5 Cool Things to do in Downtown Fort Wayne

It isn’t often that you can walk from attraction to attraction in a city, but that’s exactly what I did in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Our group of travel writers explored the arts campus, a botanical conservatory, the nation’s top-rated minor league ballpark, and the nation’s largest public genealogy center all by foot in downtown Fort Wayne.

1. See the art.
The contemporary Fort Wayne Museum of Art features exhibits from their own collection, as well as temporary exhibitions. Following a $7 million expansion a few years ago, adding 10,000 square feet, the museum can now showcase up to nine exhibits at a time. Our guide, Amanda, pointed out that her “favorite visitor is the person who thinks they don’t like or can’t benefit from art.” These are the people who change their tune after exploring the museum.

Browse the gift shop before you leave. Museum gift shops are a great place to find unique items.

Across the street, the Auer Center for Arts & Culture is home to Artlink, where local artists showcase their work in two galleries, the local ballet has taken up residence, and a black box theater venue is available for community performing arts groups.

Also on the arts campus, the Arts United Center is venue to the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Fort Wayne Ballet and other performing arts groups.

2. See a show in a magnificent historic theater.
Bob Hope’s first emcee job was at the Emboyd Theatre. Built in 1928 to host Vaudeville shows and silent movies, the theater was saved from the wrecking ball in the mid-1970s within three day of razing, restored to its former magnificence, and renamed the Embassy Theatre.

The restored Grande Page Pipe Organ on the stage, used as the sound track for silent movies, is one of only four in the world.

Today the Embassy Theatre features plays from Broadway and big-name concerts, as well as community events like the Festival of Trees. Around Halloween you can take a haunted tour and learn about Bud Berger, the resident ghost.

3. Enjoy the tropics year-round.
A talking tree greets you in the family-friendly Foelinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, where kids can explore exhibits created especially for them.

As for adults, the rush of a waterfall and green ferns and palm trees make you feel like you are in a Caribbean island paradise as you stroll through the Tropical Garden.

The cacti in the Desert Garden take you to the greens and browns of the southwest, while the colorful flowers in the Showcase Garden, which changes seasonally, puts you in the mood for whatever the season may be.

4. Take me out to the ballgame.
Parkview Field, home to San Diego Padres minor league affiliate TinCaps, was rated the top minor league ballpark experience in the country two years in a row by Stadium Journey magazine. Unfortunately, the TinCaps (named for Johnny Appleseed who wore a tin pot on his head and is buried in Fort Wayne) weren’t playing while I was in town, so I didn’t get to experience a game or the delicious food they are said to serve. Since the ballpark is city owned and considered a park, it’s open every day, whether there is a game scheduled or not, so you can at least stop to see and walk around the park. I definitely want to make a return trip to see a ballgame.

5. Find your ancestors.
The 42,000 square foot Genealogy Center in the Allen County Public Library, second in size only to Salt Lake City, and with the largest hands-on research area, contains over a million items in the library, including 70,000 compiled family histories, 73,000 city directories, and 10,000 rolls of microfilmed records from the mid-19^th century to the mid-20^th century. If you are interested in tracing your family tree, this is the place to come. You can access free databases on the genealogy center’s web site, but for databases that you normally have to pay for, you must visit the genealogy center to gain free access. If you visit, you also can seek the assistance of the staff, whose combined research experience equals 210 years, and you can download information directly to your computer, tablet, or thumb drive.

Trivia fact: The #1 piece of family lore is that an ancestor was an Cherokee princess.

Plan to spend at least an hour if you have surnames and geography. To do extensive history, plan to stay a full day.

There is plenty more to do downtown that we didn’t have time to visit, like the Firefighters Museum and the Cathedral Museum, as well as a plethora of restaurants and nightlife spots. The places that we did visit, we just touched since our time was limited. You can plan an entire day or even a full weekend in downtown Fort Wayne.

If you stay downtown, you won’t even have to move your car until it’s time to leave. We stayed at the Hilton Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Center, and as with all of my Hilton experiences, had a great stay.

For more information on Fort Wayne, go to the Visit Fort Wayne web site.

