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.

On the east side of downtown Crawfordsville, you may notice a stretch of land on Wabash Street that…read moreis lined with large estates with beautiful old homes. A great deal of the property was once held by local business man, Isaac Elston. He and his wife raised nine children, many of whom lived along this stretch, including his daughter Joanna and her husband, Henry S Lane. Lane was a lawyer and prominent politician who was a key player in getting Abraham Lincoln nominated for President, and was actually elected Governor of Indiana with his Lieutenant Governor Oliver Morton. In those days, US Senators were appointed and since Lane knew he would become appointed Senator, led the gubernatorial ticket instead of the controversial Morton. Two days after taking office as Governor, Lane stepped down so that he could become Senator while allowing Morton to step into the Governor's position. Seems like wheeling and dealing have always been part of the American Way. Lane is known as one of the most popular founders of the Republican Party as the Whigs were losing power and elections to the Democratic Party. New life needed to be breathed into the party, so a fresh start was needed. Lane, along with others like Lincoln, was a great orator and he was able to bring people together to agree with his ideas. The Lane House/Place/Mansion/Museum (it goes by many names including Antebellum in the description) is a beautiful estate which faces Water Street, but has access from Pike Street which allows you to pull onto the driveway and walk around to the entrance. For $5, you can take a guided tour of the home and see the elaborate collections of historical and political memorabilia. It is open from March 1 to December 1, Tuesdays through Saturdays until 5 p.m. The tours are individually available so you don't have to wait until a set time to start. That allows time to ask lots of questions. So, the tour can last for well over an hour if you are curious like I was. (see website for specifics on prices and other issues.) The house started off modestly, but was added to over several phases as the family grew. The tour starts off with showing the formal entry and music parlor. The opulence is immediately apparent as you see the paintings of family members and a porcelain inlaid cabinet designed specifically for holding piano music. That room connects to the study which is filled with collections of political papers and photos that were collected by Lane. There are many historical items as well, including doctor's medical kits, and many other period items. From there, you enter the formal dining room loaded with more plates and serving specific bowls, plates, and utensils than most people could guess at. Everything had a purpose and though it may seem odd now, was expected of those wishing to maintain the highest social standing. Rounding out the rest of the first floor tour is a less formal room where the children would often play while the adults would meet in the previous rooms. Paintings of the children and a miniature tea set can be seen. Heading upstairs via a custom made stairway (Joanna was quite short in stature), the tour leads you through three bedrooms. There you will see the crib that Joanna and her eight siblings all slept in as infants. Beyond that room is the one selected by Joanna's niece Helen who became the home's owner after Joanna passed away. Helen blew through her inheritance fitting the house with more upgrades (?) and additions. The room is quite bold in appearance. The last room on the tour was the guest bedroom which includes a knocker on the door and a private balcony over looking the yard on the north side. In there, a bed of a man named Whitlock is currently being displayed. Wherever Whitlock went, he had his bed disassembled and put up where he stayed. Must have been a man of influence to make his hosts put up with that eccentricity! The house is filled with family items that boast around a 95% authenticity rating. That is one of the highest I've found in my travels. So, if you want to get a feeling for what a place looked like when the owners lived there, this should be at the top of your list! Review #1388

The Crawfordsville Fire Department has a great team of professional firefighters and paramedics…read more Their response times are solid and their staff is knowledgeable. For anyone looking to live in Crawfordsville, know that you are in good hands if ever an emergency arises. These guys will show up.

I've been visiting West Lafayette for many years but never noticed this magnificent fountain until…read moremy visit to the Courthouse in September. The fountain is amazing - my first thought was just "wow". The fountain was designed by Laredo Taft in 1887. The statue honors General Lafayette, the city namesake. His figure stands majestically over the pool below. Panels around the base also honor John Purdue (namesake of Purdue University), an artesian well beneath the fountain, early pioneers of the city, Union solders who fought in the Civil War, and William Digby (founder of Lafayette). The fountain is surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Local business workers sat around the fountain eating lunch or reading in the serene setting and the sounds of the fountain water. There is free street parking about a block away. The fountain and Courthouse are definitely worth a visit.

Famous American sculptor Lorado Taft from Illinois was selected to create the magnificent fountain…read moreon the northeast corner of the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. In 1887, the piece was erected on the site and appears to have undergone some TLC along with the courthouse. The main figure atop the fountain is that of the Marquis de Lafayette who was instrumental in helping the inexperienced and underfunded American military during the Revolutionary War. Below that life sized figure, there are four oval reliefs and below that, an octagonal shape with each of the sides bearing an ornate framing around the names of honorees with ties to the city. Honorees are quite varied and include pioneers, soldiers, John Purdue, and William Digby, the town founder. Earlier versions of the courthouse are also honored. Although the honorees may be somewhat random, the overall beauty of the work is fantastic. Review #1410

