Indiana attractions

2-22-2022 was a busy busy day

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Tuesday 2-22-2022 was quite the day. It was my first full day as a 71 year old Baby Boomer. Not sure how I feel about passing the seventy milestone. With other family gathered together we had a full day of activities  planned.

Sher picked her oils

I liked these two scents

We started off by going to the “make your own” Penn and Beech Candle Company in Carmel, Indiana. They had hundreds of scents to use in the candle of your choice. We had a ball sampling scents, narrowing down to the perfect blend. The scent liquids were then mixed in the hot wax, and left to cool for a couple of hours.

Too good for words

Generous portions

 

 

 

 

 

 

We then went to one of our favorite places for brunch: RIZE. The Carmel location was just minutes from the Candle Company, and of course you have to start with their decadent cinnamon rolls smothered in icing. I got brave and ordered a first time for me duck egg on my biscuits and gravy. Delicious. We then picked up our candles.

Dollar Tuesday Tacos

National Margarita Day

Tuesday the 22nd was notable for several reasons. In the background the Ukraine v Russia crisis loomed. However, in the interest of celebration, we had our dinner at the Cholula Mexican Restaurant and recognized National Margarita Day with some frozen strawberry margaritas. Taco Tuesday, well of course! Cholula’s had tacos for $1 each.

Here are some of the candles we created

What a fun day! Making candles  was quite the experience. Sher and I decided that this was a very enjoyable activity that we have done together. Of course it was most special having our daughter and grandson and our youngest son with us.  I guess being 71 years old is not that bad after all.

 

Return trip to Harmony Winery

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.