A beautiful park is located just west of the center of Purdue's campus. The lawn has been…read moresprinkled with some new trees and in the center, the Loeb Fountain blasts 2200 gallons per minute in an array of arcs and jets. The area around the fountain is terraced with flower gardens. To the north of the fountain, several art works can be found. Review #1132

Still in Parke County but outside Rockville, this is another Joseph A. Britton covered bridge that…read morehe completed in 1913. It is a single-span Burr Arch structure. This is originally the site of two other bridges that had been washed away before this one, the State Sanatorium Covered Bridge, was moved to here. It is open to traffic But I opted to take the bypass with the Sprinter van. The road to the east is hard packed dirt and not a great run. Total length of 170 feed with a clearance of 12.5 feet, it would have been fine for my heavy van but I thought, let's not today. [Review 1297 of 2024 - 174 in Indiana - 22320 overall]

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss originally crossed Little Raccoon Creek on State Sanatorium…read moreproperty, about a mile downstream from its current location. It was moved in 2008 to carry County Road 100N across Little Raccoon Creek. #1 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, the bridge was built by J.A. Britton in 1913-- one of the twelve covered bridges that he constructed in the county.

Such a great experience! Extremely informative! The museum has many cool artifacts from Lew…read moreWallace's life as well as props from Ben-Hur film adaptations. The study itself is stunning. Our tour guide Tom was extremely knowledgeable and explained the history of Wallace's life and all the objects in the study in a very engaging way! This is a can't miss spot in Crawfordsville!

If you watch the 1959 movie "Ben-Hur", you will see a story about a man who lived a life that was…read morefitting to be on the big screen of Hollywood. However, if Hollywood wanted to make a movie about a real life man who accomplished a variety of great things, a movie should be made about the author of the novel, General Lew Wallace of Indiana. Born in Brookville in 1827, the man was a war hero in the Civil War, an author of seven novels, an inventor, sculptor/painter, foreign minister to the Ottoman Empire, and governor of the New Mexico Territory. And for a day job, he was a lawyer in Crawfordsville, Indiana where he settled and raised his family. Before living such an active life in service to his country, he moved to Crawfordsville and attended an event at the home of his former commander in the Mexican War, Henry S Lane. Lane's wife was one of the daughters of prominent Crawfordsville business man Isaac Elston. Another of Elston's daughters, Susan, was in attendance. Wallace met Susan which led to their eventual marriage and raising of a son, Henry Lane Wallace. Being a man of means, Wallace acquired property near the Elston family land holdings which is the site of the study and museum. He had the study built on his property that featured a 25 x 25 room with a skylight and walls filled with rows of books. In the study and beneath a large tree just west of the building, Wallace did his writing, sculpting, inventing, and painting. Truly, he was a modern day Renaissance man. If you visit the Wallace property, you can walk the grounds outside the study for free. There is parking by the carriage house or street parking outside the property on the east and west sides. However, if you want to go inside the study and learn more about the life of the man, you can take a tour for only $5. The tour begins in the carriage house with a 15-minute video about Wallace and his most famous creation, "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ". The video room is filled with movie memorabilia. From there, you see some of the property including the site of the former moat, some flower gardens, and a Wallace Statue placed where the tree he used to write under had been. And finally, you get a tour of the study and get to see many of the paintings, inventions, and books that where mentioned in the video. The place has been painstakingly preserved while restoring it and updating things like plumbing and wiring for safety reasons. The room is filled with art and details that were innovative for their time. You can spend a lot of time looking at this extensive collection. Note: there is also a side room that was set up to show some of Wallace's Civil War activities and collections. Tours are available during normal business hours and can be started whenever you arrive unless another tour has already begun. If you are a fan of history and appreciate creativity, then this is a tour you will definitely enjoy. Review #1387

