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Best Ever Rest Stop in little Indiana

Jessica Nunemaker — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:30:46 +0000

I made an amazing discovery a few short weeks ago: the nicest, bestest rest stop in all of Indiana! A grand claim, I know. So, technically it was a rest park – and no, I didn’t realize there was such a thing. Now, however, I will be on constant alert or, in the words of Barney Fife, “Constant Vigilance.”

Once upon a time I was one of those people who used to hate stopping. Whenever I was behind the wheel I would drive and drive and drive until we reached our destination – or until hubs threatened divorce unless I pulled over at the next rest stop or else.

But after exploring little Indiana so much this past (not quite) year (and the addition of children doesn’t hurt either) – I’ve definitely learned to go with the flow.

It really isn’t only about the destination – it’s also about enjoying the ride. If I hadn’t finally figured out that life lesson, I might have missed this tidy little gem smack dab in the middle of nowhere (like so many other tucked away bits of little Indiana goodness).

The Hibot Thornhope Rest Park had picnic tables and would be absolutely perfect for a picnic! Not only that – it smelled amazing. I thought it was just my nose being a little oversensitive and glad to escape the smell of Cheerios that seems to have become a permanent part of our car’s upholstery — but as we were pulling away I noticed the sign that mentioned the wildflowers.

Somehow I didn’t notice the sea of wildflowers that completely surround this Indiana rest park. It was absolutely beautiful and completely unexpected. Consider this short n’ sweet post just another reason why it pays to slow down and enjoy the ride (and yes, that means to put your cell phone away already and reconnect with hubs and the kids!).

Just South of Thornhope, Indiana in Pulaski County on US-35 (map is location of Thornhope)

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Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana is a Dairy Good Time

Jessica Nunemaker — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:48:25 +0000

Maybe it’s the tidiness of the buildings, the lovely landscaping, or maybe it’s just the prospect of award-winning cheese (or maybe that’s just me, I do love cheese!) – whatever it is, pulling into Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana’s massive parking lot made me almost giddy with excitement!

There was a bit of a line but they actually have a few things right there in the entryway that kids can look at – one of those penny machines, for starters, so you better bring along your pennies and quarters!

The first thing we did was check out the 4-D movie – there was just enough time to fit it in before our barn tour! It was super cute and made me jump a few times. Yes, that does say 4-D: this tale of the cow includes spurts of air, splashes of water, and vibrating chairs — in addition to the 3-D experience. You may want to warn any of the more timid young members of your party just so they know what to expect.

After that we toured a super small portion of Fair Oaks Farms in a really nice bus (they only have 19,000 thousand acres or so!). My tip? Wait for the bus so you can be one of the first in line. Don’t be like us and play too long – because if you are one of the last families to board you will not get a seat together – everyone wants the window!

Well, the Dairy Barn Tour was pretty neat. We saw all the cows in their pens – many, many pens! The tour guide informed us about how they clean the barns and how they keep the barns cool in the summer and warm in the winter — and we saw where the babies were kept (which are later sold to other farms).

The more unusual feature of the Fair Oaks Farms tour was also the most unexpected! Did you know that they milk these cows on the bovine equivalent of a carousel? I’m not even kidding.

It spins around slowly and the cows hop on and off as they please. Our tour guide informed us that the cows really like the ride and some days are poky about stepping off of it after their milking is done! While I am not an expert in cow emotions, I would say that that did certainly seem to be the case — they actually seemed to really enjoy it!

You can kind of see how it looks from the picture on the left. It’s just a big circle! I’ve got more of an overview of the thing on Flickr – it would have been too small to see on little Indiana but you can enlarge it over there if you so desire.

My favorite part of the whole thing was the great big outdoor playground type thing. It wasn’t a playground in the traditional sense – there were no swings or merry-go-rounds but what they DO have is really cool! There’s a ginormous milk container climbing wall for all ages (hubs and Kid #1 both climbed it – repeatedly!) and a huge great big inflatable bouncy pillow, a Swiss cheese maze (that hubs got through but I admit Kid #1 and I cheated because we could NOT figure out where to go to get to the end!) and Kid #1’s favorite: the cute little ride-on tractors (that they can really drive!)…to name a few.

