After a my near misses in northern Indiana, I was hopeful to put the bad travel luck behind me and enjoy western Indiana. Unfortunately, I stayed at a hotel with non-working internet access, so I had no idea how to plan my day. I have become very dependent on the Indiana tourism site. So I headed off in search of a coffee shop with wifi, figuring there would be a Starbucks within feet. I turned out to be wrong. I drove into downtown Lafayette from the suburban hotel, through a recently revitalized hipster neighborhood. But there was no sign of a coffee shop. I thought they were a requirement in hipster neighborhoods. Soon I was in the downtown, and found a coffee shop across from the gorgeous county courthouse. I ordered a chai latte, got Tamu and my laptop from the car, and joined a collection of homeless people sitting outside the coffee shop. There I managed to figure out the day ahead and a hotel to stay in for the remainder of my time in Indiana. Meanwhile, my homeless company chatted about world events, enforced a code of conduct in regard to swearing and volume, and lawyers and judges from across the street trooped in and out for their caffeine fix.
Once marginally organized, Tamu and I headed to the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge and took pictures of the Wabash River separating Lafayette from W. Lafayette.
Once we had stretched our legs, Tamu and I jumped back in the car and headed for the Tippecanoe Battle site, which is just outside Lafayette. As historic sites go, it was a lovely find. The museum inside was easy to navigate and the history was told in a very accessible way. I learned the following wisdom from Tecumseh:
“When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”
After meandering through the museum, Tamu and I wandered along the battle site.
The staff person in the museum was also very helpful planning the rest of my day, providing directions to the next items on my list. Who needs the internet after all?
Next stop: Triple XXX Drive In, which is a Purdue University favorite. They did not offer car service, but that was probably better for Tamu. We sat outside of the car, as the friendly waitress recommended I try the burger with peanut butter. That was a new one for me, which is odd because I thought I had pretty much tried peanut butter on everything (I’m an addict).
The burger, seen here with the root beer float that accompanied it, was amazing until about the final quarter, when my stomach began to question my judgement. The two in combination (with fries and root beer float) is very filling. The peanut butter adds a bit of flavor and texture, but fills the stomach really quickly. Tamu was able to enjoy some of the remnants. We headed out to the countryside.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in Parke County searching for covered bridges. Parke and Putnam County name themselves as the covered bridge capital of the world, but like the quilt trail, I could not find an exact starting point for the viewing. One closed winery and two hours of driving later, I was about to give up, when I came upon the Raccoon Lake State Park and a park guide with a helpful map. Or it seemed helpful, until I tried using it. I managed to find two of the bridges near the state highway, here’s one:
Then I drove around for awhile longer seeking three more. I got off the highway onto unpaved country roads, and still struggled to see any bridges. I tracked down two more:
Our appetite for running around on unpaved road on a hot day sated, Tamu and I headed up the road for civilization: Indianapolis. We arrived at the New Day Meadery in Fountain Square, lucking out on parking right in front. The tasting was generous, and the place seemed like a model of hip and unique. We headed then to Massachusetts Ave, and once we committed to an hour of parking, went for a walk through the downtown. We found our way to the Indianapolis War Memorial, where Tamu loved the fountain and I loved the sculpture.
Indianapolis seems vibrant and lovely. I’m actually surprised this is my first visit. Tamu and I continued back to Massachusetts, stopping to take in another lovely site in the city, the Murat Theater at the Old National Centre before heading to Columbus for the night.
