Tag Archives: travel

Patio of grand estate with statues and lake

It’s Grand in Indiana

#wanderindiana, Indiana adventures, travel,

It’s been a summer of travel, to far-flung and often breath-taking vistas. Still, a two hour plane ride back to my second (third?) home in Indiana is always surprising and wonderful.

Too many people think of Indiana as one big cornfield. It does have a lot of cornfields, but so much more. My friend Peggy lives in the northern reaches of Indianapolis, a good jumping off point for exploring the northern areas of the state. So, we set off to visit another friend, Sue, and her husband Tom who live near Lake Michigan.

The lake was riled up when we took a stroll on the dunes of Miller Beach. If you didn’t know better (and also if you didn’t notice and recognize the skyline of downtown Chicago in the distance) you would swear you were at the ocean. The remnants of the end of summer littered the beach: a broken folding chair, a ruined flip flop or two, and a lone sock harboring a colony of lady bugs.

We drove south to a smaller and less wild-looking waterway, Cedar Lake, one of the smallish glacial lakes dotting northern Indiana. A historic resort, Lassen’s, has been turned into a museum which tells the story of the ice harvested on the lake, notable people who lived in the community surrounding the lake, and the resort itself. We took a ride on the replica of the steam powered launch which took visitors from the Monon Line railway from Chicago to Lassen’s for rest and relaxation “back in the day.”

Back in Indianapolis, we took our friend Susan’s advice and visited the Restoration Hardware showroom/restaurant/scenic experience which opened last year in a not-really-historic palatial mansion. Better known as the DeHaan Estate, the property has an interesting backstory you can read here. Among other things, before super-rich time share mogul and philanthropist Christel DeHaan built the mansion in the early 2000s, a seminary for African-American Catholics was located there. RH bought the house and property for a cool $14.5 million.

Who knew, right? But Indiana always surprises me, no matter how many times I visit, and Peggy is the perfect companion to “wander” with and discover new wonders! Here are some of the highlights in pictures:

The first day I visited, the iconic Indiana pork cutlet, which I had craved, was consumed. The typical cutlet sandwich is so huge, we split it and it was still a bellyful. Well, that and onion rings on the side of course…
This is probably many people’s idea of an Indiana landscape. On our way to northern Indiana, we stopped for grilled cheese and super-butterfat-saturated ice cream at Fair Oaks Farm. Not to be missed unless your’e lactose intolerant!
White caps and waves at Miller Beach. See the tiny Chicago skyline view just left of center.
One of two steam launches, called the Dewey Line, at Lassen’s historic resort. We took the 20-minute narrated ride across to the Monon Railway site and back. The launch was the fastest and most fun way to travel from the train to the resort on the opposite side of the lake.
On the way back to Indianapolis, we stopped in Renssalaer, Indiana to take the Ren Art Walk. Historic court house in the background. I liked the pink coneflowers, though there were plenty more murals to gawk at. Saturday evening seems to be the time many locals with souped up cars rev them up and go cruising around the square, so maybe not the most serene time to visit?!
Not officially part of the art walk, but also seen in Renssalaer on a side street. Indiana, keeping it weird!
The Palladian style DeHaan mansion, front view.
View of dining room. It seems the food is underwhelming according to reviews. We just got $5 glasses of iced tea at the wine bar and roamed the house and grounds. You could also just swan in, buy nothing, and have fun being a cheap interloper. (Which, as regular readers may recall, is what Peggy and I did last year in historic French Lick! )
This kind of strategically placed statuary is everywhere, creating impressive sight lines wherever you look.
And finally, another view of the patio with the lake. Tune in to Indiana adventures next year – we’re thinking of going east/northeast next time!

Monumental Moments

Central Pennsylvania, travel,

A visit to Gettysburg is certainly sobering. The main attraction of this small city in south central Pennsylvania (no matter what the tourist literature says about “fun activities for the whole family”) is following crawling traffic through a bucolic countryside to gawk at an endless series of soaring monuments commemorating men killing each other.

That is cynical, I realize. But realistic. The artwork and craftsmanship that went into these monuments is impressive. Standing among the tortured angels and stalwart fallen soldiers and officers on horseback, you are all too aware that thousands upon thousands of men (and some women too I suppose) died horrible deaths all around you.

War is hell, that is clear, and the Civil War battles fought in Gettysburg on July 1 – 3, 1863 were among the most hellish. Fifty thousand dead. Fifty thousand – dead.

It’s difficult to know what to feel. Proud of those who fought? In despair of so much loss of life? Glad that the Union was victorious in the end, and the States united once again? All – or none – of the above?