I was in Frankfort, Indiana yesterday. A trip to Frankfort is nearly impossible without visiting…read morethe building affectionately known by locals as "Old Stoney." Built in 1892, Old Stoney initially served as Frankfort High School. On February 24, 1922, the high school was completely gutted with only the four walls left standing. Using those walls, the building was rebuilt and reopened in 1926. It continued to be used by Community Schools of Frankfort until 1974. In 1976, a nonprofit was started and entered into a 99-year lease with Community Schools of Frankfort. In 1979, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Place. In 1995, the building was purchased by the city and was extensively renovated to serve as City Hall with space for the Mayor, Clerk Treasurer, City Engineer, and Main Street. Fun fact: Initially, there was a tunnel running underneath Old Stoney to other school buildings. You can still see part of the tunnel to this day. In 2016, a $4.3 million renovation gave the building a new roof, tuck points, heating/AC, brought the electrical system up to code, closed 2 out of 3 original skylights, installed new windows, repaired/painted interior walls, and included new landscaping. The Clinton County Historical Society and Museum uses the second floor. The building is 2 1/2 stories tall and created in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It has a raised basement, large round arched entrance, four large stone chimneys, and a 4-story corner tower. It's honestly hard to imagine going to high school in this building. Since it's used as a public building, accessibility has dramatically improved. It's a historic building, so it's not perfect in terms of accessibility. However, it's quite good and I can always get anywhere I need to go here.

"Old Stoney" is how the residents of Frankfort refer to this magnificent Romanesque Revival…read morestructure. Originally, it was built as the community high school in 1892, constructed mostly of Ohio sandstone and trimmed with Indiana limestone. The students must have had some fun running up and down the turrets. The school closed for four years after a fire in 1922, but reopened to serve students for until 1974. Will Beer (the Grandpa on the Waltons) was a notable student of the school. If the walls could only talk. Facing disrepair, a non-profit was formed to manage the aging building. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings in 1979. The City of Frankfort bought the building in 1995 to move several city offices into the building, including the mayor. In 2016, major renovations were completed to upgrade mechanical and electrical infrastructure and make repairs. Worth a visit if you love architecture and are in Frankfort.

Outside of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering on the Purdue University campus is the…read moreEngineering Fountain. This has become an icon, not only of the university but also of West Lafayette, Indiana. It is made up of several structures surrounding a central stream of water. During the non-winter months this fountain is alive drawing the campus towards it. In the winter you can walk right through it when traversing from building to building. Right in the middle of many buildings, the Engineering Fountain is a must-see.

On the north end of the Purdue central campus is a plaza that has become a landmark of the West…read moreLafayette area. The Engineering Fountain is a plaza that is circular in design with an water installation in the center. The installation called "Class of 1939 Water Sculpture" was installed 50 years later by Robert Youngman in 1989. This concrete structure has four axis pieces reaching 38 feet in height. In the center is a geyser of water shooting 588 gallons per minute. For safety (some students had tried running through the fountain), a cylinder surrounds the upward water jet so students can still get wet from the falling water, but not take a direct blast from the jets. The water feeds back into the reservoir underneath and is recycled. To the perimeter of the plaza, landscaped lawns with flower beds add color to the area. Trees offer shade along the brick path that encircles the park. Elevated plantings complete the circular pattern while allowing sidewalks to pass through. Although I have not seen it at night, there are 280 colored lights directed at the fountain to add a dynamic visual to the park. Review #1130

Crawfordsville has an impressive library with lots of space and interesting exhibits and reading…read moreareas. The modern building was designed by H. L. Mohler and Associates out of Lafayette, Indiana and opened in 2005. The entrance opens up onto a large foyer with a massive check-out counter to one side and a reading room on the other. There is a bronze sculpture of library art and a Lego copy of the local courthouse. The children's books and play area are in the first floor. My granddaughter played in the children's area and didn't want to leave. She made such a fuss, I was glad they didn't kick us out. There is a nice teen area near the Children's area with comfy seating, games and books. Adult books are on the second floor with work areas and seating scattered throughout. Works by local artist hang in the walls. There is a beautiful exhibit of local fossils (which I thought should have been located in the Carnegie Museum across the street.) An exhibit about Sidney Allen Speed, a local resident during the Civil War era was prominent on the second floor. Speed was the designer of the Civil War Memorial in Indianapolis and several other important works. There is a nice parking lot behind the building. There is excellent accessibility designed into the facility. This is a beautiful and functional library.

This library is beautiful and has tons of natural lighting. I enjoy hanging out here in various…read moreplaces. The Reading Room has several world newspapers and magazines to keep with current events. The Youth area is nicely divided into a small children section and a teen section, separated by a dedicated librarian station. The Lobby hosts many local art and handwork exhibits, adding much to the local flavor. Upstairs is the true stacks of the library. Several seating options are available from private cubes, desks, lounge chairs, etc. The Genealogy Room has a plethora of resources for local history. It is one of the best collections in the state. The internet zone has fifteen desktop computers and run on a two hour login period. While reference is mainly upstairs, the main floor hosts the circulation desk. Meeting and community rooms are available in the basement. All areas are handicap accessible via elevator and ramps. Recently the library has improved on new purchases. Popular books are being added and the older ones weeded out. I mention this because in the past the collections had become stale and stagnant. Great improvement has been made. Overall, staff are friendly and helpful. Some are quieter than others. Some are my focused on tasks over people. However, give them a chance. Their job is not easy. I used to volunteer in a library and was shocked at how much goes into keeping the stacks healthy and fresh.