Conner Prairie: Fun Exploring 19th Century Life

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana April 10, 2018conner prairie, Conner Prairie Fishers IN, Conner Prairie Indiana, Living history museum, living history museum Indiana 6 Comments

From a balloon ride that soars 350 feet above the ground to a Civil War area that uses extensive special effects, Conner Prairie living history museum is much more than we anticipated. On our last visit, over twenty years ago, Conner Prairie consisted of the William Conner House, the 1836 Prairietown, and not much more. Don’t get me wrong. We enjoyed it then. But on our return there last summer we were wowed with all of the additions. The museum covers over 1,000 acres and is one of the most visited outdoor living history museums in the United States. Here are some of the areas that we particularly enjoyed. Read more

Indiana Foodways Alliance Culinary Trails: Guide to Hoosier Dining

Connie Food & Drink, Indiana March 6, 2018Indiana Foodways Alliance, Indiana Foodways culinary trails, Indiana Foodways trails, Indiana Restaurants, where to eat in Indiana 6 Comments

Bucket lists have become a big thing. Or maybe it’s just the term du jour. People have always checked to-do’s off travel lists. Visit all 50 states. Take in a ballgame at every Major League Baseball stadium. I do the same even with smaller lists. Photograph every Seward Johnson sculpture in a city. Stop at every shop on the Wayne County Chocolate Trail. So when I learned about the Indiana Foodways Alliance culinary trails, I was on board. Right away I decided I wanted to eat pie at every restaurant on the Indiana Foodways Alliance Hoosier Pie Trail. My attempt was a miserable failure. Read more

Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site: Underground Railroad Station

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana February 28, 2018February 28, 2018Coffin House Fountain City Indiana, Coffin House Indiana, Levi and Catharine Coffin, Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site, Levi Coffin House, underground railroad, Wayne County Indiana attractions, What to do in Richmond Indiana 4 Comments

Indiana’s fourth grade students study the state’s history, as we found out first-hand when we visited the Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site in Fountain City. Over a hundred students were visiting on a field trip that day. Apparently that’s common during spring field trip season. I can understand why, since Levi and Catherine Coffin were instrumental in helping over 2,000 runaway slaves, or freedom seekers as they were called, escape to Canada over a twenty-year period. Between student groups, site director Joanna Hahn gave us a tour as she told the fascinating story of this couple whose lives were devoted to helping freedom seekers along the path to a free life. Read more

Where to Eat in Morgan County, Indiana

Connie Food & Drink, Indiana February 13, 2018February 11, 2018Cedar Creek Winery, Come n Get It Mooresville, Gray Bros Cafeteria, Gray Brothers Cafeteria, Martinsville Candy Kitchen, Morgan County Restaurants, Squealers Barbecue, Squealers Barbecue Grill, Squealers BBQ, Tomato Pizza Pie Joint, Where to eat in Morgan County, Zydeco's Mooresville 2 Comments

During a Midwest Travel Bloggers Twitter chat I won several gift certificates to Morgan County, Indiana, restaurants. Skip and I had already eaten at a few Morgan County restaurants that we loved and were excited to taste more of the area’s cuisine. So last summer we scheduled a trip to Morgan County mainly for the culinary experiences. While the atmosphere at all of the restaurants we tried is casual, each has its own unique cuisine. Read more

Exploring Five Abraham Lincoln Home Sites

Connie Attractions & Events, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky February 6, 2018March 27, 2024abraham lincoln, Abraham Lincoln Homes, Lincoln, Lincoln Birthplace, Lincoln Boyhood Home, Lincoln home Decatur, Lincoln Home Sites, Lincoln Home Springfield 4 Comments

Most Americans know that Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s sixteenth president, lived a modest childhood. He was born in a log cabin in Kentucky and moved with his family to other cabins in Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois until striking out on his own when he was 22 years old. Over the past few years, we’ve visited five Lincoln home sites, all of which are designated state or national historic sites.

11 Delectable Midwest Chocolate Treats

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania January 9, 2018January 26, 2018Askinosie, Askinosie Chocolate, Bartlett's, Bartlett's Gourmet Grill & Tavern, Chocolate, Chocolate Garden, chocolate in the midwest, Chocolate tail in Indiana, Chocolate Trail Richmond Indiana, DeBrand, DeBrand chocolates, DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Eddie Merlot's, hotel vandivort, Hotel Vandivort restaurant, Kakawa Chocolate House, Lagomarcino's, Lagomarcino's Davenport, Lagomarcino's Moline, Midwest chocolate, Octane InterLounge, Richmond Indiana Chocolate Trail, Silver Moon Winery, South Bend Chocolate Cafe, South Bend Chocolates, The Chocolate Garden, the hershey story, The Order, The Order Restaurant Springfield MO, Wayne County Chocolate Trail 6 Comments

Dark chocolate—it’s one treat I can’t pass up. A few years ago on a press trip we were tasting chocolate at a chocolate shop. I was skipping the milk chocolate and going right for the dark. One of my fellow travel writers said, “Even if I never meet you again, I will always connect you with dark chocolate.” Yep, that’s me. I’ve tasted a lot of Midwest chocolate over the past few years, and am sharing with you 11 of my favorites, in no particular order, plus two from beyond the Midwest. Read more