We Take a Fall Trip to Yellowstone National Park! Part I

Sparky loves it when Eldo decides we need a change of scenery, he more so than she. She works in the schools at least three to four days a week, he stays home and researches on the computer and learns all kinds of random things on Youtube but mainly about travel--how to travel using points, best destinations for reasonable vacation costs, how to travel in style on a budget, how to manage points for hotel stays and flights, you get the picture. Eldo is VERY good at it. He plots and plans for WEEKS usually. He has accumulated a LOT of points thru credit card usage and using the right card when charging things to get bonus points, etc.,  and has helped Sparky visit her daughter in Houston for almost zero cost mainly using travel points. A WIN! 

So weeks and weeks ago, he started a research project for somewhere we could go during Sparky's October Fall school break--five days off of school and where should we go? He never gets specific until he's got some terrific, frugal costs for a destination and amazing flight bargains. Sparky heard off and on about Carribbean cruises, trips out west, fall trip to Alaska, (OOOOOHHHH, YEAH!)-- but too cold for Eldo, maybe a midwest trip to the U.P.?--you name it, he was investigating it. He was waiting to see how Sparky's health was, too, as far as planning longer flights and traveling. Sparky is doing well with her cancer, it's not in remission, but no new activity and that's good. Lots of bathroom problems but she never knows when that is going to happen, and that's bad, so he took that into consideration. He waited till Sparky had the all clear on her echocardiogram, the latest test, and within a day of getting those positive results, he booked a trip for us to Yellowstone National Park! The park shuts down for a couple of weeks at the end of October, (October 31st) to prepare for winter visitors, so we had several days of reduced visitation in the park, plenty of room to park at the viewing points, and somehow, we got extremely lucky with the weather. It was milder than normal for that time of year and sunny every single day. It was brisk (in the twenties or low thirties in the early mornings, then it would warm up to the 50's-60's during the day.

The flights were free using points, and points also paid for our rental car. We stayed for two nights outside the national park in West Yellowstone at the Kelly Inn and Suites, then our last two days were at Canyon Village Lodge inside the park, close to Old Faithful. 

We flew from Indy to Dallas, to Bozeman, MT. These crop circles were so interesting to see from the sky on our flight west!

The Bozeman International Airport was so beautiful, lots of wood beams and western decor. And our first bison sighting! haha...

Coming into the airport was an experience in itself with the beautiful mountain backdrop through the airport windows.

Kelly Inn and Suites

It was a 90 mile drive from the airport to West Yellowstone, the town we stayed in the first two days. The Kelly Inn and Suites had beautiful western decor and the outside was just as interesting as the inside! They had multiple bears that were wooden or plaster(?) sculptures climbing up the outside walls of the hotel!

Just as soon as we checked in, we were off for our first drive on the main road through Yellowstone N.P. to see some geysers and go looking for wildlife.  The park was being run by emergency personnel as the government was in the middle of the shutdown. Our gate attendant was an EMT and we thanked him for helping keep the park open.

As far as exploring the park, we got a map from the park station entrance and for each day we plotted out a different route-working our way north then east, then the next couple of days east and then south, looking and marveling at everything we saw. Our last day we ventured into Teton National Park. This was our second visit to Yellowstone in many many years.

The very first day our tally was: 4 bison, 5 elk, a bald eagle and a herd of elk with one bull male. Sparky got so many bison photos that she isn't sure which day which bison were seen, but it was every day! The elk were usually quite close to the side of the roads....Or there would be large herds out in the meadows grazing. 

The features of the park are many....there are over 10,000 thermal features there, the world's largest concentration of geysers, colorful hot springs, bubbling mud pots, and fumeroles (hissing steam vents). Geysers erupt sporadically or sort of regularly (Old Faithful, 23 minutes late the day we saw it),  The hotsprings were amazing--they are pools of hot water-the most famous being the Grand Prismatic Spring and Morning Glory pool. They are the most common thermal feature in the park. They vary from roiling, boiling hot water to clear and calm pools with great depth and color. They have no constrictions so water rises, cools and sinks easily.

the edge of Grand Prismatic Spring

The mudpots are hot springs where acid from volcanic gases and microorganisms decomose the surrounding rock into clay and bubbling mud. Mudpots are also hot springs with a limited water supply. The smell of sulphur in the air was overpowering!

