West Baden Springs Hotel: Touring Historical Opulence

Lee W. Sinclair dubbed his dream hotel “the eighth wonder of the world” when he built it in 1901. The opulent West Baden Springs Hotel’s centerpiece was the dome-topped 200-foot diameter atrium. The rest of the hotel and the surrounding grounds were grandiose, as well. The West Baden Springs Hotel, along with neighboring French Lick Springs Hotel, was the wealthy’s place to go. West Baden Springs was more than a hotel; it was a full resort. The resort included a casino, a velodrome, and a baseball field that professional teams used for spring training. However, West Baden Springs was best known for its mineral springs that had healing powers. We toured the West Baden Hotel during our recent French Lick, Indiana, visit and learned of the hotel’s rise, decline and restoration. Read more

Hershey’s Chocolate World: Chocolate Fun 5 Ways

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Pennsylvania February 9, 2017February 8, 2017chocolate hershey, chocolate world, chocolate world hours, hershey, hershey chocolate, hershey chocolate company, hershey chocolate factory, hershey chocolate gifts, hershey factory, hershey pa, hershey store, hershey world, Hershey's Chocolate World, things to do in hershey 2 Comments

Milton S. Hershey built the entire town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, over a hundred years ago to serve his Hershey Chocolate factory and the factory employees. Today, not everyone who lives in Hershey works for the chocolate company or its affiliated enterprises. However, Hershey attractions still dominate. According to TripAdvisor, four of the top seven Hershey attractions are Hersheypark, Hershey Gardens, The Hershey Story (The Museum on Chocolate Avenue) and Hershey’s Chocolate World. Hershey’s Chocolate World itself includes five separate activities. Read more

2 Romantic Bed and Breakfasts along Indiana’s Ohio River

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We used to stay only at chain hotels when we traveled. Until, during a press trip in our early blogging days, our hosts booked us at a bed and breakfast. Our first B&B experience was so impressive that we now prefer to stay at bed and breakfasts, small inns, cottages and cabins. So we were thrilled when our itineraries for last fall’s road trip to southern Indiana included several such accommodations. Among the places we stayed were two romantic bed and breakfasts along the Ohio River: Kintner House Inn in Corydon and Market Street Inn in Jeffersonville. Read more

North Dakota Road Trip Day 5: Bismarck to Dickinson

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, North Dakota, Road Trips February 1, 2017April 2, 2018Assumption Abbey, Enchanted Highway, Enchanted Highway North Dakota, Fort Sauerkraut, North Dakota, North Dakota road trip, Old Red Old Ten Byway, Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway, road trip, Salem Sue, Sanfords Grub n Pub, Sanfords Pub and Grub, Worlds largest holstein 0 Comment

On the fifth day of our summer road trip across North Dakota, we took a road trip inside a road trip inside a road trip. Starting at Bismarck, we drove to Mandan. We left the interstate at Mandan and continued west on the Old Red Old Ten Scenic Byway. At Gladstone we detoured south onto the Enchanted Highway, then headed back north to continue on the Old Red Old Ten to its end at Dickinson. Read more

French Lick Springs Hotel: A Stay in Historical Luxury

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When the Monon Railroad built a line from Chicago to French Lick, Indiana, in the late 1800s, everyone who was anyone from Chicago began visiting French Lick. Well-to-do folks played golf on a championship course. They bathed in the healing mineral springs. And they stayed in the luxury French Lick Springs Hotel or the nearby equally luxurious West Baden Hotel. Read more

11 Midwest Popcorn Shops You Must Try

Connie Food & Drink, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Shopping, Wisconsin January 19, 2017September 2, 2019blarney stone popcorn, chicagoland popcorn, Corn Fusion, FlutterBy Gourmet Popcorn, gourmet popcorn, Great American Popcorn Company, Midwest popcorn shops, Pease's Candy, Pop-Kie's, popcorn cafe, popcorn shop kokomo, popcorn shop utica, popcorn shops, popcorn shops in illinois, popcorn shops in indiana, popcorn shops in NW Indiana, popcorn Traverse City, Sweet Street, Traverse City popcorn shop 2 Comments

I’ve mentioned here before that if I could have only one snack food for the rest of my life, it would be cheese popcorn. But not just any cheese popcorn. The supermarket stuff won’t do. It must be super cheesy, the kind you can only find in a gourmet popcorn shop. So every time I stumble upon a popcorn shop in my travels, I must go in and buy some. Here are 11 Midwest popcorn shops I’ve come across in the past few years that offer rich gourmet cheese popcorn—and caramel corn in lots of flavors if you prefer your popcorn sweet. Read more

Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

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