Can you tell we had a great time? If you decide to go visit Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana (and you so totally should): plan to spend the day. There’s plenty to see and do! I didn’t even mention the birthing barn!

Little ones may not get as much out of the barn bus tour (it’s too long for short attention spans) but there is a toddler play area inside where some other member of your group could hang out and watch them if they don’t much care either way. Also: bring socks. If you go to Fair Oaks Farms in Fair Oaks, Indiana on a sunny day, the bouncy pillow gets super hot!

As always, see my Flickr Page for more little Indiana and Fair Oaks Farms goodness!

Fair Oaks Farms
856 N 600 E
Fair Oaks, IN 47943

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The Circus Comes to little Indiana

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:30:39 +0000

Why do I live in a small town in Indiana? I think the knock on my door the other night can help explain this one. To start with, most people don’t knock on our door, they walk right in! For another – it was a neighbor a street and a half over inviting us to a circus put on by her visiting grandkids…who also happen to be in a circus club (and to bring a side dish to share)!

We had no idea what to expect. I threw together a red potato and green bean vinegar and oil salad with my farmer’s market purchases from that morning and, well, you can imagine my surprise when – the street was hopping! Fifty people minimum, no problem. They actually had the street closed off at each end – only in a small town, right?

There were chairs set up across the street from the house (as well as chairs that people brought from home), a water and punch table, various large framed circus prints, and a makeshift spotlight over it all. Plus a very long table laden with yummy stuff: pasta salads and dessert pizza, layer cakes and veggie trays.

I didn’t know everyone but it didn’t matter. The kids all played together or chatted while the performers got ready, the grown-ups mingled, chatted, and ate. After the sound check – the circus was on!

What a circus this was! These kids juggled, they juggled while one girl walked slowly between two jugglers, they juggled on unicycles, with balls and clubs — and did figure-8’s (then reversed it!).

A girl stood on a ball and managed to move it between colorful cones. They performed classic skits and walked on stilts. It. Was. Fun! Especially after the show when we could try out everything! Yes, I rode the clown bike which is a lot harder than you’d think! Hubs learned how to juggle and he could even balance on the ball. The circus definitely brought out his inner Carnie!

It’s nights like that that remind us why we chose to live in a small town. Sure, we don’t have twenty brands of orange juice to chose from at the grocery store, yes, you could sit in a lawn chair in the middle of the street on a Sunday in town and not have to get out of the way very often, and yup, you will always see someone you know no matter where you go (two people if you leave the house without make-up), and Cornhole is pretty big in these parts, too. But, then again, so is the sense of community.

Rensselaer, Indiana: Willow Switch – Good to the Last Drop

Jessica Nunemaker — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:30:08 +0000

Rensselaer, Indiana residents are so lucky – they’ve got Willow Switch, a fantastic downtown coffee and gift shop! But, coffee fiend or not, there’s still plenty to love!

First: the coffee! Well, Willow Switch has plenty of coffee varieties all bagged up and ready to go, just in case a single cup isn’t enough. I admit that I’ve only recently discovered a love for coffee — not even a year ago kind of recent. Not until after baby #2 was born did I decide to try it again – and actually liked it (black).

Every time I happen by, I tend to go for some variety of Chai Tea (hot or ice, spiced or vanilla) or a Strawberry and Banana Smoothie. Yum! I’ve heard the Mixed Berry Smoothie is awesome but some habits are hard to break.

Hubs always orders some variation of coffee so between the two of us, I’ve probably tried almost everything. Yes: it’s all good – even with the pound and a half of sugar and creamer hubs dumps into his.

Anyway, this isn’t just a coffee shop – it’s also a well-stocked and very well-kept gift shop! There’s really neat furniture of all kinds, both antiques and reproductions, picture frames – some with gorgeous local photography (by Ardent Papers Photography), quilts, tablecloths, and other linens, light fixtures, and even more! I think it’s the perfect mix of old and new. Something always catches my eye!

