Holiday World, Santa Claus, Indiana: Family Friendly Theme Park

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana August 20, 2014April 23, 2015Holiday World IN, Santa Claus IN, Santa Claus Indiana, Splashin' Safari 0 Comment

Don’t get me wrong. I love adventure. That love affair, however, doesn’t extend to the sensation of falling to my death. I am not a roller coaster lover, never have been and probably never will be. Nor can I tolerate spinning and spinning on a ride until I am nauseous. But I love theme parks anyway. I enjoy the festive atmosphere, the shows, and the rides that don’t totally freak me out or make me lose my lunch.

I visited Holiday World, in Santa Claus, Indiana, with my daughter and granddaughter and was pleasantly surprised at the number of options both for me and for my granddaughter who is too old to go on rides designed for little kids but not quite ready for the big stuff. My daughter went along with whatever we wanted to do. Holiday World categorizes their rides by Child, Mild, or Wild, helpful in determining which rides to choose. All of the rides we went on were rated Mild. The park is family friendly in other ways, too, from the shows to budget-friendly menus, including free beverages.

The Rides
We did actually go on a roller coaster. It wasn’t the Voyage, the #1 Wooden Coaster in the nation according to TIME magazine.

We went instead on the Howler, about as much as I could brave.

All three of us rode the carousel.

And later took a twirl on the Turkey Whirl.

I took a pass on the Kitty’s Tea Party, though, and I’m glad I did. At the rate that my granddaughter was making the teacup spin, my daughter came stumbling off of the ride in dizziness. I could only imagine what state I’d be in if I’d ridden it.

The Holidog Express ride was on the short side. Whereas at many theme parks the train goes around the park and you get somewhat of a guided tour, this one was more entertaining for small kids, going past cute nursery rhyme scenes.

When my granddaughter saw all the other kids driving the old-fashioned cars on the Lewis & Clark Trail, she jumped right into the driver’s seat at took off at top speed. I thought for a minute that we’d be the first car ever to jump the track.

I didn’t get photos of my two favorite rides because one ride was too wet and the other too dark. I had taken freezer bags with me to tuck my phone and wallet into during the water rides, but found that Holiday World provides free lockers at the Raging Rapids. Put the items you don’t want to get wet into the locker, take the key, and your possessions are kept safe and dry for the duration of your ride. We didn’t get too wet on the Raging Rapids after all, whereas the folks on the other side of our raft got drenched in the waterfall. If you do get drenched and want to dry quickly, Holiday World has family dryers near the exit of the ride. The cost is $5, but since we didn’t need it, I didn’t check to see how they work or how well they work.

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My other favorite ride was the Gobbler Getaway. You sit in a car that takes you along a dark track and shoot a laser gun—er, a turkey caller—to try to round up the turkeys in time for Thanksgiving.

The Shows
From “Santa’s Storytime” and “Holidog & Friends” geared toward the little ones to song-and-dance shows and a thrilling diving stunt show, those who want a break from the rides will find an option to suit them. Several shows are scheduled throughout the day in both indoor and outdoor theaters. We had time for just one performance, which was a Christian show called “EPIC Praise.”

Free Beverages and Reasonably Priced Food
Something I haven’t seen before at any theme park is free soft drinks. Holiday World has several Pepsi Oases throughout the park with complimentary self-serve soda and water. Food prices are listed on the web site along with an allergen-friendly menu, a healthier options menu and nutritional information, making it easy to plan ahead.

Splashin’ Safari
Pay one price and you get into both Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari. In fact, you don’t have to leave one park to go to the other. The Splashin’ Safari entrance is located within Holiday World. Because we had only until early afternoon before we had to leave, we didn’t get a chance to experience Splashin’ Safari, but it looked like a lot of fun with water coasters, water slides, wave pool, a river ride and areas geared toward young children.

More Free Stuff
Besides free soft drinks, free sunscreen is available in both Splashin’ Safari and Holiday World. In addition, inner tube use in Splashin’ Safari, parking and Wi-Fi are all free.

Even though we got in quite a few rides before we had to leave, there were still a few more rides, a lot more shows and an entire waterpark that we left unexplored, which means we will have to make a return trip. No matter whether your family includes older kids or adults who love wild rides, small children or wimpy grandmas, you’ll find plenty to fill at least one day, if not two or three, at Holiday World and Spashin’ Safari.

Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, located at the junction of Highways 162 and 245 in Santa Claus, Indiana, are open May through October, but the schedule varies throughout the season. Check the web site for the exact schedule, hours and ticket prices.

Disclosure: My visit to Santa Claus was hosted by the Spencer County Visitors Bureau. However, we paid our own way to Holiday World. Any opinions expressed in this post are mine.

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Touring the University of Notre Dame Campus, South Bend, Indiana

Connie Attractions & Events, Indiana August 19, 2014August 20, 2014Indiana attractions, Notre Dame, Notre Dame campus tours, South Bend, South Bend attractions, Tour Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame 0 Comment

Football, the Gold Dome and top academics were really the only things I knew about the University of Notre Dame before I toured the campus last month. Having been there only once, decades ago, I didn’t remember, or maybe didn’t appreciate at the time, the beauty of the campus, including the fascinating art and architecture, as much a draw for tourists as the school’s athletics programs.

I had the honor of taking a tour led by 1964 Notre Dame alumnus Jack Lafferty, who often conducts private group tours of the campus and is a wealth of information about the buildings, the artwork and the history of the university.

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There are so many different varieties of trees on the grounds, the campus can actually be considered an arboretum. From the beginning, Father Sorin, the university founder, brought a diverse variety of trees to the campus, and the tradition continued later. This sycamore is about 250 years old.

