Photos

Snoqualmie Falls Washington

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One of the most popular attractions in the Seattle area is the Snoqualmie Falls, a 269 foot single drop waterfall. The falls are near the town of Snoqualmie, which also offers interesting attractions to tourists and locals alike.

View from the observation deck

The area became an active logging site in the 1870’s with logs actually floated over the falls. In 1889 a railroad was built, opening the logging trade further. The town of Snoqualmie was platted in 1889 as well, and by the 1890’s Charles Baker had constructed an underground hydroelectric plant at the falls. Some of the original generators still function today.

 

 

 

 

It is very easy to gain access to the falls. Free parking is available, and an easy walk on the pedestrian bridge leads to the concrete paths to observation decks. If you prefer, for $7.00 you can park next to the gift shop next to the observation decks.

Salish Lodge, note the wedding tent

Beautiful scenery from the observation deck

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Salish Lodge and Spa offers high end accommodations, spa, and dining. Many use the striking views as a place for weddings. It overlooks the river, the generating plant and the top of the falls.

The walk to the observation decks is easy with only a couple of places with widely spaced steps. There were quite a few people enjoying the sights, but we felt comfortable and not crowded. The layout was very nice, and all of the paved paths and safety fencing was kept in excellent condition. It is easy to see why Snoqualmie Falls is one of Washington state’s most popular scenic attractions.

The Bears of Blue River by Charles Major, 1901

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When I was in 4th grade I, like most every other 4th to 5th grader in Indiana was introduced to and told to read The Bears of Blue River by author, lawyer and politician Charles Major. Balsar Brent, a pioneer boy of age 13 begins his story when he encounters a huge bear while fishing on the Blue River. Surviving this encounter provides the start of this book, full of nerve wracking adventures, great danger, and many acts of bravery.  Balsar’s subsequent encounters with Indians, bears and wolves successfully provides a dynamic rendering of daily pioneer life in 1820s Indiana.

Charles Major lived most of his life in Shelbyville, and his influence has been most appreciated in the community for years. Major’s first book was published in 1898, When Knighthood Was In Flower which was very successful, having been adopted into both theater and film. He published The Bears Of Blue River in 1901.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statue in front of Major Elementary School, early 1950’s

The statue of Balsar holding his pet bear cubs Tom and Jerry was placed in front of an elementary school named for the author. After the school was demolished in the sixties, the statue remained in storage until it was placed on the town square years ago. Once the new downtown project to redo the square was designed, the statue of Balsar and the cubs was restored and placed in the center of the structure housing the fountain and nice seating.

Graves of Charles Major and his wife, Alice, in Forest Hill Cemetery, Shelbyville

Back when Sher and I were in elementary school, reading The Bears of Blue River was a requirement. I so remember being totally absorbed while reading the book. What a series of adventures Balsar enjoyed. I’ll always remember the excitement and danger of the stories. (Wait ’til you read about the Fire Bear!) I’d suggest if you have kids in the 7 to 10 year old range, get them a copy of The Bears of Blue River. Heck, get one for yourself. You just might enjoy an exciting trip back to pioneer Indiana in the 1820’s.

Travel US 40 the historic National Road

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Why they celebrated the new concrete paving!

One journey that is enjoyable is following portions of the Old National Road, aka US 40. It was built between 1811 and 1834 and was the first federally funded road in U.S. history. The whole route runs an approximately 820-mile-long path through Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Anyway, near Brownsville, Ohio, east of Columbus, you’ll find the Eagle’s Nest Monument. It was erected around 1916 after a 29 mile stretch of the then unimproved and often nearly impassable road was replaced with concrete. The stretch of highway ran from Zanesville to Hebron. The large granite rock has some great markings, including a primitive Conestoga wagon.

The Eagles Nest monument

Conestoga wagon etched into the granite

 

 

 

 

 

You are 220 miles from the start of the National Road in Cumberland, MD.

Get off the interstate and travel the Old National Road anywhere along the route in any state. The signage is excellent and easy to follow, and you won’t be bored!

Treat yourself to the best

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This barn’s Mail Pouch paint job is fading fast.

