Plenty of wandering this past month. I want to give a big shout-out to the Indiana State Fair Hoosier Lottery Free Stage—it’s been fun! Also, visits to Brown County, Mounds and Summit Lake State Parks, Sodalis Nature Park, Vandalia Trail, Amo Pizza, Triple XXX Family Restaurant, Hard Truth, and Purdue.
Let’s start with Nashville and Brown County. What a great place to visit. Besides the State Park, there are so many other places to see. We wandered and wandered to Mountain Tea State Forest, which is one of the new state forests. You can’t be faint of heart to find this place. After a while, you start wondering if you are on a road. It’s beautiful backcountry scenery and hiking. I can’t wait to go back and explore.
In Nashville, we took in a Meat Loaf (Meet Loaf) at the Nashville Playhouse. The Playhouse is such a nice smaller venue for concerts and plays. Nashville’s shopping is lovely, which is not my favorite pastime, but walking the town streets is very enjoyable. I ran the Salt Fork Trail, which is short and very scenic along the creek. It gets you off the beaten path. Nashville also has so many good restaurants to visit. I always suggest Hard Truth, HobNob Corner, Artist Colony Inn, Big Woods Pizza, and Out Of The Ordinary and Hickory Bar.
I took several visits/runs at a couple of state parks. Trail #5 at Mounds State Park is basically a perimeter trail around the park. The trail will take you within eyesight of the Indian mounds within the park. Trail #4 also has some fun boardwalks to try out. Summit Lake Trail #1/#5 is a nice easy trail through prairies and woods. The boat ramp and parking for it are robust. I really enjoyed the beach as well. I prefer the beach vs. the pool when it comes to state parks. I guess that’s because I grew up with beaches.
The 2023 Hendricks County Summer Fun Runs and Walks ended last week. What a great way to get out and visit parks. My favorites from this past month were Sodalis Nature Park, Vandalia Trail, and Gibbs Nature Park. Enjoyable to have County/Town parks close to home to visit. We also enjoy being able to visit local eateries. Amo Pizza is excellent. Grab a pie, go to the Brian Burch Memorial Sports Park shelter, and take in a kids’ ball game.
While working on a recent project, Purdue and West Lafayette have been a place to visit. You can’t go there without getting a root beer at Triple XXX Family Restaurant or grabbing a burger. Old-style diner dining. My favorite. While in the area, you must check out the parks and trails throughout West Lafayette and Lafayette. They are very extensive. Check out the Ninth Street Hill historic neighborhood while in Lafayette. It sits just south of downtown and includes many beautiful homes.
Wow! So many places to wander too. So many other spots that we saw and visited. I wish there were more space to write about them. Send us your places to eat, visit, and wander.