One of our favorites was the fumeroles, the hissing steam vents. We saw a very powerful one in the park while we were there, and it was very LOUD! It was a ROAR of hissing steam! They are the hottest features in the park. The small amount of water in the fumarole flashes into steam before it reaches the surface. Fumeroles hiss, whistle or thump if the pathway is restricted at the surface. 

The one disadvantage we had while visiting-the days were so chilly during the day, even with the sun out, sometimes the steam made the air so cloudy, it was difficult to see the beautiful waters of the springs. But Sparky managed to get a couple of decent photos on one day when we retraced out drive before the clouds of steam enveloped everything.

Morning glory Pool

She caught this photo that captured the surrealness of the steam and the early morning vibes at the park. It's one of her favorites, another tourist enjoying the scenery.

The first day was a very promising start to a wonderful trip. Be sure to check out the rest of our journey in the coming days....Thanks for reading!

A Whimsical Tour

"Davis, the guitar"

 

The Peanuts Gang on Van Buren St. Shipshewanna

Every year at least for the past three years we have lived in Elkhart, there has been a hay bale tour in the fall in Shipshewanna and surrounding area, usually from September 1 to November 1. Actually, it has been going on for a decade! We were happy to go on the self-guided tour once again this year.

Shipshewanna is such a fun town all through the year. It is always beautifully decorated for the seasons. This year was no exception...Scarecrows everywhere doing all kinds of antics--hanging upside down, swinging, doing cartwheels and being chased by a mean steer. There are great restaurants and ice cream shops to visit while you are checking out all the decorations--we love the Blue Gate Restaurant and a bit farther away from Shipshewanna is Das Essenhaus, both great restaurants if you want a nice homecooked meal by Mennonite and Amish folks. Lots of home goods and home decor stores are in Shipshewanna and Middlebury as well, and of course, the Amish with their horse and buggies are out and about on the county roads. Saturday is a big shopping day for the Amish.

Sparky's favorite treat while window shopping at Lolly's Fabric Store in Shipshewanna or "Shipsee" as the locals call it, is JoJo's Pretzel shop in the Davis Mercantile building, downtown Shipshewanna, where they make homemade pretzels all day long. It's fun to watch them and they are so fresh! YUM! And of course, Sparky has to have a Coke with her pretzel, that's her drink of choice.....

So here is one of Sparky's favorite hay bales this year in downtown Shipsee.

We were lucky to run into Will-Hay Nelson and friend while we were out and about! We didn't find out who his lady friend was...We will leave that to your imagination.

We also ran into Louie, the Bluey...

Buttercup, the Cow....

Sammy, the Sloth....

And a couple of aliens at the Essenhaus.

The highland steer (?) was cool...

Buzz Lightyear and Woody were in Middlebury for a visit!

There are SO MANY wonderfully decorated hay bales...People vote on their favorites and post photos online. It takes a lot of patience and skill to decorate a scratchy hay bale and make it look good, we think!

Sparky's favorite this year was the little RV....

If you are ever in the area in the fall, between September 1 and November 1st, check out the hay bale tour...you can find the information online simply by googling Shipshewanna Hay Bale Tour. Online maps are available, and you can also get info and maps at the Shipshwanna Visitors' Center. It's a fun way to spend about a half day to see many of the hay bales. Eldo is such a great driver. He organizes the order in which we follow the maps to make it a great day. (Sparky would be just all over the place, driving around, and not be as good about gas/mileage. So, a big thank you to Eldo/(Eldy)!

