October 2018, Day 8... Climbing Hoosier Hill

Day 8 Friday, October 19, 2018

    Today was a drive day.  I was heading to Richmond, Indiana.  It wasn’t so much Richmond, as what lay outside town.  More on that later.  I still had to get there.  Madison was socked in with fog when I woke up. 

     Because of it, I lingered at the Hillside Inn longer than usual.  In hindsight, I should have left a half hour or so before sunrise.  The fog was gone within a mile up Hwy 421.  Considering what I saw in Canaan, this may very well have been spectacular a little earlier.

     Having been to Stonehenge, Carhenge in Nebraska, Foamhenge in Virginia, Permian Basin Stonehenge in Texas, and a mini-henge in Missouri, I couldn’t pass up Paulhenge in Versailles, Indiana. 

      It’s the work of the late Paul Morris.  He made his henge out of discarded well tops and swears they’re aligned to the seasonal change in the sun.   Considering the multiple Private Property signs, I simply shot this from the street.

      The weather guessers were calling for rain later in the day, but not until evening.  So, I had plenty of time.  Hwy 50 took me east to Aurora.  As I approached town, I could see some thick clouds in a distant valley.  It took a bit of exploring, but I finally found a decent vantage point at the end of a cul-de-sac. 

     The Ohio River from downtown Aurora...

     There’s an ongoing art project in town by area artist Cindy Crofoot.   She’s been painting murals on the boarded windows of abandoned buildings and other places around town.   It’s all part of the city’s effort to revitalize the downtown area.  And for a $75 fee, she’ll paint you in one.

      Hwy 350 took me back northwestwards.  Driving through Mt. Sinai, I passed my first Mail Pouch Tobacco barn.  These never get old. 

     And this train station in Delaware. 

     Hwys 129 and 229 took me to Hwy 50 and something I noticed on my AAA map.  In the town of Metamora you’ll find the Whitewater Canal State Historical Park.  The canal was completed in 1847 and ran seventy-six miles between Lawrenceburg and Hagerstown.  Due to the change in elevation along the canal, it required fifty-six locks and seven dams. 

     Metamora was one of many towns that grew up supporting the new canal.  Now it’s mostly a tourist stop, complete with restaurants and craft shops.  As I got out of my car the Whitewater Valley train was pulling in, full of tourists.  

      With the sudden disgorge of passengers, I knew any of the town's restaurants would be busy.  So, I didn’t linger very long.  

    Instead, I drove east, eventually picking up Hwy 1.  This took me through Milton, a town that just didn’t seem quite right.  None of the handful of businesses looked open, and I didn’t see a single person walking around.  It was oddly quiet, as if the townspeople were all hiding or something.  It just felt strange.  The town’s name comes from it being a mill town.  They just shortened the name a bit.

    Hwy 40 east eventually brought me to Centerville.  That’s where you’ll fine the Warm Glow Candle Company.  I didn’t need an candles and didn’t feel the need to go inside.  But, when they claim they have the World’s Largest Candle, I felt compelled to stop in and check it out. 

    However, the folk in Scappoose, Washington disagree.  They claim their Peace Candle is bigger.

   There were two reasons I stayed in Richmond, Indiana.  Eleven miles north sits the town of Franklin, home of Hoosier Hill.  At 1,257 feet, it’s the highest point in the state of Indiana. 

      And what a view from the high point...

      A couple of years ago, I read a brief interview with Kim Goble, the owner of the property.  She said she didn’t understand the appeal, but welcomed people like me to do our thing.  Some owners want a fee or donation.  She just asks that you pick up after yourself.    

     The other reason for visiting Richmond,  I’m doing that tomorrow. 

      One brief stop in downtown for Thistlethwaite Falls.  In 1854, John Thistlethwaite dammed the river to create a small lake for irrigation.  In the process, he changed the course of the river and created a waterfall.

      

     My home for the night was the Richmond Inn and Suites.  There are cheap motels and there are inexpensive ones.  Unlike that dive in Albany, this place was actually quite respectable.

      One block up from the motel is a place called Pizza King.  I didn’t really want pizza again, but I walked up anyway.  They had plenty of other choices and the food was decent, though nothing special.  The only reason I mention it, are the phones.

      Your waitress doesn’t take your order.  You call the kitchen directly.  You can hear it ring from the table.  They simply deliver it.  I’ve never seen this before.  

Coming UP,
A Very Important Stretch of Road