Back Home Again in Indiana – Family Visits

Being full-time RVers, we need to schedule visits to see our moms in Indiana and our kids in Virginia and DC. We actually try to get back here 2-3 times a years, either in the RV or by flying. This time our plans have us traveling east across the heartland to the Hoosier State in late September. It has been a lot of miles since we left Alpine Wyoming back on July 26th! More than 2,300 miles in fact!

The Drive

At 322 miles, this transfer definitely needed a stopover place. Our entire route to Indy was I-72 to I-74 to I-465 around the westside of Indy to our RV park on the southside just off US-37. The Lake Haven RV Retreat is just an okay place to stay. It has all the hookups and is mostly big rig friendly. We always stay here mainly because it is the only option for this part of the state. And about the midpoint between our moms.

Champaign Illinois Stopover

Our stopover was for three days at a very nice little family owned park called D & W Lake RV Park. Very clean and friendly and it has a private fishing lake to boot! On Sunday, we attended a little Baptist church near our RV park. It is always great to worship with others as we travel.

As an extra bonus at this stopover, we met our good friends Ed and Sue Fain who drove over from Indiana to meet at a small, country craft brewery named the Big Thorn Farm & Brewery. I used to work with Ed and we both retired about the same time. He keeps busy with volunteering and the new homebrewing hobby. More things in common!

• 

• 

Ed and Sue brought out two other couples from Crawfordsville and we really enjoyed our time meeting them. We all sat at a large picnic table by the treehouse taproom.

Big Thorn Farm & Brewery

Located about 10 miles south of Danville, Ill and out in the middle of nowhere, this small craft brewery operates completely off the grid. This off-grid farmhouse brewery began operation around 2014 and has now added a treehouse tap room, an elevated open platform right into the trees. How cool is that? LINK

• 

• 

The owner started as a homebrewer, then worked in conventional brewing before buying the farm, building his tiny house and a brewery. He has many things making it unique! One is the entirely solar and wind powered. Others are the beer is transferred to an insulated cellar to ferment and age. No heat or A/C. Then it is carbonated naturally using a small amount of sugar and yeast in the keg.

They also age their beer with charred logs in the fermenters giving their many unique types of beer some truly original tastes such as a Currant Sassafras wild sour. LINK

Indianapolis

Trish and I were originally from the area out west of Indy, so it is always nice to get back here. I had to work in a couple of lunches at the Gray Brothers cafeteria in Mooresville just for old time sake. I would lunch there 2-3 times a week when I worked in Mooresville way back when. Most other places that I remember are long gone after 25 years of being away.

• 

• 

On our first night into town, we splurged on a great steak at Bynum’s Steakhouse on the southside of Indy. Their filet with a chef’s special sauce was just incredible. Very tender and very tasty!

• 

• 

• 

While in Indy, we attended the Southside Reformed Presbyterian church that Mary Beth, a high school classmate, has relatives attending. We met some of her relatives and friends and enjoyed chatting with them.

Family Visits

Our mothers are both doing very well with the expected issues for those lucky enough to live to their late 80’s and early 90’s. We chat with them frequently on the phone, but it is great to see them a few times a year.

Pat was off to her mom’s place in Greencastle to make 150 freezer meals. I also drove out a couple of times to work on the long chore list and to install some new lighting for my mother-in-law, Patricia.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

I also made three visits up to the northeast side to see my mom at her retirement community apartment. On one of these visits, we drove over to Carmel to buy her a new mattress. Quite a feat for her to climb into the big truck, but she did great!

• 

• 

Her place has a great dining room and has three meals a day that we used a few times while visiting. I also went to her guided exercise class. Mostly 80 somethings and me. Quite the workout while seated or standing behind a chair!

We are very pleased at how well adjusted she became in just a little time in the transition from her own home and auto in Florida to her apartment in Indy using their shuttle bus to do any outside shopping.

Pat and her mom also met up with Virginia and Mary Beth, some distant relatives, at a Wasser brewery in Greencastle.

• 

• 

Wrap Up

Thanks for following along on our RV Journey! Be sure to subscribe to be notified of updates. We are currently in the Washington DC area to visit family and see the sights. Take care and God Bless.