So, next time you meander around little Indiana and wander through Rensselaer make sure to grab a drink and a cookie or a muffin for the ride home at the Willow Switch (and maybe a little present for yourself, too!). Seriously, you aren’t still settling for Big Box Burger, are you?

As always, check out my Flickr photostream for a few more images of The Willow Switch.

Willow Switch
215 W Washington St
Rensselaer IN 47978
219.866.7106
willowswitch at centurylink dot net

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Lowell, Indiana: Loads of Charm

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:30:46 +0000

Note to self: do NOT hit the road before making sure kid #1 has a travel cup of water. On that note – the historic downtown of Lowell, Indiana rocked my socks. Seriously – there were so many shops and restaurants you wouldn’t believe it!

First: we walked the strip. What an incredible selection of shops! Antiques, resale, and gift shops all down the length of the rather thriving and very bustling downtown strip. No kidding – there was actual traffic! Well, what I consider traffic in a small town, anyway.

So – yes, there were shops and very few empty or boarded up buildings! And, I know this will blow your mind, but – most were even open on Saturday! The only one that wasn’t (and the one that hubs and the kid were drooling over) was a fantastic train shop! You know it’s a great little place when there are actually people out and about and actually shopping in the historic downtown! That’s always a really good sign!

The only issue I saw with the downtown – it seemed a little less than handicapped friendly. Most of the shops had a step or stairs and the sidewalk itself was quite narrow (I did manage to trip on a step and into a shop which is always a great first impression). With a little help, though, it shouldn’t be impossible – though it was a bit of a bear every now and then dealing with our stroller.

Did I mention food yet? This wouldn’t be little Indiana without mentioning the restaurants – and Lowell, Indiana had quite a few! We received a few recommendations: McVey’s Restaurant and Bar, the new CornerStone Restaurant, and Athens Grill.

Anyway – stay tuned for a more detailed peek into Lowell’s historic downtown shops, that awesome Victorian architecture, the decaying and incredible old public school, and – where we ate (and where you definitely should, too)!

As always, check out my Flickr page for more Lowell photos — seriously, this little place has lots of detail!
Lowell, Indiana; Lake County

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Delphi, Indiana: More than a Day Trip

Jessica Nunemaker — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:38:14 +0000

Delphi, Indiana was amazing. They have history, history, and more history. Okay, so history isn’t your thing? How about tons of festivals year round, really great parks, trails and the canals (the largest man-made canals in the US)! Delphi set the scene for the canals that would later bankrupt the state of Indiana (oops). Ok, I admit I sound like an ad – but even hubs was really impressed with this little place. Like, we could see ourselves living there, impressed!

I poked my head into so many little places: antiques and otherwise, drooled over the baked goods at Stone House, toured the old Opera House (Delphi had not one but TWO opera houses back in the day!), an amazing public library, and rode a 4 wheeled bike with hubs and the kiddos. Yes – there will be more to come on ALL the above – and then some!

Delphi people are my kind of people: talkative, informative, and friendly. Tack on two bonus points for that! From the shop owners to the antique dealers to the ladies volunteering at the Opera House Gallery of Contemporary Art to Mark (another volunteer) at the Wabash and Eerie Canal Interpretive Center (seriously, if you want to know Delphi history, he’s the guy to talk to!), I have a mess of business cards and slips of paper to make sense of – and people to email. You know who you are: consider yourself warned!

My interest is definitely centered on the history of Delphi – and when that happens…looks out! little Indiana will be taking a different turn: interviews. I mean, maybe it’s just me, but it is next to impossible for me to do much more than listen when I’ve got my camera in my hand. The questions always come later, I think, “why didn’t I ask ____?” but by then it’s always too late. Not anymore!

I’ve got emails. I’ve also got a few hundred photos to cull through, organize, and watermark so – if you pop on over to my Flickr account, you won’t find the new stuff just yet. Since I have surpassed the cap placed on a free account – you won’t be able to see more than the 200 most recent shots. At least, not until I cough up the $20 bucks or so to get a pro account.

A special thank you to the Rensselaer Adventures blog for the personal email giving me the heads up about Delphi, Indiana! Go read it, too – there’s a lot of wonderful Rensselaer, Indiana goodness in there (and you know how much I love Rensselaer!).

