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April 22, 2023
Bucket lists of Indiana sites
Why spotlight obvious "bucket list" sites and experiences like going to the Indianapolis 500 or attending the Indiana State Fair? Instead, during this show we will explore a range of Hoosier destinations that don't enjoy as much hype, but nevertheless have made it on a must-do list featured in a new book, "100 Things to do in Indiana Before You Die".
When the author, Indiana native Jamie Ward, joins Nelson as a studio guest, they will focus on a range of intriguing sites across the state: from a sanctuary for rescued pigs in Hendricks County, to one of the state's largest restaurants in Elkhart County (it's known for Amish comfort food), and to an abandoned amusement park in southern Indiana. Jamie Ward is a travel and food writer who lives in central Indiana. She describes her adventures in a blog, "Cornfields and High Heels", that, along with other descriptive info about the Midwest, is featured on her website at fieldsandheels.com.
The pig sanctuary is Oinking Acres Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, where visitors can meet, feed and interact with neglected, abused and unwanted potbellied pigs. According to Jamie's book, more than 300 pigs have been rescued since 2017 at Oinking Acres, which is near Brownsburg.
To folks who plan to visit the sanctuary, a former family farm, Jamie recommends bringing fruit or veggies if feeding the pigs is part of the appeal. She offers this tip: "They love cucumbers, carrots and apples."
Jamie also has tips for visitors to another site on her Indiana bucket list, the massive Essenhaus located near Amish communities in Elkhart County. The Essenhaus (its full official name is Das Dutchman Essenhaus) promotes itself as the largest restaurant in the state, with pies, doughnuts, rolls and other goodies also sold at its bakery. "Try the Amish peanut butter," Jamie recommends in 100 Things to do in Indiana Before You Die. "It is served with the rolls, and it is delicious."
At the other end of the state, an abandoned 1920s amusement park in southern Indiana also has a place on Jamie's bucket list. The ruins of the Rose Island Amusement Park are located in Charlestown State Park and accessible by trails, some of them rugged and steep. Visitors who believe in ghosts may have a field day. In her book, Jamie mentions rumors that the ruins are haunted by spirits from the amusement park's long-ago heyday.
She also gives thumbs up to some natural landmarks, including Cataract Falls, the state's largest waterfall. Located near Spencer in Owen County, Cataract Falls consists of two spectacular falls, upper and lower, in an area managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. In her guidebook, Jamie also urges visitors to check out a historic site nearby, the Cataract General Store. "It was built in 1860, and is the oldest general store in Indiana," Jamie says.
Other "bucket list" sites featured in 100 Things to do in Indiana that we will highlight during our show include:
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Nick's Kitchen, the restaurant in Huntington that's credited with inventing a Hoosier delicacy: the breaded pork tenderloin. Nicks opened in 1908 and continues to serve the original recipe for its tenderloin sandwich, which Jamie reports is "as big as the plate".
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The Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. Describing it as "small but mighty", Jamie notes that among the zoo's habitats (they include an Indonesian rainforest), the most popular is an Indiana family farm.
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And Sweetwater, a massive music store in Fort Wayne where, Jamie says, you can "get your groove on". Sweetwater promotes itself as the largest retail music store in the country. Its campus includes demo studios that enable visitors to try out musical instruments before buying them. There's also an academy that offers music lessons.
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