When we got to the towering Pennsylvania Monument, despite the number of people ambling around the fields and climbing the stairs to view the vista, it was relatively quiet. Until a thundering boom resounded through the staircase; a cannon fired by a park interpreter. Just one boom, but it shook the building, and the psyche of the assembled visitors. For one awful moment, pride, despair and victory seemed irrelevant. Survival seemed foremost.

Maybe, in the end, that is the lesson we take away from a visit to Gettysburg. The deep, basic struggle for survival, and empathy for those who didn’t.

Falling for Southern France, Part One: Limoux

culture, Languedoc, tourism, travel, ,

My sister, the planner, booked a house (“villa” I should say) in Southern France over a year ago, and then populated it with family and friends for a September 2017 stay.  Her husband, my daughter and I were the family and two other couples who were friends of hers made up the balance.  None of us had ever heard of the town it was located in, Limoux, which is located in the southwestern portion of France known as Languedoc.  By the time we approached the date of the vacation, it had reached a sort of mythical status in our minds – the ideal French village, as my daughter half-joked, a la the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast (animation or live action, take your pick).

Tantalizing photos of the charms of the villa had been offered up by the booking agency, although Google street view made the exterior look bland and ordinary.  Opening the substantial front door, a whole new world was revealed.  A Medieval courtyard with vaulted ceiling led to a stage-set of a grand interior, with three floors and amazing views from all windows.  Here, the Gothic church across the River Aude.  There, a hillside with the ubiquitous vineyards.  I would not call it cozy, by any stretch, but rather intimidatingly majestic.

The first full day there, my daughter and I explored the town.  The obligatory historic central square was only a couple of blocks from the villa, over a scenic stone bridge, and had all the usual French town amenities – bakery, butcher shop, wine shop, cafes with sidewalk seating, and a fountain in the middle.   The first day we were there, it also had a portable stage with a spin class instructor blaring out music and loud speaker instructions to a cadre of stationary cyclists.  Welcome to the blend of old and new that is contemporary Europe.

Since we spend a lot of time exploring Limoux (two whole days and in between other excursions) I will only cover some highlights of the town without boring you to tears.  The details of someone else’s trip, I realize, grow tedious after a while.  Suffice it to say that Limoux has many charms, including some very interesting museums.  We started at the Museum of the Piano, which is housed in an old disused church, and was again only a couple of blocks from the villa.   Do you like pianos?  Well, you will love this museum then.  Even if you like old churches, and just nominally enjoy pianos, it is worth a visit.  It also features a concert area in the back, where we capped off our visit to Limoux at the end of the week with a wonderful piano and cello recital.

We also visited the Museum of Automotons, which features life-sized figures created by the enthusiastic and talented artist in residence, brought to some semblance of life (movement at least) by a colleague.   Later in the visit, we tried in vane to find a place called Catharama (which still existed on some maps), only to discover it had met its demise several years back.  (More about the Cathars, infamous 12th century heretics who continue to capture the collective imagination at a later date.)  The Musee Petiet, a nice smallish art museum featuring the work of a local female painter, was well worth a visit as well.  We eventually found the Printing Museum (which is listed as being it two different places) near the river, but no one was inside though the door was open.

A few pointers about Limoux, in case you find yourself in the vicinity some day.  First:  food. Market day is Friday, and the food market is not in the central square but in and around the market building a few blocks from the square.  There are several green grocers in town, though if you crave fruit and veg, and their produce is reasonable and delicious.  (Best peaches ever!)  There are some smallish in-town grocery stores, and on the outskirts of town, there is one of the biggest grocery stores I have ever seen anywhere, not as charming but good for stocking up if you have a car.  It is a much better deal, and in keeping with the local customs, to go out for a leisurely two or three course lunch and make your own light dinner.  Cafes and restaurants abound, cheaper fare being pizzas and crepes off the square.

Next:  transportation.  The train station is convenient, and you can get north or south easily and pretty often, though northward you must change in Carcassonne no matter where you are headed, and southward, Quillan, about 40 minutes away, is the end of the line.  I guess the mountains get in the way from there.  Also, you buy a train ticket but only some of the conveyances are actually trains.  The others are buses, and you have to know the difference because you wait one place for trains and the other for buses.  And, the interior of the train station, with an actual service person to ask for clarification, is only open on the weekdays.  (Trial and error are the watchwords in this part of France.)

Recommended:  find the tourism office early in your visit.  That motto holds true for any town in this area of France, or elsewhere in the world I would guess.   In smaller places like Limoux, this helpful office and its usually cheerful personnel is not open during the lunch hour, however, so catch it before 12 or after 2.

Next up, day trips to Carcassonne, Quillan and Sete, with castles, water features, and sweeping views on offer.  Stay tuned if armchair travel is your thing!