Follow the Wayne County, Indiana, Chocolate Trail

Follow the Wayne County, Indiana, Chocolate Trail

Chocolate? An entire trail of chocolate? Absolutely I must do that. And so it was. During our trip to Richmond, Indiana, we indulged in not only chocolate candy, but also chocolate gelato, chocolate cake, even chocolate cheese! The Chocolate Trail includes twelve stops throughout Wayne County, each offering a chocolate sample.  And the best thing about it? It’s free! Another four stops offer a complimentary sample with purchase. With Chocolate Trail passports in hand, we made it to eight trail stops during our three days in Richmond. Read more

Touring the Seiberling Mansion in Kokomo

Touring the Seiberling Mansion in Kokomo

Who takes over two years to build a mansion, lives in it for fewer than five years and then leaves town? Monroe Seiberling did. We visited the Seiberling Mansion in Kokomo, Indiana, which now serves as the Howard County Historical Museum, and learned the fascinating stories of the home and those who lived there. Read more

6 Small Midwest Zoos Great for a Short Visit

6 Small Midwest Zoos Great for a Short Visit

Large zoos are a fun all-day adventure. But there are times that you don’t have all day. Or perhaps you have little ones in tow who can’t yet handle a full day outing. You hate to pay the full price for a major zoo, deal with the hassle of a large parking lot, and leave after a few hours. Here are six Midwest zoos that are great for short visits. Read more

Triple XXX Family Restaurant: A West Lafayette Icon

Triple XXX Family Restaurant: A West Lafayette Icon

Steakburgers made from 100% sirloin ground fresh daily…and root beer with old-fashioned flavor—served in a thick glass mug, of course. I’d heard about the Triple XXX Family Restaurant for the past few years and was anxious to eat there during our recent visit to Lafayette and West Lafayette, Indiana. The food, the root beer and the nostalgic ambiance of this counter-service-only diner take you to a time long past. Read more

Driving through Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Driving through Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. President from 1901 to 1909, is known as the “conservation president.” He created the U.S. Forest Service and also established numerous national forests, bird reserves, game preserves, national parks, and national monuments. It’s fitting that North Dakota’s national park, an area where Roosevelt hunted, ranched, and grieved the passing of both his wife and his mother, is named after him. A drive through Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located in the North Dakota Badlands, was a highlight of our week-long road trip through North Dakota last summer. Read more

Ohio River Scenic Byway: A Day in Historic Newburgh

Ohio River Scenic Byway: A Day in Historic Newburgh

In the mid-1800s Newburgh, Indiana, flourished. Steamboat traffic and coal mining were big industries. Warehouses lined Water Street. Mills and small factories contributed to the town’s success. Today, the steamboats, mills and warehouses are gone. A walking trail parallels the Ohio River, with benches on which you can sit for a while and watch barges that still ply the glistening waters. Restaurants and shops attract visitors. The atmosphere is casual, resort-like. However, the town embraces its historic roots, combining the old with the new, as we discovered during our visit to Newburgh during our road trip last fall along Indiana’s Ohio River Scenic Byway. Read more