Weird Indiana July 2020

Featuring: Kathy, Jean, Daphne, Erin, Brendan and Owen
Natalie's Flower Farm
         
Our first stop was Natalie Zacher's Flower Farm in Rensselaer...She let us add paint to her shed

         
Erin painted mushrooms to honor my Mushroom Garden by my Stop Sign
Quote: Love my Nat--Such a fun tour of her flower farm!....Jean

The Ruins at Holiday Park, Indianapolis
         
Ruins....Erin and Daphne....Kathy checking out the headless statue
            
Kathy as a statue....Taking a break

   
In 1898, New York’s first skyscraper, the St. Paul building was built. On the facade were three massive statues made of Indiana limestone. The statues, called “the Races of Man” represented the African-American, Asian and Caucasian races laboring together as they appeared to hold the skyscraper on their backs.

               
A beautiful garden....We traveled in Jeff's truck
Quote: Cool Rome Vibes....Daphne
Quote: I liked the headless statue and posing as a statue....Kathy

Indianapolis Art Center
         
Artist John Andrew Spaulding's sculpture is a cast bronze bust of a black boxer in his early twenties. The Black Titan features are dramatic - bulging eyes, a large nose, and large ears. His hair is short and cropped.

         
The chrome stripes in my toenails match this art....Brendan enjoying the "Art Walk"
Quote: A winding trail of sculptures and community art. A must-see if you're in this area of Indy....Jean.

               
Visiting "The Twisted House" made some of our group nauseous. Owen looks like he's escaping from it.
Quote: Almost threw up....Erin

         
The girls leaning on an exhibit....Owen walking on the same one....Erin's Two color, arty hair

The Giant Comb and Some Cool Murals
   
The Giant Comb Bike Rack
Quote: I had to run out and risk my life to take a picture of this bike rack in the street....Daphne

   

   
Fun Murals
Quote: Awwww, look at the widdle kitties....All of us...(Except maybe Brendan and Owen)

Bagel Ripple Deli

      
Having a fun lunch

         
Very fun decor...Where else would you see a globe on the ceiling?

Idle Park
      
This Museum was closed so we headed to Idle Park

            
Why not play your ukulele?

   
This gabion is a cage or box filled with rocks for erosion control.

      
Sitting in the chairs from Busch Stadium and a drone picture of Idle Park
Quote: Unique vibe, loud but calming....Daphne
Quote: Vroom vroom....Erin

Lonehenge

      
Lonehenge, Indianapolis....The real Cadillac Ranch in Texas (picture taken by either Kathy or Alissa) September, 2019

Official Description: Although inspired by Cadillac Ranch in Texas, what we generously call "Lonehenge" has only one car, and it's not a Cadillac -- it's a 1964 Pontiac Bonneville planted vertically in the ground, nose up. Unveiled in April 2015, the canary yellow car stands next to a picnic table in a small park that was built in a lot formerly occupied by a condemned house. The Bonneville was chosen as a tribute to the area's Chicano roots and traditions.
Quote: I remember the three cats....Owen
Quote: No. Just no....Jean

Jail
         
Our jail for the night....across from the court house in Rockford

      
Daphne and Erin had the "Gangster" suite downstairs while Brendan and I shared the "Harley" cell and Jean and Owen were in the "Bonnie and Clyde" cell
Quote: Premium....Owen
Quote: Not at all accurate to a real stay at jail...Erin
Quote: Fave place, not too fancy, best bed and sleep I ever had....Daphne

Side Trip to Hog Pit Biker Bar
      
Making sure the Grandkids write in the journal

   
Erin's body art

      
Motorcycles...Brendan tries one out
Quote: Very good, love the atmosphere....Daphne
Quote: Loved the vacation feel atmosphere here....Jean
Quote: Not an obvious Biker Bar....Kathy

Back At The Jail
         
Back at the jail we sat in the lobby and played games....some of us had rocking chairs
We were the only ones there and had a blast
We played "Joe Name It"....a trivia game
Then Erin read some of our fortunes...fun
And Brendan's shoes almost blend into the floor
And it was time to write on the walls

         

         
Quote: Surprised we could write on the walls....Brendan

Aaron's On The Square
            
We had breakfast at this bagel shop next to the jail.
Quote: The owner is from Chesterton...Great place!....Jean
Gas Station Sign Garden
      

      
36 free-standing signs set on 18-foot-tall poles, collected by Alan Ray Whitaker, who's only been at it since 2013. Signs range in age from 1934 to 1961. Bonus: Roto-sphere!
Quote: Very hot out...would rather have seen all the different signs from the A/C in Dad's truck....Brendan
Quote: I didn't know any of the gas stations so it was meaningless to me....Erin
The Grover Museum
            
