It was mid-August. Since leaving Glacier National Park at the end of June, we were moving east at a faster-than-normal pace. Seventeen camping spots in seven weeks. Our stay at Horseshoe Lakes RV Campground in Clinton, Indiana—just outside of Terre Haute and in the middle of a cornfield—was for two and a half weeks in one place.
It was quiet. Almost too quiet. And the heat and humidity rivaled our home state of North Carolina. The highlight, by far, was that our stay overlapped for one week with our friends, Liz and Paul. We visited with them several times before they headed south, driving into Terre Haute for lunch at the Grand Traverse Pie Company (a referral from Rachel who interned in Terre Haute), and helping Liz with her dog, Mango, who needed some emergency veterinary care. Mostly, we retreated into our Airstream to bask in its coolness (literally and figuratively!).
Another highlight was driving about two hours to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we have the VIP Grounds Tour button to prove it. It was first built in 1909 and has grown into an international destination location for auto racing enthusiasts over the past 100 years. A tour around the track and into the pagoda at the finish line, kissing the bricks (so to speak…), exploring the track’s inner circle, and visiting the museum made this a worthwhile trip in a relatively lonely section of Indiana.
As we headed toward Kentucky, I was determined to visit a couple of the national monuments that are in my Passport book for national parks. I love this book because I am discovering national parks and monuments I didn’t know existed. Another great resource is the National Park Service’s app (NPS – free). The beauty of the Passport book is getting the date stamp with the park’s name in it. It is a handy tool to keep track of when and where we’ve been and a nice keepsake for the future.
One Indiana visit was to the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. We didn’t know who he was, but now we do. No history lesson here as there are many resources for those interested to learn more, but he was instrumental in our success during the Revolutionary War. He is also a brother to William Clark of the Lewis and Clark explorers. This historic park is situated on the bank of the Wabash River. A beautiful setting, an interesting memorial, and an informative museum and film.
Another visit was to the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. Points of interest included the boyhood cabin site memorial, the grave site of his mother, the trail of twelve stones, and the living historical farm just a few steps from the cabin site. The trail of twelve stones is a trail of stone markers memorializing important moments in Lincoln’s life.
Indiana might not have grand vistas on which the eyes can feast, but it is rich in history—both culturally and politically. Just don’t get lost in the cornfields!
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