Trouble coming up with a meaningful gift for Dad? Instead of another something he doesn’t really need, how about a gift of an experience instead? Most men enjoy classic cars, so museums filled with beautifully restored automobiles make the perfect place to visit. Here are seven car museums that dads—or anyone who appreciates classic or antique cars—enjoy.
Life is getting back to normal! We’re experiencing far fewer mask mandates and cancelled events. Time to get back to exploring, and the Midwest Wanderer newsletter will guide you to some fun and interesting places to explore.
In the tradition of Indy champions, you can kiss the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
How did the tradition start? Dale Jarrett won! In celebration, he and his crew chief knelt and kissed the bricks that mark the start/finish line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Since Jarrett’s 1996 Brickyard 400 win, champions of the Brickyard, Indy 500, and most other races at the speedway all kiss the bricks. You, too, can kiss the bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when you take the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Kiss the Bricks tour.
Due to Covid-19, many of the free or inexpensive outdoor New Year’s Eve celebrations have been cancelled. A few have come back, though, in 2021. (Updated for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2021.)
Christmas festivals at zoos have become huge holiday attractions. In the Midwest alone, at least eighteen zoos celebrate with holiday lights, carols, animal shows, and even ice skating rinks. Brookfield Zoo, Chicago’s oldest holiday zoo event, is celebrating its 40th year in 2021. But the very first zoo holiday lights event in the nation was Indianapolis Zoo’s Christmas at the Zoo, which dates back to 1967!
Many other zoos have hopped aboard the holiday festival train over the years. Here are a few highlights of eighteen Midwest zoo holiday lights events for 2021, listed by state:
“You’ll shoot your eye out!” Everyone who has seen the movie, A Christmas Story, knows that line. And with the movie constantly in the top movie picks for the holiday season, who hasn’t seen it—at least once? The movie, released in 1983, is based on author Jean Shepherd’s childhood years in his hometown of Hammond, Indiana. Hammond is once again celebrating the movie during the Christmas season at the Indiana Welcome Center. The 2023 event runs from November 11 through December 30.