A Mail Pouch Barn is a barn with one or more sides painted with the slogan:

CHEW

MAIL POUCH

TOBACCO

TREAT YOURSELF TO THE BEST

Starting in 1890 the Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company of Wheeling West Virginia began offering farmers a bit of cash and a years supply of their Mail Pouch chewing tobacco in exchange for painting at least one side of their barn with their slogan. Even without the cash or product, a free coat of paint helps keep your barn siding protected, and this deal would look inviting.

The advertising campaign continued until the mid 1990’s. Over 20,000 barns in 22 Midwest and Southeastern states were painted during that 100+ year run. If you have any of these in your area or when you spot one while traveling, take a look. They won’t be around forever, and are an interesting slice of American rural history.

 

Erick Oklahoma Route 66 attractions inspired Pixar’s Tow Mater

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When traveling east on Interstate 40 into Oklahoma from Texas you should take Exit 7 and head south into the town of Erick and Old Route 66. This former boom town was founded in 1901 but fell into trouble after WW II. The main street is filled with several nice old brick buildings that unfortunately are mostly empty.

Sand Hill Curiosity Shop covered in antique relics

Of special interest in Erick is the relic adorned “City Meat Market” building. This brick is covered in old signs the likes of which would make any antique picker green with envy. This is the current home to the Sand Hill Curiosity Shop. We did not hit Erick on a day that the shop was open, which was too bad.

Remember S&H Green Stamps?

A local shared that the shop is owned and operated by a pair of characters named Annabelle and Harley, AKA the Mediocre Musicians. They will play and sing for you if you catch them there.  He also said that the Sand Hill Curiosity Shop served as the primary inspiration for Disney’s Pixar “Cars”, specifically responsible for the character Tow Mater and the Radiator Springs Curios shop.

Central Indiana polygonal barn built in 1910

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In 1910 a Mr. George Rudicel constructed a rather unusual barn. It has twelve sides, thus the name polygonal. The cone shaped roof is capped with a polygonal cupola and it topped by a square smaller cupola. There is also a large dormer facing the road. This barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It can be found  in Noble Township, Shelby County, Indiana.

Nice profile of the barn

Note the face of the dormer matches the polygonal angled panels

Christmas star on cupola

Round barns were designed for dairy farming, and were not useful for general farming use. By the late 1920’s round barns had fallen out of favor. There was a nationwide agricultural depression after WWI, and easy  to construct prefabricated barn packages were now available. There were 226 round barns in Indiana but 100 of these have vanished from the Hoosier countryside. Many round barns have been restored and are well maintained. The Rudicel barn, also known  locally as the Montgomery round barn, is in need of some maintenance and a good coat of paint.

 

 

Tasty food, good beer and live music at Broad Ripple’s 317 B.B.Q. & Taproom

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On the near north side of Indianapolis is the village of Broad Ripple. It is well known for an eclectic mix of local dining, unique shops and vibrant nightlife. Sher was checking out some of the clubs and found the 317 BBQ & Taproom. It sounded interesting and advertised live music Sunday afternoon. Off we went with our son driving.

The front of the 317BBQ & Taproom

Welcoming entry way

 

 

 

 

 

We were fortunate and found street parking within a few feet of the entrance.  It was pretty hot, but the inside of the facility was wide open with high ceilings and several large fans which made the seating acceptable. The on tap menu was filled with local brews. The two we tried were very good.

Beer on tap menu

The bar

Good, no VERY good beer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the name of “317 BBQ” we were of course curious of what the menu offered. The menu opened from a bar code was rather limited, however we all found items to order. The BBQ baked beans with beef brisket pieces was very tasty. The fried ocra was very hot , crispy and quite tasty. The waffle fries also were hot right from the fryer. Our son really loved the warm biscuit covered with honey butter.

Waffle fries Yum!

Crispy fried ocra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our delicious bar food order, delivered to our table fast

 

While we were enjoying our drinks and food the band was getting ready on the outside patio. There were tables with umbrellas and tents set up for the band to provide a bit of shade. When the band started they played a nice mix of blues, jazz, and as advertised, several Beatles tunes. The heat was too much for us to handle for any length of time, so we did not stay for long listening to the live music.

Outdoor patio seating, tents for the band

Ricks of wood for Pig Pen the smoker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had to get a picture of us and Pig Pen the huge smoker!