Architectural Icons in Downtown Detroit

 For Sparky's 75th birthday, what a better way to celebrate 3/4 of a century, than to visit some beautiful Art Deco architecture in downtown Detroit on a recent visit to Sparky's sister and brother-in-law, who live in Ferndale? Sparky's middle brother, Rich, flew in to see us, which was great! First, we had dinner at Los Galanos in Mexicantown, for a belated birthday dinner. It was wonderful!

Sparky LOVES Mexican street tacos with LOTS of cilantro.

Here we are with Sparky's sister, Lyle, and her husband, John, and Rich, my brother on the far left.

the girl with the Detroit earring

Detroit is really amazing in that the city is trying to revitalize itself and doing a fabulous job of that. Although you see pockets of poverty and abandoned housing in many places, you see the renewed visions of city planners popping up all over right in the middle of all that. Sparky is not very knowledgeable about Detroit, but she appreciates the amazing murals, the cool buildings, the architectural features, the history behind them and the bright spots all over town. 

On Saturday, we headed up north for a drive to St. Clair, to a restaurant on the St. Clair River, where freighters pass by regularly. It was called the River Crab Blue Water Inn. You can sit by the river at the waterfront tables. The day was cloudy, but the food was fantastic, and we saw THREE freighters while we ate. (We did take our time, the atmosphere was so great and the company of Sparky's family so wonderful.) The staff said that was very unusual to see three freighters in the time frame we spent while we were there. The restaurant even printed a special happy birthday, personalized message for Sparky, on the paper menu we received. 

John, Lyle, Jeannie (Sparky) and Rich

And before we knew it, it was Sunday. We decided to visit three architectural locations for a quick Sunday tour on our own. 

First, we visited the Guardian Building, 43 stories high, built in 1928, and nicknamed the "Cathedral of Finance", commissioned bythe Union Trust Company. It is located at 500 Griswold Street, Detroit, in the financial district. It was designed, built, and erected by Michigan contractors. 

It's a blend of Native American, Aztec and Arts and Crafts influence. There were custom Pewabic pottery tiles installed along with many breathtaking accents and architectural features. Sparky walked into the entryway and just couldn't stop exclaiming, "WOW! Oh, WOW!" Forty artisans worked on painted murals, ceilings, tile work, and stained glass in the vaulted lobby.

Check out the elevator doors!

One of the coolest parts of the bank lobby is the enormous Michigan wall map. It's hand painted and highlights Michigan farming, manufacturing and mining industries.

The marble comes from all over the world...Numidian marble from Africa, for starters. The office corridors and restrooms are lined with Tavernelle marble from Tennessee. It's a national historical landmark and is currently home for the Bank of America. How would you like to work in this environment??!!!

Next, we visited the Fisher Building....It's at 3011 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit....in the heart of the New Center, and is open 24 hours a day. It was built by the Fisher Brothers, ("Body by Fisher"), in 1928. It's 441 feet high and has fancy marble, painted ceilings, mosaics and lots of brass and bronze. Some of the finest craftsmanship in the Art Deco style can be found here. More than 40 kinds of marble from all over the world were used to build a shopping and entertainment center as a gift to Detroit from the Fisher brothers.

The planners used symbolism here to express wealth and power of the United States at the time...for example, eagles with wings outstretched. There are handpainted barrel vaulted ceilings. On the walls are 26 lunettes (arched windows), there are fluted marble pillars, the floors are Italian marble, and the mosaics are 10 feet tall.

There were different patterned painted ceilings in the different hallways. It was amazing to see this!

It would be wonderful to take an official tour, but for just a quick Sunday visit, we had to make do. There is so much more history behind these buildings!

Michigan Central Station

Our last stop was the Michigan Central Station...It is a Beaux Arts style with some Art Deco features. The history is long behind this building but briefly, it was an abandoned station left to crumble for over 30 years. Ford Motor Companty eventually became involved and invested almost a billion dollars to restore it because it represents the rise and fall and rebounding of Detroit. In the 1990's, trespassers and looters stole brass fitting, copper wiring and decorative marble from the columns and bases. Graffiti tags, some as high at 15 feet tall "decorated" the walls along with paintball splats- remnants of regularly scheduled paintball matches inside the station!

