My wife and I visited the Grissom Monument on January 10th while we were in Mitchell. I came in…read morewith no expectations, but was thrilled to see a stone recreation of Grissom's Gemini III capsule atop its Atlas rocket. The panels tell the story of this American hero and pioneer while the brick of the retaining wall came from his childhood elementary school. A lovely tribute to a hometown hero and well worth visiting for anyone interested in the history of American space flight.

It is a very informative rocket memorial to this person that grew up there. This is in the heart of…read moretown right off of one of the main street. It's a nice monument for all to check out and I think it's a nice tribute to check out.

This was cool to see. I really enjoyed the pioneer Village when we visited Springdale Park. This…read morewas hammer historical gristmill and we definitely checked it out. Walked around all three floors and thought it was just an awesome thing to say.

Tony and I stopped at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana to see Hamer Spring Grist Mill…read moreThe water comes out of Hamer cave which supplied the water for the Spring Grist Mill and the Pioneer Village. Its not a bad hike back to the cave. Sometimes its underwater. The Historical Grist Mill is three stories tall and well built & maintained. Still in use. Located in Lawrence Co, Indiana. Also known as Hamer Mill, Spring Mill and Bullett Mill. Built 1817 Highly recommend that you visit this site and tour the Grist Mill. Its a museum inside on every level.

This place is always a treat to visit. So much history of the space program located at a state park…read morein the middle of Indiana. If you're ever around Spring Mill State Park, this is worth checking out

We were in Bedford, IN recently on a 30th Anniversary outing and I was looking for something to do…read moreon our way back to Louisville, when I ran across the Virgil Grissom Memorial. This. Was. An. Easy. Sell. We're both big fans of our Space History and this is right up our alley. I didn't realize the Memorial was actually *inside* Spring Mill State Park, but no biggie. The park admission fee was $9 for non-Indiana residents. The Memorial is immediately to the right when you enter the park. The Memorial is admission-free and is well-suited for about a half hour visit. During your self-guided tour you'll see a lot of information about Grissom starting with his elementary school on up. There's a lot of memorabilia and photographs and some very done done displays. You'll learn a lot about Gus and how his passion for flight and space travel led to him being the second American in space. The highlight, of course, is the actual Gemini 3 "Molly Brown" space capsule. There's an interesting story about why this was the last space capsule to be named by its crew. At the end is film (about 7 minutes in length) with footage from Gus's career and NASA's story as it relates to him. There are a few bench seats for your viewing pleasure. The film re-starts automatically after 5 minutes. There's a small gift shop with a good variety of items to purchase related to both NASA and Grissom with all items very reasonably priced, and it's attached to what I'm going to guess is the Park's administration offices. The Virgil "Gus" Grissom Memorial was a happy find. We really enjoyed it and hopefully we'll come back to camp at the park some time and visit it again.

Driving across the Robert N. Stewart Bridge is like driving across a work of art. The bridge is…read moregorgeous during the day and spectacular at night. The bridge was built as part of a project to attract and welcome drivers off the highway into the city of Columbus. Jean Muller, a renowned Chicago architect, designed the cable-stayed bridge, which was completed in 1999. I drove and walked across the bridge today. Driving into Columbus, the bridge frames the lovely courthouse. To walk across, there is a narrow sidewalk on the west side of the bridge. I had to cross several busy streets to get there, but it was worth the challenge. The bridge is breathtaking and view of Flatrock River from the bridge is tranquil. The colors of the lights that illuminate the bridge change on certain holidays and for special events. I recommend a stop in Columbus to experience this amazing work of art. There is street parking near the courthouse.

There are entirely too many boring and uninspired bridges in the world so it's pretty awesome to…read morefind something inspired and beautiful. And the Stewart bridge in Columbus is that. Formerly called the Second Street Bridge, it is a cable-stayed suspension bridge that carries SR-46 over the Flatrock River. The bridge was completed in 1999 with the colored lighting added in 2012 and the name change in 2013 in recognition of the former three term mayor of Columbus. There isn't much parking immediately near the bridge and there is no stopping on it. But it's worth a bit of a walk to check it out. [Review 20524 overall - 70 in Indiana - 1505 of 2023.]