The Eugene Covered Bridge is one of the most accessible bridges in the area. Since the bridge was…read moreclosed to vehicular traffic in 1974, it allows for more exploration of the inside of the bridge without fear of being run over. The bridge was built in 1873 by JJ Daniels using the Burr Arch-truss system. Built over the Vermillion River, the bridge is 187 feet long, with the longest span being 176.8 feet. The bridge also has convenient parking and windows on each side that makes it easy to get great views of the river. The covered bridge uses the familiar red sides and white faced openings of the area. Review #2834

EAGLE CAFÉ AND COVERED BRIDGE I had breakfast for dinner. It…read morewas very good, and the portions were decent. The price was very fair like most restaurants here. The server was efficient and friendly. Most of the servers at these small-town restaurants are like this. I could hear a few conversations around me. I could tell these were mostly farmers. It was very quaint. Being from California, I really appreciate this hometown type of restaurant. I wasn't there for the restaurant. That was just an extra perk. I was there for the covered bridge of the same name next to it. I left Nika in the car to eat and then walked her around the bridge. There was a dog on the other side of the bridge that was chained up out back that barked the at Nika the whole time. The bridge was beautiful as most of them are. I have a fascination for covered bridges. There are none in California. I have been to several since I've been living in Indiana. This one, as most do, has a stream under it. There is easy access to the stream unlike most covered bridges.

Pretty and peaceful bridge. There is some public art on it as well as picturesque views of the…read moreriver. I didn't realize just how close DT Lafayette is with a quick stroll across this lovely bridge. There are some nice trails near it, as well, if you'd like to go on a bike ride or stroll.

As part of the revitalization of the downtown areas of Lafayette and West Lafayette, the John T…read moreMyers Pedestrian Bridge and the Riehle Plaza have become symbols of people coming together. The stroll across the Wabash is not that difficult and the bridge easily accommodates a large number of people. Festivals are held here. As part of the revitalization, a new multi-purpose building is going up next to the plaza which will provide a large patio area overlooking the plaza and bridge. Across 2nd Street is the "Gateway" (see separate review). On the bridge, the "Millenium Sundial" was created in 1999 by artist David Aho. It stands nearly 8 feet tall on a 4 feet square base. The sculpture is on the Lafayette side of the bridge close to the south railing. Although it may have been moved during construction, there was also a memorial sculpture east of the bridge along the upper area of the plaza. The memorial sculpture is called "World Split Assunder" by local artist Mark Parmenter. It was dedicated on Sept 11th, 2003 on the second anniversary of the tragic terrorist attack. The sculpture shows the twin towers with the Pentagon turned on its side to look like a rising star. The towers and Pentagon are made of aluminum. The base of the sculpture is made of limestone and includes a globe that has been split in half with the halves located on each side of the towers. The overall height of the installation is 12 feet. Review #1403

Unless you are a skilled hiker, I recommend going to this beautiful nature preserve when the…read moreweather has been dry. There is about 90 feet of elevation change on the 0.8 mile loop that can be a bit slippery if you pick a time when mud/rain can be a problem. I only explored the north end trail during my visit. After parking in a shaded lot, I went into the park where I had a choice of left or right. The right side has a steeper descent than the left. Fortunately, there is a hand rail for stability. I figured it easier to go down the steep side than up, so I stayed on the right hand path. There is a fairly level area before you reach the "stairs". The stairs are mostly natural, so they aren't evenly spaced. Just keep focused and you should be alright. Once the trail reaches the bottom of the gorge, there are places where elevated paths keep your feet from trekking through the mud. Depending upon how much rain has fallen, you may get some mud, but my feet stayed dry the entire loop. At the base, there are deep ravines where the trees catch the sunlight and light up in brilliant yellow greens. The rocks are layered and take on a rusty color that can make for some great photos. The highlight of the loop is finding the "arch" through the ridge of rock. It was just a bit taller than my head (I would say most folks won't need to duck going through.) After that, you will start working your way back. Although I traveled the same distance up, it was gradual and not nearly as challenging as climbing steps. I didn't see much wildlife there, but there were squirrels and butterflies that showed themselves. I like a short hike that features a destination and great scenes along the way. If you like that too, then seek out this park. Review #2840

Great trail among beautiful landforms. It's a nice hike that makes for a good day trip along with…read moreWilliamsport Falls, Attica, and the courthouse murals on Covington.

