Come to Casey and see the World's Largest Things. They're all over town and it's only a couple of…read moremiles off I-70 as you're passing between Terre Haute and Saint Louis. On the the big ones in the downtown core is this, the World's Largest Wind Chime. It is accessed through the patio area of what looks like a cute restaurant, Whitling Whimsy Cafe, which was closed on Sunday when I was here. In fact, most of the town was closed on Sunday. Still, the Things are accessible. The Wind Chime is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records and are 49 feet tall with the largest chime being 42 feet long. There is a center rope pull so that you can make the chimes sound if it's not a windy day. I like that this one is interactive. [Review 19676 overall - 131 in Illinois - 648 of 2023.]

The World's Largest Wind Chime is located right in the heart of downtown CAsey, IL, (a quaint…read morelittle town with a population of 3,000). The Wind Chime, Rocking Chair and tetter totter are all located right outside or across the street from the Whitling Whimsy Cafe. This is one of a dozen "things" offically recognized as the World's Largest: World's Largest Wind Chime World's Largest Golf Tee World's Largest Pitchfork World's Largest Rocking Chair World's Largest Wooden Shoes World's Largest Mailbox World's Largest Gavel World's Largest Truck Key World's Largest Barbershop Pole World's Largest Teeter Totter World's Largest Golf Driver World's Largest Swizzle Spoon Well worth a detour off of I-70.

Local artist, Michael McAuley, created this bronze statue of local music legend, Hoagy Carmichael…read more Hoagy sits at his bronze piano just outside the IU Auditorium on the IU campus. The patio is surrounded by a lush serene garden. There is no parking close to the statue and you have to walk to see the statue. It took me some time to find, as it is tucked in near a wall just outside the doors of the Auditorium. I recommend visiting when classes are not in session. IU has a lot of interesting and beautiful art scattered around the campus.

Beautiful tribute to one of America's best composers. It captures his image well and it's so…read morerefreshing to see this be a fixture at IU, given his legacy and time there. I love that the pose is of him at work with "Stardust" at his fingertips, as he penned that just a few blocks away. It's easy for me to conjure up the image of what his style of work may have been like and I can totally hear the song in my head as I go by. I'm so happy that this tribute to him exists.

Sometimes sculpture is very personal to the person who commissions it. Such is the case of this…read morebronze statue located on the northwest corner of John Force Racing in Brownsburg. Back in 2007 (March 23), Eric Medlen was a driver for John Force Racing. While testing for a drag race in Gainesville, Florida, Medlen was killed at the age of 33. Medlen's father was his crew chief. The grief felt by the whole team was heartfelt and moved the team owner, John Force to commission this statue. The accident inspired the entire team to focus on safety as a key element to their pursuit of championships. The bronze is built about half scale and sits on a small hill surrounded by pine trees. Review #1350

The Phillips, or Arabia covered bridge, carries Arabia Road across Rocky Run Creek (alias Big Pond…read moreCreek), This four segment King Post Truss design was put up in 1909 by J.A. Britton. It is one of a dozen covered bridges that he built in Parke County, and it has the distinction at 43 feet in length of being the shortest of the 31 surviving bridges. In the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, it is #22 on the Parke Country Covered Bridge Map. You will find it about six miles west of Rockville, just off US 36.

One of the smaller covered bridges of Parke County can be found on the "Brown" Route designed by…read morethe County for exploring their multiple bridges. The Phillips Covered Bridge is only 60 feet in length and spans 39 feet over Rocky Run. Though it has the standard Parke County colors of red walls, with white faces and black lettering, the bridge is a rarity in these parts. It doesn't use the standard Burr Arch-truss support system. Instead, it uses a multiple Kingpost through truss system. No long curved arch in this one. Just lots of sturdy vertical beams. To view this drive through bridge, take US 36 west from Rockville to CR W 40N (about 4.5 miles). Take that to about a third of a mile to Arabia Road. The bridge is about 400 feet to the south. The road is paved! The bridge is less than a mile away from Sim Smith Covered Bridge which is further west on W 40N. Review #3215

Beautiful grounds, interesting history. Lovely trails we purchased a tour for 11$, totally worth…read moreit! The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and offered plenty of time for questions! The gift shop is super cute as well. Highly recommend.

The staff was very friendly, professional. Young man who was…read morethe tour guide was refreshing. Quite knowledgeable of every aspect of Steele's history. Didnt sound like a script, was very clear and learned, spoke as if in a conversation at your home, but he knew dates, and details of the period of the Steele's legacy. Ive worked at museums all of my life and was quite impressed. We attended in the winter but will return when the weather is much warmer, so to enjoy the grounds.

This is one of the more remote of the 31 surviving covered bridges in Parke County. It was…read moreconstructed by Joseph A. Britton in 1908 (one of his 12 surviving bridges in the county) to span Rock Run creek. It is a wonderful example of the Single Span Burr Arch Truss design, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is on Tick Ridge Road, just to the east of its terminus at 325W road. The well maintained gravel roads offer three different approaches to the bridge. We filmed it about a week after peak fall foliage, when a sea of fallen leaves and the fading color on the surrounding trees accentuated its beauty while allowing unobstructed photo possibilities. Late fall and winter are ideal for photographing the bridges of Parke County. #20 on the Parke County Covered Bridge map.

