Monday, 30 May
The Journey from Savoy, IL, to Strawtown, IN
We left Savoy at about 1 pm and headed east toward Indianapolis. The wind was pretty strong from the south so the gusts kept us rocking most of the trip. It was a beautifully clear day though with temperatures in the low 90s. Even though it was Memorial Day, the traffic was light until we hit the bypass around Indianapolis toward our campground.
White River Campground
Since we crossed into the Eastern Time Zone and lost an hour, we arrived at the White River Campground around 5 pm. They had a drop gate at the entrance, so we had to buzz someone to let us in, but a host met us on the road as soon we entered the campground and checked us in.
We had a full hookup site with a concrete pad and patio on the White River. The pad was only 40 feet long (our trailer is 30 feet long), and was not angled, but we got the camper parked without much trouble. Though there was no room to park the truck, there was a parking lot a short distance away. Our site did not have nice shade trees, but the patio side of the trailer faced north, so the trailer gave us nice shade.
We sat and relaxed with a beer before walking around the campground. It was a nice campground for $32 per night. Most sites were along the river with full hookups and concrete pads. There was a huge range of different pad lengths, which was surprising. There was a small pond with a fountain, a huge playground, a bathhouse, and a pavilion. Crossing the river to an adjoining park was a historical bridge that had been restored and moved here. I had considered doing some canoeing there, but the river was very murky and did not look inviting. We did see several tubers and canoers, though.
With the lost hour, the evening approached fast so we decided to relax the rest of the evening at the campsite.
Tuesday, 31 May
Conner Prairie
We took off around 9:30 am and headed to a living history museum called Conner Prairie in Fisher, IN. It was about 30 minutes away, and we wanted to get there during the cooler part of the day since the forecasted temperature was low-90s and humid.
Conner Prairie started in 1934 and is a nationally acclaimed Smithsonian affiliate. Spread out over 800 acres of wooded property, it is separated into several historically themed, indoor, and outdoor experience areas filled with history and science exhibits that encourage visitors to explore Indiana’s natural and cultural heritage through hands-on, immersive, and interactive experiences. Though the experiences were mostly aimed at young children, we found plenty of things for adults to engage with. Normally, the admission was $20 per adult, but as a retired veteran, I could get in free, and Lisa was half off.
There is a large hot air balloon when you first enter the grounds, and we learned that they normally offer balloon rides, but it was grounded because of high winds.
The museum was large and spread out, so we took the free tram to the farthest exhibit and walked back toward the entrance. When we got to the tram stop, we learned it was not scheduled to depart for another 30 minutes, so we explored the nearby Lenape Indian Camp while we waited.
Lenape Indian Village
The Lenape Indian Village has a relocated and restored trading post, cabin, and wigwam. Staff were in several of the buildings and were dressed in nineteenth-century pioneer clothing. They enthusiastically told us about the building and the lives of those who would have lived there. One of the interactive exhibits they had, for example, was that they let you touch the real pelts of various animals that would have been trapped. We had to mention that we were waiting on the tram, or I think they would not have let us get away.
1863 Civil War Journey
We then rode the tram up to the 1863 Civil War Journey, a reconstruction of the southern Indiana town of Dupont shortly after a raid by Confederate General John Hunt Morgan. There were fantastic multimedia, 3-D, and hologram presentations in two buildings. They even had a burned-down building with smoke coming out in the center of the town. One highlight was a volunteer who showed us various medical instruments while discussing how they would treat battlefield wounds and amputations. Another was the covered bridge flying campaign and Civil War recruitment posters.
Treetop Outpost
We then walked to the Treetop Outpost with a four-story treehouse and multiple interactive “toys” around it, like drums and chimes. The volunteers there talked about birds and had plush bird toys that would make the appropriate bird call when squeezed. They had another area about different beaks, encouraging visitors to use various tools like chopsticks to emulate how beaks worked. We could not see much from the treehouse because of the thick tree cover, but there was an overlook a short distance away that let us gaze down the White River valley, which was very scenic.
1836 Prairietown
We then walked to the 1836 Prairietown,, a complex of restored and replica buildings that formed a town. Highlights for us were the replica Conestoga wagon, the general store, and the blacksmith shop, both staffed with volunteers.
William Conner Farm and House
We then went to the restored William Conner farm and house. William Conner (1777-1855) was an American trader, interpreter, military scout, community leader, land speculator, entrepreneur, farmer, and politician. While we explored William Conner’s home, a volunteer told us how he had spent half his life with the indigenous peoples in the area and half with the white settlers. We also learned that the children from his native wife kept their mother’s last name, while those from his white second wife took their father’s last name.
The grounds were several fields with chickens, rabbits, cows, and donkeys. When we left the Conner House, we walked over to the barn where you could feed, pet, and play with goats and sheep. It was also staffed with volunteers to help visitors engage with the animals and answer questions. We enjoyed seeing all the newborn goats.