This 150 year old, red covered bridge was moved to Highland Park in 1957 by the Historical Society…read more The bridge was originally located in Vermont, Indiana and is the last bridge with Smith type #3 trusses in the State. (Robert Smith was a famous covered bridge designer from Ohio. His unique designs used less wood.) The bridge, which was built in 1875, has a sorted and interesting story of survival that is described on the City of Kokomo's website. I walked across the one-lane bridge on a hot day this week. (The bridge is only open to pedestrian traffic.) The bridge is cool inside, shaded by large sycamore trees. Modern party lights hang inside the bridge to provide light. The bridge spans a creek that runs through the park. The bridge provided a beautiful backdrop for photos. There is close free parking near the bridge. Vermont Covered Bridge is a must visit for covered bridge buffs.

The Crooks Covered Bridge is lovely, surrounded by corn fields in a picturesque setting. The bridge…read morecrosses little Raccoon Creek and was built by Henry Wolfe in 1856, making it the oldest bridge on the Parke County Covered Bridge Festival Tour. The bridge seems to be in remarkably good shape for its age. According to the Parke County map the bridge is passable by car, but there were many nail pops throughout the bridge deck, so we only crossed by foot. A modern raised road crosses creek next to the bridge for use when the creek is low. The gravel roads are narrow approaching the bridge. There is space to park and walk around the bridge. I love how the reflection of the bridge in the water.

Step back in time take a stroll across history. Located across a small stream down a gravel road…read more Makes a nice stop to stretch your legs or take a dip in the stream

Bridgeport honors the local men who served in the Civil War with this elaborate monument in Seaside…read morePark https://www.yelp.com/biz/seaside-park-bridgeport?hrid=VuI9YRr0wFJzrDzQoIr4BA. The monument features a large, granite base with several decorative elements that narrows into a shaft topped by a bronze allegorical figure representing the United States. The monument's side feature bronze statues depicting an infantry soldier and a sailor. The plaque on the southeast face reads, "Dedicated to the memory of the heroic men of Bridgeport who fell in the late war for the preservation of the Union. July 1876." The plaque also features the conclusion of the Gettysburg Address. Plaques on the other faces list approximately 180 local residents killed in the war, along with their unit, as well as their date and place of death. [Review 15155 overall, 657 of 2021, number 12 in Connecticut.]

With my family and I were doing on North East trip we stopped in Bridgeport Connecticut and we saw…read morethis wonderful monument for soldiers and sailors. I've noticed that a lot of cities that I've visited have the same soldiers and sailors monument on this trip. It looks a little different but it's always titled soldiers and sailors so curious might look that up. But anyway there's a nice looking Memorial monument and it just really represents the respect and love for soldiers and sailors and people that have fought for our country and have passed away it's just a nice tribute

I never knew this was here. It was dedicated in 2019 and was funded 100% through donations…read more Brownsburg has a very tasteful and powerful 9/11 memorial right by Arbuckle Park located at Arbuckle Commons. The highlight of the monument is a 1500-pound beam that was recovered from the World Trade Center. It is positioned the same as it would have been in the World Trade Center and is pointing in the direction of New York. The area is small, but powerful. There is a tall flag pole with an American Flag blowing in the wind. There is also a bench facing the beam that you can sit and reflect and an informational placard in front of the flag pole explaining the events of 9/11. This memorial is so surreal and peaceful (even though it is right off of one of Brownsburg's main drags). It is well put together and maintained. The memorial is well groomed and still looks new. I enjoyed my visit here and recommend checking out this place if you are in the area.