Disclosure: My visit to Fort Wayne was hosted by the Visit Fort Wayne and, but any opinions expressed in this post are strictly those of the author.

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Baker Street, Fort Wayne IN: It’s all about the Customer

Connie Food & Drink, Indiana April 17, 2014May 10, 2014Baker Street Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne Restaurants, Indiana Restaurants 0 Comment

“We’d have nothing to do if it wasn’t for the people,” James Khan, manager at Baker Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana, tells his staff. “Don’t focus on easy.” Rather, Baker Street’s focus is on creating a memorable experience for guests.

Khan explained the company’s “humble approach” philosophy to our group of travel writers as we dined on appetizers like Shamini Tuna and Smoked Gouda & Crab Dip.

Baker Street offers fine dining, often costing more than customers normally pay for a meal, so guests expect the best, and Baker Street does everything they can to ensure guests receive both food and service beyond their expectations, according to Khan. Servers don’t work alone until they have been trained for six to eight weeks. In that time they learn that if it’s possible to fulfill a customer request, they do it. For instance, they typically serve one cola brand. However, realizing that some guests will drink only another brand, they keep some on hand for those occasions. Khan related a story in which a designated driver with a group of guests only drank Diet Mountain Dew, which they didn’t have, so staff ran to a local store to buy some for him rather than disappoint.

In another story, Khan told of a couple who came in to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The woman had her heart set on tilapia prepared the way it had been on her last visit. However, Baker Street’s menu changes occasionally, and when the customer saw that the tilapia was now prepared differently, she expressed her disappointment. After confirming she would be okay to wait twenty minutes, the staff made some of the sauce used in the previous tilapia version and prepared the fish the way the customer remembered it.

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As for food quality, if the appetizers our group was served is typical, it’s top notch. The chicken wings are baked first before frying for an extra crispiness beneath the sticky Asian sauce.

The scallops, served on a bed of sweet-and-sour sauce and garnished with walnuts and blue cheese, practically melted in my mouth, and the Cuban rolls, Cuban spiced braised pork, white cheddar and Ossian ham stuffed into a short, hollowed soft bread stick, were deliciously flavorful.

While Baker Street food isn’t all farm-to-table, they do source many of their products locally, including linens, coffee, and meat. Occasionally, they offer specials that promote locally sourced foods, like their patio dinner series, held every other Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, in which the entire dinner is cooked outdoors where diners can watch the meal come together.

How does Baker Street stay consistent with their meal quality and service? All staff members are stakeholders in the company. Everyone shares a percentage of the profits each quarter, and they know that customer satisfaction is the key to turning that profit.

Baker Street, open for lunch at dinner, is located at 4820 N Clinton Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Check the web site for exact hours, the menu, and to make reservations.

Disclosure: My visit to Baker’s Street was hosted by the Visit Fort Wayne and Baker’s Street, but any opinions expressed in this post are strictly those of the author.

The Shrine of Christ’s Passion, St. John IN: Take the Journey

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana April 15, 2014March 20, 2016christian shrines, Shrine in St John Indiana, shrine of christ passion, Shrine of Christ's Passion, st john store, the shrine of christs passion 0 Comment

The most popular time to visit is during Holy Week, with 8,000 to 10,000 visitors on Good Friday alone. Some arrive by the busload, others on a family outing. All experience the serenity of the half-mile path that follows the last hours of Christ’s time on Earth, as the non-denominational Shrine of Christ’s Passion takes them on Christ’s journey from the Last Supper through the Stations of the Cross to the Ascension. Read more

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis: One of the Most Beautiful Churches in America

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri April 13, 2014April 17, 2014Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri attractions, St. Louis Cathedral 0 Comment

The architecture is stunning. Extensive use of arches, domes, marble, and stained glass is beautiful. But the most breathtaking feature is the mosaics. Everywhere you turn, mosaics glitter—on the walls, in the domes, on the ceilings, in the side chapels. Home to one of the largest collections of mosaics in the world, a collection whose installation began in 1912 and was completed 76 years later, in 1988, using over 41 million mosaic tiles in over 8,000 color shades, it’s no wonder that the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis was named one of the 12 Most Beautiful Churches in America by Budget Travel.

