Dr Ted’s Musical Marvels: Instruments that Play Themselves

As a youth, Dr. Ted Waflart frequented a local Louisville amusement park with his buddies. His favorite ride was the carousel, but he couldn’t let his friends know that. So he rode roller coasters with them. However, whenever Ted passed the carousel, he slowed his pace, for it was the calliope music, rather than riding the carved horses, that really captured his attention. Today Dr Ted’s Musical Marvels, in southern Indiana’s Dubois County, showcases Dr. Ted’s mechanical music instruments that he has collected and restored for over 40 years. Read more

Do Cicadas Chirp During a Solar Eclipse?

Vernon Attractions & Events, Illinois, Road Trips August 22, 2017June 4, 2024nature eclipse, solar eclipse, solar eclipse 2017, Southern Illinois, southern illinois eclipse, total solar eclipse 2 Comments

When I first heard, several months ago, about the total solar eclipse crossing the United States this summer, I knew I wanted to go to a point of totality. It would be cool to watch the moon completely cover the sun and to experience total darkness in the middle of the afternoon.

In the weeks leading up to the eclipse I read several articles about the subject. One article suggested that scientists would be studying the effect of the eclipse on wildlife, including whether cicadas chirp during a total solar eclipse. Odd, I thought. It seems that would be a simple thing to find out. Scientists should already know that. I made a mental note to listen for cicadas myself.

Lucas Oil Raceway: Indianapolis’ Other Race Track

Vernon Attractions & Events, Indiana August 18, 2017September 5, 2017ARCA race, arca racing, grc rallycross, grc red bull, hendricks county race track, indianaopolis raceway, indy raceway park, late model dirt racing, lucas oil dirt racing, lucas oil events, lucas oil late model series, Lucas Oil Raceway, lucas raceway, lucas racing, lucas speedway, red bull global rallycross, red bull rally, red bull rally cross, red bull rallycross, rhra indy 0 Comment

Most everyone is familiar with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But there’s more than one race track in the “racing capital of the world.” Lucas Oil Raceway is only seven miles from the Speedway, and some big races run there, as well. Read more

Nelis’ Dutch Village: Family Fun in Holland, Michigan

Vernon Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Michigan August 17, 2017August 17, 2017Dutch Village, Dutch Village Holland MI, Dutch Village Holland Michigan, Holland Michigan, Holland Michigan attractions, Nelis' Dutch Village, Things to do in Holland MI, What to do in Holland MI 10 Comments

Step on the old-time scale to see if you’re a witch … walk in wooden shoes … feed a goat … see how cheese is made. There is so much to do at Nelis’ Dutch Village in Holland, Michigan, our three-generation family spent almost a full day there. Read more

League Stadium: Retro Movie Set Home to Dubois County Bombers

Vernon Attractions & Events, Indiana August 14, 2017August 14, 20172017 ohio valley league champions, a league of their own, baseball nostalgia, dubois county baseball, dubois county bombers, dubois county indiana, league stadium, league stadium huntingburg indiana, league stadium indiana, minor league baseball, nostalgia baseball, ohio valley league, retro baseball, things to do in dubois county, visit dubois county, what to do in dubois county 2 Comments

Last fall we visited League Stadium in Huntingburg, Indiana. League Stadium is where the 1992 hit movie A League of Their Own, starring Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, was filmed. Today the Dubois County Bombers summer collegiate baseball league team plays in the stadium. However, our 2016 visit was post-season. The college players had gone back to school. The Rockford Peaches and Racine Belles from the movie were long gone. Even the vintage billboard signs had been taken down for maintenance. As I stood in the stands, I could only imagine a baseball game being played in the retro-style League Stadium.

This summer my imagined game became reality. Not only did we see the Dubois County Bombers play; it was also the 25^th anniversary of A League of Their Own. The Rockford Peaches played a “rematch” game against the Racine Belles. In fact, Bitty Schram, the actress who played the Rockford Peach who cried during the game, came back for the anniversary celebration. Following the rematch game, we stayed for a Dubois County Bombers regular season game. Read more

Gennett Records Walk of Fame Commemorates Jazz History

Vernon Attractions & Events, Uncategorized August 10, 2017August 10, 20171920 music, 1920s jazz music, 1920s music, chicago jazz, Gennett records, gennett records richmond indiana, gennett records walk of fame, indiana records, jazz chicago, jazz in chicago, jazz in the 1920s, jazz music 1920s, louis armstrong records, music in the 1920s, piano history, richmond indiana 1920s, richmond music festival, starr, starr foundation, starr piano, starr-gennett walk of fame, the jazz age, the starr piano company, the walk of fame, walk of fame 14 Comments

It’s a bit eerie, a sort of ghost town in Richmond, Indiana. From the late 1800s to the Great Depression, the Whitewater Valley gorge was home to the Starr Piano Company. Its subsidiary, Gennett Records, recorded great jazz artists, including Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. Today, a shell of the piano factory, a smokestack, and a couple of graffiti covered structures are all that remain. Yet, it isn’t completely dead. The property is now the Whitewater Valley Gorge Park. The lone remaining building is used as an events center, and the Gennett Records Walk of Fame is embedded into the walking/biking path that runs through the park. The Gennett Records Walk of Fame pays tribute to the jazz, country, big band, blues, and gospel greats who recorded here. Read more