- Page 38 of 99 - Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

Goldmoor Inn Artists in Residence Teaching January Painting Workshops

I had never touched watercolors in my life—besides the eight-color Crayola® trays that I used in kindergarten. Yet, in only two hours, I created a watercolor painting that I was proud of, during the inaugural session of the Goldmoor Inn Artists in Residence program. The luxury bed-and-breakfast Goldmoor Inn, located in Galena, Illinois, is sponsoring the program for four consecutive weeks during January. Award-winning Chicago watercolor painter Carol Luc taught me and several others basic watercolor techniques during this past weekend’s session. Read more

At Midwest Wanderer we write about a variety of article topics. We like to include a mix of restaurants, attractions, festivals, and accommodations. So I was pleasantly surprised when I ran the list of the Midwest Wanderer 2016 Top 10 (most viewed) posts and the top four were a bakery, an attraction, a hotel, and a festival. Apparently you, our readers, like a variety of topics, too. Here is the list of Midwest Wanderer 2016 Top 10 posts: Read more

In 1867 four Sisters of St. Benedict arrived in Ferdinand, Indiana, from a monastery in Kentucky to teach in the parish school. By the 1870s, with over 70 sisters working at a boarding school they had started for girls in Ferdinand, the group became independent of the Kentucky monastery. Today the Monastery Immaculate Conception is one of the largest communities of Benedictine sisters in the United States, and the Romanesque-style domed monastery they live in is celebrating its 150^thanniversary. We recently visited the Monastery Immaculate Conception, where Sister Christine gave us a brief history of the monastery and took us on a tour of what some call the “castle on the hill.” Read more

Elwood Haynes Museum: Automotive Pioneer Invented World’s Strongest Metal Alloy

As field superintendent in Indiana’s new natural gas industry, Elwood Haynes needed a way to get from gas field to gas field. So he invented a horseless carriage. There were several automobiles being developed around the country at the same time, but Haynes called his vehicle “America’s first,” and the title stuck. Haynes also invented Stellite in the early 1900s. Stellite was world’s strongest known metal alloy. The Elwood Haynes Museum in Kokomo, Indiana, tells the story of Haynes, his inventions and his contribution to history. Read more

North Dakota Day 4: Bottineau to Bismarck

Leaving Bottineau on the fourth day of our summer road trip across North Dakota, we headed south on U.S. Route 83 to Bismarck. Along the way, we visited heritage and historical sites, ending the evening with a riverboat cruise on the Missouri River. Read more

Dining at Key West Shrimp House: Iconic Restaurant on the Ohio River

French Fried Shrimp…Shrimp Orleans…Shrimp Panama…Coconut Shrimp… Shrimp Scampi… Browsing the menu that includes nine shrimp entrees, plus other seafood options, you might think the restaurant was located along the Gulf Coast. But the iconic Key West Shrimp House overlooks the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana.

Editor’s Note: The Key West Shrimp House is closed for business, and the building was sold. The new owners are rehabbing the building for a future business.

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

Goldmoor Inn Artists in Residence Teaching January Painting Workshops

Midwest Wanderer 2016 Top 10 Posts

Monastery Immaculate Conception: Touring the Castle on the Hill

Elwood Haynes Museum: Automotive Pioneer Invented World’s Strongest Metal Alloy

North Dakota Day 4: Bottineau to Bismarck

Dining at Key West Shrimp House: Iconic Restaurant on the Ohio River