1859 Balloon
Though we could not ride the 1859 Balloon, they had some nice exhibits around the balloon launch area that we enjoyed as we returned to the entrance. It was after 2 pm when we finished walking through the museum, and were starving, so we ate our packed lunch in the shaded concession area overlooking the farm and animals.
Pink Elephant with Martini Glass
We left Conner Prairie around 2:45 pm and decided to check out some quirky things in the area. Our first stop was a Martini-Drinking Pink Elephant, which was about 30 minutes away. It was outside a liquor store, which we found appropriate, and up on a trailer so that it could participate in various local parades. It was silly fun, and we always enjoyed seeing the various pink elephants wherever we traveled.
Pendelton and Falls River Park
It was about 3:30 pm when we headed north toward another quirky attraction. Along the way, we saw a directional “Historical Pendelton” sign, so we decided to follow it because we enjoy seeing old downtowns. About halfway through the downtown area, we saw another sign that said “Falls River Park,” since we like waterfalls, I followed those signs. There, we found a nice park with a series of natural and man-made waterfalls, so we decided to enjoy a brief walk around the park.
In the park, we came across a large white marker with the blunt words “Three White Men Were Hung Here in 1825 For Killing Indians” inscribed on it. We learned that this unusual but historical marker commemorated the Fall Creek Massacre and the first execution of white men for killing Indians. The park had a historical museum, but it was closed, so I am unsure when this marker was installed.
While walking around, Lisa bought lemonade from a little boy running a stand across the street from the park. He told her that sales had not been good that day and Lisa was his first customer.
We wandered around their small pond and Veterans monument before heading out again.
Half-Buried Cars and Dinosaurs
Around 4 pm, we continued to our original quirky destination. Tim Allred’s Collision Center in Anderson, IN. has a quirky display of rusted cars half-buried in the dirt; some even had mannequins. There was also a large fiberglass giraffe and several dinosaurs. At their entrance, they also had three of the remaining 16-foot “Walking Men” (a woman and a dog), once part of a temporary art exhibit scattered around Anderson.
Sun King Fisher Small-Batch Brewing Company
It was about 4:30 pm, so we visited Sun King Fishers in Fisher, IN, which was rated well on Google. Located in a rather affluent area and a nice shopping complex, it was pretty glitzy compared to the breweries we were used to seeing in old historical buildings. We liked how they displayed their tanks behind glass behind the bar. We sat at the bar and ordered a flight of beers: Pachanga Mexican-Style Lager, Wee Mac Scottish-Style Ale, Osiris Indiana Pale Ale, and a Keller Haze IPA. They were all good, but none of them stood out to us. Lisa liked the Pachanga the most because of the taste and because it was very effervescent. My favorite was the Keller Haze. We enjoyed talking with the bartender and a couple of locals, but after finishing our flight, we decided to try another brewery closer to our campground.
Primeval Brewery
Primeval Brewery has some good Google reviews, so we headed there. It was located in the historic section of downtown Noblesville. It was a German-inspired brewery, so it had a lot of German-style beers. They even had a couple of German flags flying. We ordered a flight of five beers here: Welcome to Helles (German Lager), Eruption (English Brown), Noble Daughter (German Pilsner), Dinosphere Dunkel, and an adventurous choice of Rauch My World (Rauchbier). We also ordered a cheese panini to split. The panini was excellent, and we enjoyed all of the beers except the Rauchbier, which was too smoky for us.
Evening
We returned to the camper around 8 pm and settled in for the evening.
Wednesday, 1 June
We headed out around 10 am to check out some natural attractions.
Days Gone By
As we drove through the countryside around Indianapolis, avoiding highways, we passed a field full of folk art called “Days Gone By” in Union Township just northwest of the city. We stopped briefly to look at the art from the road.
Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, Spencer, IN
We arrived at Cataract Falls State Recreation Area around noon and had to pay $9 to enter the park as an out-of-state visitor. The Upper Falls were near the entrance, and there was a large parking lot with several picnic tables. Lisa went to pick out a table while I ran to use the bathroom.
When I got to the pit toilet, I found it locked up. It also stunk badly, and the outside cleanout hole was open and looked very full. So I ran to the portable toilet outside the entrance gate, which was locked up. When I asked the ranger about this, she said it was the employee’s toilet. She informed me that the pit toilet I had found was closed and condemned, but they had a new one farther up the hill. Whew!
After finishing my business and talking back to the picnic area, I noticed a lot of trash everywhere. I also noticed that there were no trash cans. We learned later that they had a “pack in, pack out” policy, but it was ineffective. After I rejoined Lisa, she stated that the gnats were horrible, so we quickly ate our lunch. We wandered up to the Covered Bridge and walked along the waterfall. The bridge was a little run-down, but the waterfall was beautiful. We then drove to the other end of the park to see the Lower Falls, which was also beautiful. There was a barrier fence with warning signs telling visitors not to go near the cliffs surrounding the waterfall or the water, but we saw a couple of people fishing and more heading that way, so the Rangers were not doing a good job enforcing it. Though I enjoyed the falls, we left the park disappointed with how poorly it was maintained.
