SW Indiana things to see/do

Lived in the NE corner if Indiana most of my life and have rarely ever visited the opposite corner of the state. With the nnalert panic going on and travel in the US somewhat restricted we've decided to look at our home state.

Points of interest? The old hotel at West Baden? New Harmony?

Just a couple old farts that like museums, historic stuff etc.

Able to tolerate large urban areas in small doses.

Thanks in advance

Go to the "big" hotel in French Lick and sign up for the tour. They will show you all around the hotel in
French Lick and then you can ride the free trolley car one mile to continue the tour at the West Baden
"Dome" hotel. Very interesting!!! I think you get tickets in the gift shop.

Squire Boon caverns McCormick state park lots history Vincinnes Over look restaurant near cordon
Santa clause ind

Large agricultural museum in Jasper.
Angel Mounds Park in Evansville (Indian
Mounds).

Live right across the river from Indiana, like most said, there is French licks, Angel Mounds, Evansville has the LST docked down
on the river, plus a casino. There is Marango Cave, and the Blue river if you like to canoe. Guess it depends on what your
interest are.

As Jim suggests, Evansville is the home port of the LST 135.

Though just east of the SE corner of IN, I highly recommend the worlds largest triple expansion steam pumping engines at the Cincinnati Water Works Old River Station. Note: Website is currently being
maintained.

Dean
Cincinnati Triple Steam

What ever places you decide on visiting, be sure to call ahead.
I would not trust websites to be up to date.

Would be a real bummer to drive 500 miles to find out they are closed due to THE VIRUS.

Several interesting things (I went to Automotive School in Vincennes in 1978 and 79)and I am from Northern Ind. on the lake shore.
How about a LOOP of the incredible Hoosier State?
From The Angola area, to Auburn (car museums)
Then down Highway 69 to Ft. Wayne (The highest point on the Wabash Erie Canal) grain and manufacturing route to the east.
South just inside the city take US-24 to the south west It is called Hoosier Heartland Highway. (scenic it is) (sharp right turn at Huntington)
Logansport Is the terminus of the Wabash Erie canal where it connects to the navigable Wabash river. The Cass County Historical Society Museums
discuss transportation and settlement of the area.
South of Logansport, the South West direction changes to Highway 25 (still Hoosier heartland Highway)
Battleground is the sight of the Battle of Tippecanoe. A very historic loss for Native Americans. The battle was between American forces led by
Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Indian forces associated with Shawnee leader Tecumseh. (there is a famous name!)
Stay on 25, (the pain getting through or around Lafayette needs some focus)
Highway 25 to Waynetown, then West on 136 to the intersection of US 41. south to Terre Haute. (Many interesting old sites from coal mining, to
manufacturing)
South on US-150 toward Vincennes. Mirom Institute is on the banks of the Wabash (west CR 300s) It is located on a bluff and allows a powerful view
into Illinois, miles.
Vincennes- A French settled town with history including the birth place of Red Skelton, The Abraham Lincoln site, George rogers Clark Memorial, and
the quaintness of the street layout along the river. VU is the oldest higher education institution west of the Allegheny mountains. The institution
was founded in 1801 as Jefferson Academy and incorporated as Vincennes University on November 29, 1806. Founded by William Henry Harrison, VU is one
of only two U.S. colleges founded by a President of the United States.
41 south gets you to Evansville. It is about as far south as you can get unless you want to take roads out to the confluence of the wabash and Ohio
rivers (Old Dam 49 road)
From the target of your trip, I will let others put you in a path back home. I would do the French Lick thing and go back on the east side of
Indianapolis. Much to see. I had fun doing this by the way, thanks. Jim

I second the Squire Boone caverns.
It's been thirty five years since I've been there.
It's the prettiest caverns I've ever been in.

Definitely worth a little time in French lick and West Baden. I live about 15 miles from there so I’ve spent my fair share of time in the casino. If you are coming from the north and using gps it will take you right past my
place in Mitchell after you turn off highway 60. If you do cut through the country you come to a town called Orangeville. I’m not sure I’d call it a town even. At the community center turn left and drop down a small hill
there will be a parking area. This is the rise of the lost river. Where a series of underground rivers surface. It’s not much but it’s worth taking a look at if you are passing through

I live in south central Indiana and
suggest French kick, As others had said,
and also Vincennes. I went to school there
and plenty of history. At the time I was
there ( early 90s) tbere was a military
vehicle museum starting up. Spring mill
and squire boone caverns are both good
place but i think the caves are closed do
to the bat disease.