The slide show highlights some of what you will see on your visit.

The Mosaic Museum in the lower level of the church takes you through the design and application process of the mosaics.

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, located at 4431 Lindell Boulevard in St. Louis, is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. You may take a self-guided tour anytime during these hours as long as a service is not taking place. Visit the basilica web site for information on guided tours.

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5 Fun Facts about Laura Ingalls Wilder

Connie Attractions & Events, Missouri April 8, 2014February 3, 2015Laura Ingalls, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Missouri attractions 0 Comment

You may know her as the author of the “Little House” series of children’s books. Or perhaps you’re familiar with the popular television show based on her books. Little House on the Prairie, starring Melissa Gilbert and Michael Landon, ran from 1974 to 1983. The show, which focused on the Ingalls family’s lives in 19^th century western America, still plays in reruns today.

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the “Little House” book series, based on her real-life experiences, while she lived in her Mansfield, Missouri, home. Today you can tour the home and browse the adjacent museum for glimpse at the life of the author. Here are a few fun facts I learned about her and her family on my visit:

Laura Ingalls Wilder started her journalism career at age 44. She was 65 when she began writing the “Little House” series. She wrote a total of 18 books, which have been translated into 40 languages.
It took 17 years for Laura and her husband, Almanzo, to build their Mansfield house. When they first bought their farm, they built a one-room log cabin. When they could afford it, Almanzo built the house, one room at a time. On the tour, you enter the back door into the kitchen, the first room that was built. Of course, at the time, it wasn’t the kitchen; it was the entire house. The house grew, room by room, until 17 years later, it was finished. The tour takes you through the rooms in the order in which they were added.
Everything in the house is original, with the exception of fabric items and wallpaper, which are copies. Some pieces are set in the exact arrangement as they were on the day Ingalls Wilder died in 1957.
Laura Ingalls Wilder typically received 50 pieces of mail each day, which she read at the table under a lamp that Almanzo made. On her last birthday, her 90^th, she received over 1000 pieces of mail.
Pa looked nothing like Michael Landon. The museum, full of memorabilia including “Pa’s fiddle,” includes lots of pictures. I wasn’t the only one who noted the dissimilarity in looks between Landon and the real-life, shaggy-bearded Pa. I heard other guests mention it, too.

The Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum, open March through mid-November, is located at 3068 Highway A in Mansfield, Missouri. Check the web site for hours and admission.

Dawt Mill: An Ozark Canoe Trip Getaway

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Missouri April 6, 2014April 2, 2018Dawt Mill Missouri, the ozarks missouri 0 Comment

We took a Dawt Mill float trip years ago, when our girls were little, paddling a canoe down Bryant Creek from where we were dropped off and ending at the dam at Dawt Mill about five hours later. Afterwards we bought the girls snacks and t-shirts in the old mill that doubled as a general store. That’s about all that was there then: the canoe rental, the general store, and a few camp sites. Fast-forward about thirty years. My husband and I visited again, and what a change! Canoe trips are as popular as ever, but now there are several options for dining and lodging.

We stayed in a one-room cabin overlooking the river, a cabin just right for two people.

If you have a larger party, you can stay in the two-room suites in the Cotton Gin Inn or in the Log Cabin that sleeps six adults.

The general store in the old mill that we visited years ago has been converted to Henegar’s Gristmill Restaurant, open breakfast through dinner, with several tables that overlook the river. Though fancier entrees were offered, we opted for simple but delicious burgers.

Sawyer’s Deli, serving sandwiches and snacks, is a more casual eatery. If you want a splurge meal, consider the Chef’s Table on the weekends for a multi-course meal. On summer weekends, enjoy a concert or karaoke on the outdoor deck of the Gravel Bar.

It was too cold for a canoe trip during our stay, but watching the rush of the river from our cozy cabin and taking a few walks closer to the water to take photos was relaxing. And since restaurants are few and far between in the area, it was nice to be able to eat right at the resort. We’ll have to return yet again for an encore canoe trip.

Dawt Mill is located in Ozark County, Missouri, near the town of Tecumseh. Check the web site for further details.

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Author: Connie