Showalter Fountain is one of IU's landmark locations. It also is super close to the accessible…read moreparking for IU Auditorium, so there was no way I was going to miss it during a recent Bloomington trip. Showalter Fountain includes a sculpted work from Ralph Laurent showing the mythical goddess Venue coming out of a clamshell (it's actually called "Birth of Venue"). The fountain is named after its benefactor - Grace Montgomery Showalter. It was installed in 1961. For those who remember IU's recent football championship (everyone), you'll likely remember that IU temporarily displaced bronze fish sculptures from this fountain to ensure no major hijinks going on. Laurent was born in France. He immigrated to the U.S. at age 20 to study under painter Hamilton Easter Field. He joined the IU faculty in 1942 and stayed there until retirement in 1961. Showalter Fountain isn't necessarily the fanciest fountain around, however, it's definitely one of IU's iconic landmarks in Bloomington. It was pretty cool to get to see it, especially because I didn't really plan the extra visit. I just looked up and it was there.

Pretty landmark fountain on campus. I love the mermaid theme and the fish around her. It's really…read morenice to walk past the fountain on hot days and feel the slight spray of water as you go by.

Beautiful fountain along Jordan Avenue by the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University…read more Especially wonderful at dusk or early evening when the fountain is illuminated which separates it from the building.

The Pioneer, Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the focal point on the Courthouse Square in Bedford,…read moreIndiana. She is a carved wonder remembering local heroes through the ages in the heart of limestone country. She looks pretty amazing for turning 100 years old in 2024. This is one of the most impressive monuments that I've seen in Indiana. The names of local heroes are posted around the little courtyard surrounding the monument. There is parking near the base of the monument. A few stone benches surround the statue but sitting on the massive limestone steps seems like the thing to do. The City of Bedford was sponsoring Memorial Day concerts across the street during our visit. Well worth a visit when in the area.

In the home of limestone, it seems fitting that one of the most prominent art pieces in the county…read moreis a multi-layered monument made from that material. Located on the west side of the court house, a monument to Pioneers, Soldiers and Sailors rises in a dedication plaza that seems to be a catch all for everyone/everything someone in the county wants to commemorate. The main monument was erected in 1924 and features the artistry of two sculptors. The base of the sculpture rises above eye level and features four sides, each with a relief chiseled into the limestone. The artist was Charles Dodd. Each of the sides is unique in the theme and each features several human images portraying a scene. Standing atop the square pedestal is an allegorical figure representing Indiana. The robed figure stands 14' and was created by artist Harry Easton. Review #2009

Located in the center of the (city? town? village?) of Nashville, this marker points out the artist…read morethat pretty much put it on the map. There is street parking nearby and you should not miss the museum a few blocks away. The marker is on two sides with the front reading, "Photographer, artist, and newspaper columnist Frank Hohenberger moved to Nashville in 1917. Through his black and white, large format photographs, he documented the residents, artists, daily life, traditions, and natural beauty of Brown County. From 1923-1954, he wrote an Indianapolis Star column, "Down in the Hills O' Brown County" that helped popularize the area." And the reverse, "Hohenberger took over 15,000 photographs and negatives during his career, including "The Liar's Bench," one of his best-selling prints. He was commissioned for projects across Indiana and in other states and delivered many illustrated lectures on his work. His internationally popular photographs have been preserved at the Lilly Library, Indiana University." This is marker number 7.2019.1 and was erected in 2019 by the Indiana Historical Bureau, Peaceful Valley Heritage Preservation and Brown County Community Foundation. [Review 20544 overall - 85 in Indiana - 1525 of 2023.]

Driving home after a short stay in Bloomington and came across a sign for the Medora Covered…read moreBridge. Beautifully restored, clean, and there is ample parking and picnic tables. On most days there is a volunteer docent to talk about the history of the bridge and area. A nice spot to stretch your legs and relax.

We were traveling in the area .. I tagged along with my hubby on his work trip but the weather was…read moreyucky cold and rainy .. grey sky all day. So I was bummed and he detoured a bit to let me see this bridge. I love bridges .. and covered bridges are one so cool. They are historic and rare and romantic. This one was great ..very large and not sullied with graffiti. Wish the sky was blue for the pics but at least finally saw something on this trip that interested me.

The Cedar Ford Covered Bridge comes from Shelby County Indiana and now spans the Beanblossom Creek…read morein Washington County, connecting North and Old Maple Groves Roads. The bridge was originally built by the Kennedy Brothers in 1885 but was dismantled and stored. It has since been rehabilitated and recovered. It replaces the Smith Truss Covered Bridge that was built on this spot in 1871 but destroyed by arson in 1976 and never rebuilt. The arsonists were eventually caught. This is an active vehicle bridge and the signs indicate a ten foot clearance with a weight limit of ten tons. My Sprinter van is just under ten feet and well under ten tons so I drove across with caution and had no issues. Very cool to be able to drive a covered bridge, a technology that is just more fun and more awesome than any concrete monstrosity out there. It's a bit of an adventure to get here with some dirt and gravel roads. But it's well worth it! [Review 20572 overall - 109 in Indiana - 1553 of 2023.]

Nice historical society with some solid exhibits. They do a nice job of portraying the history of…read morethe county and have some interesting exhibits that rotate. One thing I was disappointed in was a lack of Hoagy Carmichael representation, since their archive has a bunch of items in relation to him, including pieces of clothing. The only mention of Hoagy I found on exhibit was part of a little exhibit on famous musicians from the county. Hoagy was further down on the list and you had to listen to a bunch of other snippets before you could get to him. I expected him to be more prominent in this location. I really liked that they had reasonably priced gift shop and a really nice selection of used books/DVDs/sheet music, etc. While the exhibit wasn't doing much in the way of Hoagy, I picked up some really nice used items in relation to him.

This local-focused, self-sustaining non-profit is a great find! The Center offers a museum,…read moreresearch library, and gift store. There are many special event throughout the year and the exhibits refresh often. The building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings and the volunteers who work there are amazing. The grounds are beautiful. Museum Admission: $2 adults, $1 children, under 5 Free (most special events are free) Parking: street or one of the parking garages located 3 blocks away Food: none Credit Cards: Visa, MasterCard

Is the respectful, nice dedication and memorial to the veterans of Lawrence County. Is located on…read morethe outside of a golden corral