Indiana - If you try- you can have fun

After our short and very fun stay in Lower Michigan we headed to Indiana.  For years we have driven by the and never stopped at the National Military History Center.  We now have time to stop.   The museum is in Auburn just off US 69. The price to visit the Military Museum and the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum is a $5.00 each.      Les and I, over the years have seen a lot of military vehicles and historical displays.    This museum had a little different take.  The majority of these vehicles are from a WW2 private collection of German and Nazi transportation. 

The Military half of this giant building is filled with life sized dioramas.  We saw one of Pattons jeeps and  Several from Rommels fleet. There were many types of vehicles we have never seen before.     The extent was from motorcycles to engineering transport lowboys.  If you think you have seen it all in military vehicular history, this is a great stop.  It is a growing museum.  We saw many new displays being constructed and veterans were making artifact donation while we were there.  Now, very much on the lighter side of the building is the Kruse Automotive and Carriage Museum. 

We saw the patriotic presidential Harley Davidson bike ( no president ever really rode this bike …. But it would have been very cool if one would have), Buffalo Bills wagon, The A Team Van, both Kits, a Batmobile,  the Jokers Duckmobile,   Ahh, Oh Yes!! The General Lee, crazy concept cars and bikes.  This is the most eclectic collection of wheeled vehicle you could imagine.  Tons of fun followed with “Did you See that one??!!”  Well worth the stop.  Also that same week the Museum hosted Air boat races in the pond (in Indiana they called it a lake) out front. Very fun.

Luck has a lot to do with travel and experiences.  This leads us to the Annual St. Joe Pickle Festival.  This is a fun three day event that celebrates the local family owned dynasty of Sechler’s Pickles.    The festival is held at elementary school play ground.  The pickle factory is opened for tours and you are welcomed to taste and purchase items in their year round gift shop.   Les and I had the lucky timing to get a private tour.       Our guide is a fulltime college student, works at the factory in the summers as a packer and did disclose that you did need to have some type of family tie to “get in”.  We had fun trying everything from the traditional baby dill to the orange spice (surprisingly good).  The whole town is involved with this event.  Just imagine the Methodist sharing an extension cord with the Lutherans.  There is a Volksmarch, Decorated Pickle People Contest, Floating Pickle Derby, Cruise in, music, fireworks, bouncy rides and a parade.  It is hard to really say how much fun this fest is and how much fun everyone seemed to have.  PS  - Don’t miss the homemade pickle ice cream at the Amvets booth.  Just down the street in Spencerville we drove through a covered bridge.   There are bunches throughout Indiana.  We were quite impressed with this one and decided that one is enough (we maybe wrong). 

New campsite in Greenfield.  Bigger rv park with a lot more space for Brady to run.      He did catch a little varmint and chased a beautiful red fox.   Les and I are so happy with how well Brady is adjusting to life on the road.  He does look a little sad when he sees us start to pack up.  But he seems happy to get to a new spot too. 

Indiana overall is not really a great tourist destination ( this blog is about my opininon but please do enlighten me).  So do keep in mind that Les and I are just traveling and looking for little nuggets of entertainment and Americana.  So if you find yourself in Indiana or even Western Kentucky, go to Metamora.  Les and I rode a bike trail that followed the horse drawn canal from the 1840’s.  Along the trail we saw remnants of three primitive locks and a still functioning Aqueduct (at first glance you would think it is a covered bridge).  In town there is a horse drawn canal boat.  This is a replica to show how the canal functioned when it was cutting edge transportation.         No horses were hitched up the day we were there.  They work Wednesday to Sunday.     There is a functioning gristmill, an Artisan center with hand made leather, candles yarn items and handy crafts.  Oh yes and many antique and gift shops are here.  All buildings must adhere to the historical back ground of the town for it individual time frame.     Most things were closed this day so we were happy to find and Open sign at the “Smelly Gourmet” (  www.SmellyGourmet.com  ).   We found the owners trying to put a grill together on this slow work day.  Steve (Smelly himself) was happy to allow his bride to persevere with the grill while he came in to serve us.  This store is a crazy mix of family grown popcorn, original art work made from the computer graveyard, soy candles odd antiques.  Amazing European coffees (no kidding, chuck that over priced Starbucks and give this a try)  (I haven’t had a cappuccino like this since I was in Italy {a long long time ago {we will leave it at that}).  Turns out Steve is retired Navy and had been stationed in Italy for quite a bit of his career.  Whether it was his genuine ability to entertain or the escape from the daunting grill construction we felt like we were at a friends house for lunch.   Everything in this shop is original and has a sense of humor right down to my lunch of an awesome Spam Panini.  Metamora great by being true to itself.  Nothing put on just people loving there old town.

Imagine if you will…….you are a farmer.  You have a lovely pond on your property.  You wake up in the morning and your pond has been stolen!!!!  The story as it is told, the limestone bed of the pond collapsed creating a sink hole.  This sink hole lead to cavern.    Blue Spring Cavern in Bedford ( http://www.bluespringcaverns.com/ )  The unique thing about this cave tours is it is travelled by electric boat as the whole cave is a river.  This river does flood in the spring making the tour impassable.  There are only ten or so formations in the cave but the hour long trip is fun and a little haunting.  Looking over the edge of the boat you can see albino blind crawfish and other little tiny white fish.  The cavern is so quiet.   It has the quilted quiet of fresh snow with an added haunting sound track of aluminum boat against the water echo. (I have been reading more cheap novels.  Does it show?)  No but really that is what it is like.  This brings Indiana to a close for us.  So it is on to Ohio.

PS – Les just missed a hole in one on the sixth hole of a par three course.  The ball stuck the green and had a back spin to with in a tee length.  It was very exciting.  Not bad for picking his clubs up for the first time In six years.

22 AUG 2011

Hats off to down town Auburn and Mad Antony’s Brewing Company.  They don’t make their own beer but they do host Indiana brews and a busy menu ( www.madbrew.com ).            “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder”.