Delphi, Indiana; Carroll County

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Indiana Fun: Dartball

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:30:17 +0000

There is always something to do in a small town – like, Dartball! I know, I know – I had never heard of Dartball, either — that is up until two months ago when somehow I ended up on a team (boy do I bet they regret that move!).

Now, Dartball is kind of like darts, except, instead of lightweight, easy to throw darts, you have darts specifically made for the game, which are heavier, thicker, and, well, I kind of feel like I have to whip them at the board just to make the 15 feet to the other end (men have 20 feet to throw).

Where do you throw them? Hopefully you can make it to the Dartball board – a ginormous diamond shaped piece of wood that is divided into orange 1st, 2nd, and 3rd bases – and the coveted home run!

The other sections are red, green, or white and labeled single, strike, ball, or out. Guess which one my dart prefers to land on? Unfortunately, it’s not the homer…yet!

If it lands off the board — break out your silver coins! You’ve got to pay up and, oh yes, you will be teased! Have I thrown it off the board? I plead the Fifth.

Teams play six innings and snacks are always provided by the “home” team (you KNOW that whenever church ladies have to do anything with food it’s impossible to resist!) A game of Dartball takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get through (depending on how good everyone is doing).

All ages play this one – friendly competition is a good thing! It’s been a lot of fun – and I am so not good at it. Even so, it definitely helped pass what could have been some long Indiana winter nights (and you know how dark those are!). Meeting all sorts of new people was just an awesome bonus!

Want to see the practice board? You can really tell that it’s gotten a lot of (mis)use – and check out those crazy darts! Interested? Local churches are the place to start – play ball!

Nappanee, Indiana: Aged to Perfection

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:53 +0000

Nappanee, Indiana is an amazing small town. Hey, Time Magazine even extolled the virtues of Nappanee back in the December 1997 issue with the article: A Small Town Sampler. This little place is well known for some big things: it’s large Old Order Amish population (the largest in Indiana), the largest producer of RV’s (that’s Recreation Vehicles for all you city folk), and kitchen cabinets.

Arriving into town after dark, little Nappanee was all aglow. I fell in love! Who wouldn’t? Bricked streets, a brightly lit downtown, and many old, wonderful buildings…just lovely.

We enjoyed walking around downtown and peeking in all the shop windows – all the stores were long since closed for the night – and I really couldn’t wait to get into some of them! Pick up a brochure called Historic Architecture Walk of Nappanee: it’ll clue you in to some of the ogle-worthy homes in the area.

We had a rather unimpressive dinner (our server kept forgetting about us and my steak was completely drenched, and I mean drenched, in gravy). It was a disappointing beginning, but something good did come out of it: we met a very nice woman who volunteered to take us around Nappanee in the morning and give us an up close and personal tour of the Old Order Amish area.

Only in a small town would someone offer to cart around a couple of strangers and not think twice about it. How amazing is that!

The next morning she picked us up from The Victorian Guest House. We toured an Amish General Store, saw Amish schools, cemeteries, homes, and a TON of Amish buggies! We learned so much about the Amish in the area. It was a real eye-opener (stay tuned!).

This little place just had a wonderful feel to it. The residents were friendly, the streets were clean and welcoming, but, unfortunately, this little place is also hurting very badly. According to the Indiana Workforce Development Report for various months, Nappanee, part of Elkhart County, consistently ranks in the top as one of the hardest hit counties by the current recession, taking the #1 spot for unemployment. Not good.

Amish or English, Nappanee needs your business! With such great little shops in downtown Nappanee and the Amish businesses dotting the area it makes a great place to play on the weekend.

Been to Nappanee? Is there a particular time of year or event that just shouldn’t be missed?

Nappanee, Indiana; Elkhart County

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Only in a Small Town

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:30:21 +0000

Only in a small town can you take a tractor-pulled hayride right on Main Street (and beyond)!

Would you believe that someone actually took our picture as we went by? I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought the downtown/hayride trip was funny!

Have you ever had the chance to do something that was so completely “small town” you just had to laugh?