The Main Building, used mostly for administration today, was built in 1879 after the original building was destroyed in a fire. In the beginning the Main Building included classrooms, dining and living space.

The building, on the National Register of Historic Places, Is best known for its gold dome with a statue of Mary, Mother of God, atop of the dome. The dome has been regilded five times, the latest in 2005 at a cost of $300,000.

Inside the building, stand in the circle on the floor in the center of the building and look up to see the inside of the dome.

The Rosary Crown, on display in the Main Building was originally planned to be placed on the statue atop the dome. Commissioned in France by university benefactors, the Rosary Crown includes fifteen decades of crystal beads and fifteen plates depicting the mysteries of the rosary. The crown was never placed on the dome but instead was placed on another statue of Mary inside Sacred Heart Church, was stolen, recovered and repaired.

The Grotto at Notre Dame is a one-seventh size replica of the Grotto of Our Lady of the Lourdes in France, where the Virgin Mother appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. The rosary is prayed at the grotto every day at 6:45 p.m.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart may or may not be open to tour, depending on church events, but if you get the chance, do go in. The beauty will astound you. The basilica wasn’t open for tours on my visit, but I went to Sunday Mass there and was able to see it then.

Sculptures and other works of art are scattered throughout the campus, but a few of them stand out due to sheer size. The Stonehenge Fountain serves as a memorial to Notre Dame alumni who lost their lives in the military.

At the Hesburgh Library, a large mural, known as “Touchdown Jesus,” reflects in the Reflecting Pool, creating a double image.

Moving to the athletic side of Notre Dame, you can view seven Heisman trophies in the Sports Heritage Hall of Fame during the school year. Recipients are allowed to take them home during the summer months, so on my visit, only one Heisman trophy was on display.

The Sports Heritage Hall of Fame is located in the concourse of the Purcell Center, home to the Fighting Irish basketball and volleyball teams.

We didn’t get to tour the football stadium, but we did go past it and peek into the gates, which were under construction at the time.

A helmet for each All-American Notre Dame player is on the wall inside the gates.

Each of the stadium’s twelve gates is named after a winning coach. Notre Dame has had eleven national championships, so one gate has yet to be named.

The Notre Dame architecture, art and athletics are worth a visit to the university campus. As I mentioned, my tour guide, Jack Lafferty, conducts mostly private tours. However, free public campus tours are led Monday through Friday by Notre Dame students. Tours do not include the stadium. Check the Notre Dame web site for tour details.

Disclosure: My tour of the University of Notre Dame campus was hosted by Visit South Bend, but any opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Kenosha Kingfish: Baseball in a Historic Stadium

Connie Attractions & Events, Wisconsin August 18, 2014June 19, 2018Kenisha Wisconsin, Kenosha attractions, Kenosha baseball, Kenosha Kingfish, kenosha wi, minor league baseball, Simmons Field, things to do in kenosha, what to do in kenosha 0 Comment

Major League Baseball has Wrigley Field, attracting fans as much for the old-time ballpark atmosphere as for the game itself, with its ivy covered brick walls and manual scoreboard. Likewise, summer collegiate Northwoods League baseball has Simmons Field, another historic ballpark, albeit on a much smaller scale. Simmons Field is home to the Kenosha Kingfish. Read more

Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa: Remembering the Day the Music Died

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa August 13, 2014February 3, 2017buddy holly, buddy holly crash, buddy holly crash site, buddy holly death, buddy holly plane crash, Clear Lake, clear lake iowa, clear lake surf ballroom, surf, surf ballroom, surf ballroom and museum, surf ballroom buddy holly, surf ballroom clear lake, surf ballroom ia, surf ballroom in clear lake, surf ballroom iowa, the day the music died, the surf ballroom 5 Comments

The 1940s-era L-shaped brick building in Clear Lake, Iowa, looks rather plain from the outside. The only indication of the building’s fame is a memorial marker noting the deaths of three 1950s rock-and-roll stars. The Surf Ballroom is the last place that Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson played before they lost their lives in a plane crash just a few miles from the ballroom. Read more

Traverse City Wineries Magnet for Wine Lovers

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Michigan August 11, 2014May 25, 2017Leelanau wineries, Michigan wineries, old mission wineries, Traverse City wine, Traverse City wineries, wineries in Michigan 0 Comment

It’s not uncommon to see groups of young women, very often bachelorette parties, hopping from winery to winery via limousine along Midwest wine trails. Wine tasting is a popular date among couples, too, standing at the tasting bar, sipping a half dozen or so wines and then moving on to the next winery along the trail. In the past couple of decades the number of wineries in the Midwest has exploded. It seems the more wineries on a trail, the more popular the trail. Traverse City, Michigan, and nearby Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas are home to over 50 wineries. The area is a magnet for wine lovers. We visited some of the Traverse City wineries during our recent visit. Read more

Dining at the Original Famous Dave’s, Hayward Wisc.

Connie Food & Drink, Wisconsin August 8, 2014July 25, 2024Daves famous bbq, Hayward WI, Hayward WI restaurants, Hayward Wisconsin, Original Famous Daves 0 Comment

Sitting on the back patio overlooking Round Lake in the Grand Pines resort sipping a margarita or a locally brewed beer, watching speedboats whiz by, you’d never guess you were at a Famous Dave’s restaurant if you didn’t know it—until you taste the food, of course. Unlike the cookie-cutter suburban franchises, the Hayward, Wisconsin, location has a personality of its own.
Editor’s Note: The original Famous Dave’s is CLOSED due to fire.