Millions of gallons of water were pumped out of the basement, 29,000 Gustavino tiles were restored in the Grand Hall. A quarry in Indiana was reopened after being closed in the 1980's to quarry limestone to replace 600 tons of damaged limestone. With all the restoration in place, the planners thought to preserve a little of the past.

They saved a graffiti block!

Many expensive methods were involved to recreate and reassemble damaged windows, trim and architectural features. They used 3D scanning technology to recreate architectural details lost to weather exposure and vandalism. 

The main waiting room was designed after an ancient Roman bath house. There are bronze chandeliers, 68 foot marble columns, and 14 marble pillars set against the walls. Three thousand, one hundred tradesmen, 1.7 million hours, 300 miles of electric cable and wiring 5.6 miles of plumbing and almost a billion dollars to bring it to today's glory. If you go visit the station, you can see many placards explaining and showing the previous condition of the train station and how it was renovated. It's fascinating to read.....

The center is currently being used for conventions, formal events, and development of new tech, and placing companies who are looking towards the future.

The day was rapidly drawing to a close, and Sparky had to fly back home to Indiana....Thank you, Lyle and John, and Rich, for a wonderful birthday weekend celebration!

The 2025 Heritage Trail Quilt Gardens

"Creativity and Structure" in Goshen on Main Street

"The Sunburst" Abshire Park, Goshen

It's that time of year again, when Elkhart County plants its beautiful Heritage Trail quilt gardens all over the county. They start planting in May, opening May 30th, and the season runs through September 15th. This year there are 16 quilt gardens and 12 quilt murals. Each year that we have lived here, Sparky and her chauffeur (Eldo) make the rounds all around the county, following the handy dandy map that is provided online, which she prints out. See the map here: quilt gardens map  You can actuallly make it a fairly economical trip gas-wise, if you plan carefully!

One of Sparky's perennial favorites (haha, did you see what she did there?) is the garden at Das Essenhaus in Middlebury....This one is called "Burst of Joy"....If you drive to it in the middle of the day, or late in the day, you can stop by for a traditional Amish style home cooked meal. They have a fabulous bakery on premises as well.

Each quilt garden has a signpost telling what flowers are used and a vivid description of why the particular flowers were chosen. Unfortunately, Sparky cut off the vivid description on all the signs, focusing on what kind of flowers were used!

One of the most challenging gardens to view is the "Just Wingin' It" garden at the Elkhart Environmental Center. It's four birds and difficult to see the lines of distinction, like the birds' beaks for instance. But still, an amazing floral feat!

There are over a million blooms total in the gardens and gigantic quilt murals to see as well....

Bonneyville Mill Park mural

At Bonneyville Mill County Park, not only can you see one of the quilt murals on the big red barn, but you can see a beautiful dahlia garden just beginning to bloom in July....The garden was just beginning to show its colors when we visited.

Dahlia at Bonneyville Mill Park

Speaking of dahlias, this quilt garden at the Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart must have been planted a bit later than many, so it is just getting started. 

"Giant Dahlia"

Here are few more of Sparky's favorites--a trip to Shipshewanna to see this one at the Farmstead Inn, called "Goosetracks". 

"Goosetracks"

"Flying Swallows" at Ruthmere Mansion in Downtown Elkhart...

Can you see the "Sweetgum Leaf"  tree in downtown Bristol, IN?

It is really fun to take a road trip that lasts less than a day if you are in the area and want to see quite a few gardens in a short time span. 

And there are more gardens to be seen, these are just a few of Sparky's favorites. We highly recommend taking this road trip if you are in Elkhart County during the summer months. It's a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane to see the Amish farms, towns and small town living in northwest Indiana. There are great places to stop and shop and eat in each of the towns along the route--Elkhart, Middlebury, Goshen, Shipshewanna, Bristol, Wakarusa, and Nappanee. Hope you enjoyed today's quilt garden tour!