We chose to visit this museum because it has an old time street....but it was closed....darn. It was interesting nonetheless.
Quote: We saw a great WWII uniform for a woman....Kathy
Quote: Lame but cute....Daphne
Goodwill
            
Our idea here was to give everyone $10 to buy something silly.
But it was real money so we changed the contest to take a picture of something tacky or silly.
And Erin even decided to keep the money instead....lol.
Quote: Always a "Good" time. "Will" go again....Kathy
Quote: Crowded and sensory overload headquarters....Erin
Quote: Loved it....Daphne
Courthouse With Tree
      
The courthouse of Decatur County has a tree growing out of the top of the courthouse tower. This tree has been mentioned in publications throughout the world, including an episode on the television show, "Ripley's Believe It or Not", and causes thousands of visitors to come to Greensburg each year.
Quote: Lame....Daphne
Quote: The locals are so proud of this courthouse oddity. They call their city "Tree City". Much better than a nudist colony....Jean

The Sunset Grill
         
Owen climbing from the back seat of the truck....Mayo packet to remind me that Brendan had a BLT for all three meals today!
Jean asked for my debit card so she could pay the bill.
And then I saw why! Of course I approved.
I did mark out the "itc" in "bitch" because it has my name on it and I'm way too prissy for that...lol.
The waitress was very grateful and said we made her day!....Nice
And yes, I've done that myself before.
Quote: Six motorcycles in the lot. More than at the biker bar we ate at last night....Kathy
Quote: Cool place...Beautiful view....Daphne
Quote: Too many confederate flags, very scary....Erin

The Mansion
         
Sure is imposing and very interesting

         
A sitting area....The tub is in the room between our suites

         
My private room (with a rocking chair!)....The main room for Daphne and Erin
We played a song game in the sleigh bed (three players sat and the headboard and the other three sat at the footboard)
The second-borns beat the first-borns quite handily (34-2)....sigh
Quote: Very good game because I'm good at it....Erin
Quote: Very bad at it but fun....Daphne

         
From one of the journals on our dresser
Quote: Too fancy for our group....Daphne
Quote: The ghost wasn't very nice....Erin

         
Interesting painted vent....A cute towel....Some neat lamps

         
The Lahm suite with a copper tub

   
A very nice breakfast
Quote: Breakfast casserole, sausage, muffin, fresh fruit and biscuit....Jean
Quote: Very nice #fancyaf....Daphne
The Railroad Cafe
               
We had the fancy window booth....Erin took a bunch of goofy pictures of Daphne
Quote: Fun little cafe with good food....Kathy
Quote: Very good gravy and service....Daphne

PaulHenge, Amish and Cows
            
Versailles, Indiana: Paulhenge
A Stonehenge-style monument made of upright slabs of cement with holes where the sun shines through on solstices and equinoxes.
Named for its builder, Paul Morris.
Quote: Check out the "H2O" tag on that cow....Kathy
Dairy Belle
   
Our ice cream fix place for the day
Quote: Good ice cream....Kathy
Quote: Shakes were melted, but quaint little place....Jean
The Castle
      

      
Quote: Built in 2012...what attention to detail! Fine custom linens,very neat and clean. Truly a feeling of royalty....Jean
Quote: Newish and in the middle of nowhere...Host very nice and hands on....Kathy
Quote: Very cute and chill....Daphne

         
Jean and the boys were in the "Tapestry" room

         
Playing chess and chilling in the library
Playing charades with a blow-up dude

The charades game came with a blow-up doll you could position to present a clue
Quote: No comment....Jean
Quote: Got a couple of weird looks....Wonder why....Erin
Quote: Very fun...#RIPDude....Daphne

And Then We Put On A Play That Jean Wrote For The Occasion
               
Jean knew ahead of time that there was a "dress-up" room so she wrote a play for us to perform
The plot had to do with who was going to become the heir to the throne
We all read our parts while we were dressed up and in the library
Quote: Something different! Fun....loved our costumes!....Jean
Quote: Very funny....Daphne
Quote: I liked dressing like a knight but not the "acting" part....Brendan
Haiku
"A rat's paradise"
"Trash trash garbage trash...
Quote: Owen writing a haiku about how bad the haiku topic was....Jean
Quote: I'm the best at haiku....Erin
Quote: Lesbian kittens....Erin 


We stopped at Culver's on the way home. It was the only time we had to eat in the truck.

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