All in all, we all really enjoyed our visit to the 317 BBQ and Taproom. The food portions were large, Everything was delicious. The beer on tap that Sher and I had was very good, we would both order again. The staff was very friendly and met our needs completely. Put this establishment on your to do list the next time you are in Broad Ripple. This is the 317BBQ website

A unique tree grows from the roof of Greensburg Indiana’s courthouse

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In the early 1870’s in the then small town of Greensburg, Indiana, some citizens noticed some odd greenery on the roof of the Decatur County Courthouse Tower. As the years went on, the green tree seemed to thrive as it grew. Local officials began to be concerned that the tree could cause structural damage to the apex roof of the tower. Legend says that in 1888 a steeplejack was hired to “trim the tree”. He was said to have found not one, but two individual Large Tooth Aspen trees growing quite nicely on the roof.

Decatur County Courthouse and Clock Tower

Word spread rapidly that Greensburg had two trees growing out of the courthouse clock tower roof. The tree drops leaves seasonally like all deciduous trees. Mystery surrounds the origin of the first Aspen seed that sprouted in the roof. Large Tooth Aspens are not native to Central Indiana. Thus history and legend began to grow around this Indiana town.  For over 130 years trees have sprouted, grown and perished in a cycle that continues to this day. No, the tree you see today is not 130 years old. But Greensburg remains a National Treasure for its oddity known as the famous Tower Tree.

Greensburg is on I-74 between Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Old Michigan Road, (U.S. 421) runs through and by the Tower Tree. Oh, and by the way, do you know how the tree gets water?  Answer: From the spring in the clock.   (cue rimshot)

Bascilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a National Shrine in Texas

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The Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle is a remarkable place in the Rio Grande Valley of Southern Texas. The Basilica has a fascinating history that traces back to the 1600’s in Mexico with a reported miracle. The current location has been the goal for pilgrimages for decades.

The bell tower

The Sanctuary

 

 

 

 

 

While we were staying at an RV resort near by Sher and I decided to go to the Basilica on a Sunday for mass. The Sunday schedule has masses all day, with Spanish, English and bi-lingual. There is a mariachi band providing the music on Saturday and Sunday masses. We opted for the 3 o’clock English mass. The mass was very inspiring.

The sculpture on the sanctuary wall

First Station of the Cross

Free Holy Water fountain

When we arrived, the 1 o’clock mass had not yet let out, and the parking lots were very full. I was able to find a handicapped spot. The complex has lots of support facilities. There is a hotel for pilgrims and a very large gift shop. We went to the gift shop as we had time before the 3 o’clock mass. The gift shop was filled with about any kind of religious item you can imagine. The stations of the cross are set up along a beautiful path that winds through the grounds.

When in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas you should consider a visit to the Basilica. Read up on the history and other information before you go. This is the website link.

We shopped the famous Highway 127 Yard Sale

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Map of the Sale Route

Every August a truly massive American event takes place along the Highway 127 corridor as it stretches 690 miles across six states from Addison, Michigan to Gadsen, Alabama. This is the world’s longest highway yard sale and  is currently taking place from Thursday thru Sunday August 9th.  Sher, our son and I packed some snacks, drinks and headed towards Cincinnati , knowing we’d cross the north south running route 127 just inside the Indiana – Ohio border.

We found our first sale just before we hit 127. A steep driveway led to a fairly large yard already full of customer cars. Driveway and garage full of stuff! Found a couple of items we bought, so off to a good start.

The two important type of signs today

We centered our searches for sales in and around Fairfield, Ohio, 25 miles or so west of Cincinnati. Lots and lots of homes were taking advantage of the crowds , Yard Sale signs were everywhere. Often you could park your car within walking distance of three or four houses selling. No pictures of houses and setups for privacy.

Inside a church sale, a bit of everything available at this stop

The types of items for sale at these stops is quite frankly rather amazing. Some houses had a majority of used clothes. Some have single categories like sports cards, furniture or framed art work. Others have a mix of anything and everything. That is part of the fun of shopping at the yard sales: you never know what you’ll find.

Heavy Pewter Paperweight bought during our adventure at the 127 Yard Sale

Our eBay listing for the horse paperweight: click here

The skies darkened, ominous clouds and far off rolling thunder soon ended our shopping as folks began to cover their items with tarps or other covers. Soon there were no more houses with goods for sale. We headed back home to Indiana driving through unbelievable amounts of driving rain.  This added to our adventure for sure. But we made it home safely after a successful day of yard sale shopping.