Just a few miles off the Red Route for touring Parke County Covered Bridges is the Zacke Cox…read moreCovered Bridge south of Mecca, IN. The Burr arch-truss style bridge was built in 1908 and restored in 1991 and again in 2002, so it is in good shape. The bridge is still in service though traffic is told to greatly reduce speeds to a walking pace to cross the span. The red and white bridge with black lettering has a total length of a tiny 53 feet with a span of around 51 feet which crosses the Rock Run. To find this bridge, take US 41 west of Rockville just passed Mecca Road to CR 325W (4.3 miles). Head south for 2.5 miles to reach Tickridge Road. Head east one half mile to reach the bridge. Note that Tickridge is a gravel road. Also of interest is that this bridge is just a miles away from Harry Evans Covered Bridge and Roseville Covered Bridge. Both are farther south on CR 325W which becomes a gravel road until it reaches Coxville, IN. Review #3204

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss design was built by Joseph A. Britton in 1883 to span Leatherwood…read moreCreek. It is located about six miles west of Rockville, just off US36 on Country Road 4. It is normally visited in tandem with the nearby Phillips covered bridge. This was the third of Britton's twelve covered bridges in Parke County, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is #23 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Southeast of Montezuma, Indiana is a relatively old covered bridge dating back to 1883…read more Fortunately, it underwent some restoration in 1997 to keep it still in service today. The Sim Smith Bridge is about 102 feet in length with a span of 81 feet crossing the Leatherwood Creek. It is a Burr Arch-truss structure with the standard Parke County colors of red and white with black lettering. The good news is the road is paved. The bad news is there isn't a pull off spot, so be careful! The bridge is located on the "brown" route of the Parke County tour trails. To find this bridge, head east from Montezuma along US 36 about 2.5 miles to CR 510W. Head south about a third of a mile and the bridge should be within view on W 40N. You can also find it from Rockville by traveling west 5.5 miles on US 36 the same county road. Review #3216

Built by J.J. Daniels in 1896 (one of his nine covered bridges in Parke County) to carry Strawberry…read moreRoad over Leatherwood Creek west of Rockville, this Single Span Burr Arch Truss was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. #24 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map, it was closed to traffic when we viewed it in early November of 2022.

This covered bridge is fairly average for Parke County. Middle length (99 feet with an 81' span…read moreover the Leatherwood Creek), middle age (built in 1896), and uses the standard red and white paint scheme with black lettering. It also is another Burr arch-truss structure like most of them. The bridge, also known as "Marion" and "Klondyke", is in pretty good shape having undergone two restorations (1977 and again in 1995). This is one of the more isolated bridges along the "brown" route. It isn't far from a couple bridges to the south "as the crow flies". The problem is there aren't many county roads in the area. If you are coming from Montezuma, head east on US 36 about 1 mile and turn north onto county road N 600W. Go about 500 ft and turn east on Strawberry Road. Follow that about a mile to the bridge. The roads are paved. From Rockville, there are backroads you can take, but I think it easiest to take US 36 west about 7 miles to N 600W. Follow the directions above to find the bridge. There is a bit of a gravel pull off, but I would still caution you to be aware of traffic since the bridge is still in service. Review #3217

The Cragun House in Lebanon, Indiana is the home of the Boone County Historical Society since being…read moregifted to the Society by the Cragun family in 1988. The home was built in 1893 by Lebanon school superintendent and newspaper publisher Strange Cragun. It has hosted a myriad of famous people during its heyday including former vice-president Charles Fairbanks, Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley, and former Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston among others. Tours of the home are available and it's also available to rent. It continues to be decorated with a Victorian charm. The Society notes that the house can accommodate groups of up to 30 people. The home is a 2-1/2 story Queen Anne style with a round corner tower (I love those!) and a beautiful wraparound porch. It's located in a super visible place right on Main Street in Lebanon. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cragun family actually lived in the home from 1893-1987. Strange Cragun at various points served as Principal of schools in Zionsville, Whitestown, and Lebanon. He eventually purchased what was then the Lebanon Patriot, the county's oldest newspaper and a pre-cursor to the current Lebanon Reporter. I haven't been in the home often because, quite frankly, it's simply not wheelchair friendly as one would expect from a home built in 1893. It's not surprising, but it's a beautiful home with a stunning wraparound porch. I remember wheeling into Lebanon on my Tenderness Tour events and being in awe of the home. The exterior of the home underwent significant upgrade in 2015.

This brief marker points out the settlement history of the area and an early treaty to acquire the…read morelane from the Native Americans. The marker reads, "The famous Indian Reserve Line of 1809 which began at the mouth of Big Raccoon Creek and ended on the Ohio boundary crossed this point." There is parking in the church parking lot. Also known as the Treaty of Fort Wayne, the 1809 treaty obtained nearly 30 million acres of Native American land for the settlers of Illinois and Indiana. The treaty led to a war with the United States begun by Shawnee leader Tecumseh and other dissenting tribesmen in what came to be called "Tecumseh's War". [Review 1293 of 2024 - 170 in Indiana - 22316 overall]