Diesel tech at VU from 93 -95. Probably in the same old building. Did you ever go out to the purple head Bridge?

Door on one end, alignment pit under a big fan in the opposite end? Jim

Copsaholm Oliver Mansion, South Bend IN.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but has anyone ever gone to the Seven Pillars of the Mississinewa near Peru? Is there much to see and do there?
It sounds interesting to me but it's about a 2 hour drive for us so I want to make sure it's worthwhile before planning a trip.

Sounds right...been a few years. Building was right on the Wabash with a big concrete wall to keep it from flooding?

Yes that is the "new" building. 1970 construction. My description was of the old building south east of campus near the Burger Joint. Jim

Look at the web sight, it is pretty nice. Jim It is not turkey run park, but interesting, and sacred to Native Americans. Jim

If you have not seen one before, you should visit one of the Ohio River dams.

It's worth waiting to see a large river tow lock through.

Dean

I remember when the river got so high we could climb the wall and touch the water. It was about a foot from coming over.

Atlarge54,

I would not make a long distance trip only to see it,.. BUT if you happen to travel anywhere near Boonville, IN - it is a really neat small town.

It has a true town square with the old domed courthouse setting by itself on the block in the center of old townsquare ... surrounded on the east, north, south and west, by streets of old historic buildings containing various shops and businesses. Especially neat, is the old Five & Dime store (with modern prices though).

I beleive there is an historical society mueseum there or nearby... though we did not get to see it the day we were in town.

Los Bravos is a great Mexican restaurant and has great decore, great food in abundant servings with very reasobabke prices, great service.

If I was to be traveling that direction... I would definitely stop to spend a day in Booneville again.

Oh, and it was just last summer thst I was there... so assuming it remains the same.

Though as others have suggested, I would definitely call-ahead before taking off on a long trip due to possible government restrictions these days.

Park County has several covered bridges. Rush County has 5.

If I recall-there is a state park across from Louisville dedicated to George Rogers
Clark, and also about the falls of the Ohio River. History. You can visit the museum
and also walk out onto the rock shelf in the river that used to be part of the falls.
And if you like baseball, the Louisville slugger museum is real close over in
Louisville, and the Frazer Arms museum is across the street.
There is a state park in Nashville Indiana too-Astronaut Virgil Grisom Memorial museum
is in the area too I think. Enjoy, Mark.

The Grissom memorial is at spring mill state lake in Mitchell. Close to newhollandnut. Its a great park with a working grist mill and old time village.

River is low now, easier access from south bank. There is a Miami Indian festival in August, provided....They will have items for sale. Will have to look up the date and add later.

Here's 30 things to do in Northwest Indiana.
Right here

You will want to eat at the Log Inn near the intersection of Highway 41 and Interstate 64 near Haubstadt. Also, you can stop by my
produce stand just North of Owensville since they say we have the best sweetcorn in the county.

Yep Spring Mill state park is right on the other side of town. My wife and son spend a lot of time there when I’m busy farming. In town they also have Gus Grissom’s boyhood home and in the Masonic lodge we have some artifacts from his time as an astronaut and his time as a Mason. My wife’s grandpa is 96 or 97 and grew up just down the street from Gus his mind it getting a little weak now but 10 years ago he had some pretty good stories about him. Another interesting fact about Spring Mill the land was owned by Lehigh Portland cement company and gifted to the state but Lehigh retained the water rights and there are pumps in hammer cave that pump water to a tower at the plant they use for cooling bearings on the kilns. Another thing I would definitely make some calls about is U.S. gypsum at Shoals Indiana. They give tours of their underground mine for gypsum to make drywall. There are 2 plants in Shoals. My dad works at National Gypsum but they shut their mine down about 5 years ago and use a coal byproduct. My dad worked in the mine for 25 years and I got to go down there a few times. It is amazing what can be happening a few hundred feet under the dirt people are farming and building homes on

In Olitic, there is a building south out of town a wee bit on the west side of the road been a while since I was there last. builds quarry equipment. Looks like an old broken down place now, but was the site according to some of the guys working there. That they cut the stone out of there for the empire state building and there are supposedly extra blocks cut to fit by number for replacements. Don't know if it is true or not. It is down by the limestone country of IN. There is a big limestone place right where you turn to go into town off from 37 going east then south on I think it was Old Olitic road or Olitic road. Was about a mile or 2 south to the building. Had a chain across the drive when closed just far enough in to park a semi off the road there.