work. The Amish are such craftsmen and
creative specialists, and we enjoyed admiring the curious creations and
offerings around the village.
Leaving Nappanee, we took
Indiana-15 south through some expansive Indiana farm land. The workers of huge
farms were beginning to harvest the corn and soybean crop and from all
indications, this year is a bumper crop. We admired the stately courthouses of
Warsaw in Kosciusko County and Wabash in Wabash County. Crossing the
Mississinewa River and Mississinewa Lake, we were tempted to camp at the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers campground but we opted to continue to Elwood and then
Indianapolis. At Indianapolis, we took a pair of cozy campsites, at the Indiana
State Fairgrounds, under the Sycamore trees, just adjacent to the Pacer/Trotter
horse track. In the evening, we joined a astronomy presentation at Butler
University’s Planetarium, for a lecture and show on the latest discoveries of
the orbiting “Hubble telescope”. Also, we climbed the stairs to the observatory
for a view of the moonscape via their telescope.
On Sunday, we traveled to
Columbus for lunch and shopping, finally returning to Seymour to complete our
seven-day loop-trip. It was great fun and a special time with Glen and Kim.