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.

TikTok really has opened my eyes to hidden treasures everywhere. I'm sure that I'm not the only one…read morethat feels this way. When you doom scroll, you come across many different places that are true hidden gems. Door To Nowhere, or Heigold House, is definitely an oddity and salute to the past. Some housekeeping, you know, things to know about this place. BE CAREFUL. This sits on a roundabout island with steady traffic. Be mindful to the traffic flow and businesses nearby (I parked at a nearby business off the road and walked over here). Be kind to the natural beauty that surrounds this. And most of all, be respectful. As I said, this sits on a roundabout with flowerbeds surrounding it. Whether you are facing front, as in looking at the front of the façade, or looking from the rear, please stay on the sidewalks provided. Take in the informational plaques as well. Built by Christian H Heigold, a successful stonecutter. Majority of the house was completed in 1853. Heigold was a master at stonecutting and completed the home with busts of Presidents George Washington and James Buchanan. Heigold was also a staunch opponent of the 'Know Nothing Party,' and anti-immigration political party and I would like to think that he built his house with all the busts was a big middle finger to those that were anti-immigration. This façade sat in what was known as the The Point neighborhood, which was favored by those that moved to the city from the New Orleans area. Once Louisville diverted the Beargrass Creek away from downtown, this place started to flood annually. Shifting people away from the neighborhood and then the Great Flood of 1937 happened. Slowly the city started buying houses and demolishing them. Ultimately using the land as a dump site. Then this façade was listed on the National Registry of Historical Places. Remained in that area which became Thruston Park. That is until a developer bought the land adjacent to this and build condos. They moved this massive beast, 70,000-pounds, across River Road to where it sits today.

Such amazing history, a must see spot ! Right off a main road but there is parking nearby !read more

I had a great time walking at Nine Penny Branch Nature Preserve. It's one of those hidden gems that…read morefeels peaceful the moment you step onto the trail. The hike is about a mile round trip and winds through beautiful woods filled with tall beech and tulip poplar trees. The best part of the walk was reaching the small waterfall and limestone creek bed. The sound of the water and the quiet forest made it a perfect spot to stop for a few minutes and just enjoy nature. The trail is easy to follow and even has an accessible section at the beginning with a scenic overlook. Overall, it's a peaceful, scenic place for a quick hike or family walk. If you're in the Charlestown area and want a quiet nature escape, this place is definitely worth visiting.

This trail is located just outside of Louisville. The parking lot is small, with space for about…read more6-7 cars. I came here because I heard there was a small waterfall, but since it hadn't rained for a while, there was no water flowing when I visited (9/13/2025). There weren't many bugs that day, which was nice. The trail starts immediately in the woods, so you can enjoy walking in the shade. I also noticed that many people brought their dogs along. If you're a beginner hiker, you might want to get more practice before coming here, as several slightly challenging uphill areas exist. Overall, I'd recommend this trail for a relaxing day when you want to enjoy some time in nature.

Located in a quaint little park, this bridge was actually moved here from the Brownsville area…read more Originally build in 1840 , it had to be restored after a fire. They did great work. While it looks somewhat small from afar, it seems to really grow once you are inside. Very photogenic by itself or as a backdrop for your selfies or even important photo shoots. Don't forget to enjoy the rest of the park as well.

It seems like it is a "new" bridge but in fact the Brownsville Covered Bridge was built between…read more1837 and 1840. It originally spanned the East Fork of the Whitewater River in Brownsville, measuring 182 feet long. Built by Henry Mason, it is a "Long truss" style bridge. It was then dismantled in 1974 with the plan of installing it in Indianapolis. Instead, it was relocated here to Mill Race Park in Columbus in 1985. The bridge is open to vehicular traffic and the posted limits suggested that my Sprinter van would work. It did. There is parking nearby (for the park and the tennis courts) so I was able to walk the bridge in addition to driving across it. [Review 20530 overall - 75 in Indiana - 1511 of 2023.]