McCormick’s Creek State Park, Spencer, IN
We then headed to the nearby McCormick’s Creek State Park to see another waterfall. This was Indiana’s first state park, and it was much larger. The entrance fee we paid at the last park gave us free admission to this one, which was nice. When we got to the waterfall, some steps took us to a nice outlook of the waterfall. I continued down some steeper steps to the creek and rock-hopped to the waterfall’s base.
We then drove around the park and stopped at their nature center. It was small but better than most state parks. Our favorite room was a glassed-in corner room allowing you to view birdhouses and a small fenced-off area with a box turtle outside. There were benches near the window and signs with pictures of the birds you might see. Watching wildlife in air-conditioned comfort!
When we left the Nature Center, we continued to drive around the park before heading out.
World’s Largest Rocking Chair
We headed toward Franklin, IN, to see the former World’s Largest Rocking Chair. The large chair was next to an appropriate furniture store. This 32-foot-tall structure was built in 2004 and is affectionately known as “Big John” after JD Long, who owned the business until 2007. It was pretty weather-worn but fun to see anyway.
Craves Ice Cream
It was about 4:30 pm when we started home along the eastern edge of Indianapolis. Around 5:30 pm, we stopped to enjoy some ice cream at Craves along Geist Lake. There’s nothing like having ice cream for dinner!
Evening
We returned to the camper around 6:30 pm and settled in for the evening.
Thursday, 2 June
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
We left the camper around 9:15 am and headed toward the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The museum was in the inner field of the racetrack, so we had to go through Gate 2, which took us to a tunnel that went under the racetrack. Our first impression was that the racetrack was huge! The grandstands and the areas surrounding the track held over 325,000 people on race day, making it the largest one-day sporting event in the world. The Indianapolis 500 took place the previous weekend, so we missed it.
“Kiss the Brick” Tour
When we got to the museum, we bought tickets for the “Kiss the Brick” Tour. This tour took us by van around the race track at a top speed of 22 mph, telling us about the track’s history and layout. We stopped briefly at the start/finish line, where the original track’s bricks were exposed. There, Lisa took my picture “kissing the bricks,” a ritual the drivers always do after winning the race. I remember thinking the track was much narrower than expected, and the huge viewing stands near the tracks made it feel even more constricted.
Indy 500 Museum
When we returned to the museum, we walked around the museum, which was filled with race cars and artifacts. Lisa kicked my butt on a race simulator there. I climbed into a replica Indy car for a photo op, though a large sign said it was difficult to get in and out (it was right!).
We ate lunch outside the museum at a closed snack bar overlooking the Speedway.
Videos:
Indiana State Museum
We left the Speedway around 1:30 pm and headed downtown to White River State Park.
The White River State Park is a 267-acre urban cultural park with museums, attractions, fun rentals, public green spaces, a canal, and trails. It is situated along the eastern and western banks of its namesake, White River. The park is home to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis Zoo, NCAA Hall of Champions, Victory Field, and White River Gardens.
We parked in the Indiana State Museum parking structure. The museum had multiple floors of exhibits on Indiana’s science, art, culture, and history from prehistoric times to the present day. I was surprised that though they were spread out over several floors, they did not have a lot of artifacts. After exploring the exhibits, we stopped at the information desk, where a lady generously loaded us with postcards and some Mastodon bones.
We then walked outside along the canal and the large park. As we headed back to our car, we walked outside the State Museum building, which had some interesting carvings representing all of the counties in the state.
Meridian Street
We then drove down Meridian Street, the primary north-south street in Indianapolis known for its historical buildings, upscale residences, and monuments. We drove around the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument several times to admire the huge 284 ft 6-inch neoclassical monument in the center of a large traffic circle. Traffic was heavy, so we were only able to snap a couple of quick pictures from the truck
Benjamin Harrison House
We next stopped at President Benjamin Harrison’s house around 4:30 pm. Though the house was closed, we could walk around the outside of the house and see several historical markers.
Indianapolis Children’s Museum
Around 5:30 pm we headed over to Union Brewing Company. Along the way, we passed the children’s museum that had giant dinosaurs crawling on it.
Union Brewing Company
The Union Brewing Company is a small brewery rated well on Google. Though it is located in a strip mall, they did have a nice outside area in the back with several slate/rock tables, a nearby community garden, and a popular bike trail. They are known for their cask-aged beers but did not have any available. There were quite a few people there, considering it was Wednesday night. A DJ played music while we sat outside and enjoyed a flight of beers and then another round of our favorites: the Bellaire Brown for Lisa and a UBC Wit for me.
Dinner – Pizza King
The brewery did not have food, so after we finished our beers we headed back to the camper and stopped at Pizza King a short distance from the campground for a pizza to take back to the camper with us. We got back to the camper around 7 pm.
Friday, 3 June
We left White River Campground around 9 am and headed to Columbus, Ohio.