2-22-2022 Taco Tuesday
Indiana attractions
Return trip to Harmony Winery
We discovered the Harmony Winery last summer when we were set up at the Highway 40 yard sale a few miles down the road. The winery is in Knightstown on Historic US 40 in a building that used to house a chicken hatchery at the turn of the century. The wines we tried last June during a tasting really impressed us. Thus we were ready for yet another tasting flight of any of the new selections available.
Full shelves, wide selection
Our choices
After the tasting
There were several new wines and some old favorites in the case that we purchased. It is always fun to try new and different wines. The people who own and run Harmony Winery are friendly, helpful and always carry our case of wine to the car. It is one of our favorite places to visit.
“Kinky Boots” coming to Indy Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
The 2022 season at Indy’s beloved dinner theater has a Tony Award winning musical opening next week. Their press release proudly states: Kinky Boots, the Tony Award-winner for Best Musical, struts onto the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre stage for the first time in 2022, featuring music by Cyndi Lauper and a heartwarming tale that’s based on a true story. Opening Feb. 10, this high-heeled hit will bring plenty of sparkle to Beef & Boards’ 49th Season!
This vibrant musical not only won the Best Musical Tony, but also Best Original Score for the talented music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, along with four additional Tony Awards, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
Kinky Boots is on stage for 47 performances through March 27 in the intimate space of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. Tickets include the dinner buffet and select beverages. For tickets, visit beefandboards.com or call the box office at 317.872.9664.
We are so looking forward to seeing this marvelous show. The pandemic stifled so many months of B&B’s productions. It will seem like finally getting to go to visit a dear friend when we see Kinky Boots next week.
Another large vintage 1970 art work
De Wain Valentine was born in Colorado in 1936. He is known for his translucent glass, fiberglass and polyester resin minimalist creations. Of the same time as Robert Indiana of the LOVE sculpture, Valentine has a fine piece in the same gallery room at Newfields (IMA) in Indianapolis.
Vintage 1970 Double Concave Circle (Deep Violet-Red)
Above is the ID plaque at the museum with information about Valentines art
This is an impressive 8 foot tall circle of polyester resin. What we found fascinating was the fact that this striking red circle is a mere 20 feet or so from the Robert Indiana LOVE sculpture. Both were made in 1970. De Wain Valentine lives in California, and developed a unique resin for large scale pieces.
LOVE is over 50 years old
LOVE outside at the IMA in the early years
Robert Indiana was born in 1928 as Robert Clark. His first use of the stacked four letters of “LOVE” was created for a Christmas card in 1964 for the New York Museum of Modern Art. This design creation led to the LOVE sculpture constructed of Cor-ten steel in 1970. LOVE was first put on display at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It made the rounds of several American cities for five years until it returned to the IMA. After needed restoration was performed due to weathering of the steel, it is now displayed inside the museum building to protect it from the elements.
Standing in front of the LOVE sculpture will give you a feel for the size of the letters
Remember 8 cent stamps?
The design was also the inspiration of a USPS 8 cent stamp in 1973. Countless copies of the statue were made and sold over the years, however Robert Indiana had failed to copyright his design, thus he did not reap the benefits.
Even with masks we liked the Van Gogh show
Masks were required for admittance to the Van Gogh experience at Newfields 4th floor gallery called The Lume. We went this week, and even with masks we enjoyed ourselves immensely. You can read another post about our adventure here.
Bench seating in the gallery enabled us to sit as long as we wanted.
Sher checking out the Van Gogh bedroom table, right from the painting!
While insuring social distancing we dropped our masks for this photo op in the Van Gogh bedroom
A highlight was seeing up close and personal Van Gogh’s painting “Sheaves of Wheat”, 1890
Lawrenceburg Indiana Bicentennial Monument
Lawrenceburg Indiana is on the Ohio River across from Kentucky. The pictured riverside monument was erected for the city’s 2002 bicentennial celebration. Two 12 foot diameter clocks face both the river and the land. A 30 bell carillon plays every hour with the peal of bells honoring the struggles of the “everyday man.” Stylized smokestack-styled columns frame the monument symbolizing Lawrenceburg’s long river heritage.
Honoring all branches of the service
Honoring first responders
The monument features bronze statues of soldiers and sailors of all branches of the service. On the opposite flank is a bronze statue honoring the police and firefighter first responders in the act of rescuing a child and passing him to an EMT. The center of the monument is open to the riverfront, however there are flood gates that may be closed, as the monument is also part of the flood control levee protecting the city.
A busy day by the river
Downtown Lawrenceburg
Even though it was a very cold and breezy day on Saturday, we still enjoyed a very nice day trip along a stretch of the Ohio River. It was one of those no itinerary trips. We just drove around and took in the sights.
Standing in front of a large wood chair in Aurora
We took the I-275 interstate bridge over the Ohio River into Kentucky and drove through the Creation Museum grounds. Returning to Indiana we stopped at Lawrenceburg, followed the River Road and went as far as Aurora. All in all we had a wonderful and exciting day as we took in the sights of southeast Indiana.
A power plant on its last years
The Miami Fort Power Station is located on the banks of the Ohio River in Hamilton County, Ohio immediately east of the tripoint of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. This power plant is a dual-fuel power generating facility, consisting of a major coal-fired electrical power plant that is supplemented with a small oil-fired facility.
Photo from Lawrenceburg Indiana riverfront, I-275 bridge and Miami Fort plant ln the distance
With its origin dating back to the first coal fired unit in 1949, the most recent coal unit was commissioned in 1978. Oil fired units were commissioned in 1971. The facility was originally owned by Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company (CG&E) which became Duke Energy. Currently Dynegy is the owner.
View of the power plant from the northbound lanes of the I-275 bridge
The huge plant is impossible to miss when you are traveling on I-275 crossing the Ohio River. It is east of the bridge and the columns of smoke at times are dominant in the skies. As of this writing two coal-fired units have been decommissioned. It has been announced that by the end of the year 2027 or sooner the Miami Fort Power Station will be retired.
A Bison-tennial statue in Decatur County
Indiana’s Statehood Bicentennial was celebrated in 2016. The remnants of that celebration can be seen all over the state in the form of 5 feet tall fiberglass bisons. The in.gov website states: “Indiana Association of United Ways was the proud sponsor of the statewide Bison-tennial Public Art Project. This legacy project helped celebrate Indiana’s 200th birthday by decorating and displaying 5-foot-tall fiberglass bison with an end goal of at least one – if not a herd – of bison on display in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.”
Courthouse with Tower Tree in background
This side says DECATUR
This side says COUNTY
This Bison-tennial beast has scenes from Decatur County painted on the hide. Most of the ones in counties around the state have some depictions of local places, schools or attractions. We’ve seen a few of these colorfully decorated statues around the state, as each of the 92 counties received one or more to custom decorate. This one we found at the center of Greensburg on the Decatur County Courthouse grounds, and is pictured above with its information sign. Note that the header photo show the bison in the raw as they were delivered back in 2016.
Roadtirement 