Travels in Time

I have finally finished cleaning, reorganizing and packing away my living history gear from my recent event. I was happy to get back to one of my favorite pastimes. Last year almost all events were cancelled and I was only able to attend one public event. So when the opportunity to travel to Indiana for the Bridgeton Rendezvous presented itself I quickly talked some friends into going and we were not disappointed. 

When we arrived in Bridgeton I realized I had visited this charming place before. My husband and I had explored many of the covered bridges in this area several years ago. Bridgeton is a very small historical town in Indiana southwest of Indianapolis. Indiana boasts many covered bridges and the Bridgeton covered bridge is famous for the only bridge over a waterfall which makes for very scenic photos. The current bridge was rebuilt in 2006 following a fire that destroyed the bridge. 

At the foot of the waterfall is another notable historic building, the Bridgeton Mill. This is the oldest continually-operating mill in the midwest and has been family owned since 1823. The current owner continues the ongoing restoration while milling corn and wheat with 200 year old French Buhr stones. Samples of his milled products are available for purchase as well as other small items in the Mill store. 

The sleepy town of Bridgeton was placed on the National Register Historic District in 1992 and boasts shops, homes, an original 1822 log cabin, post office and other buildings. Many shops are only open on weekends during the summer or during festivals. The Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival which begins the second Friday in October and lasts 10 days is the biggest event of the year with approximately 2 million people reportedly visiting the area. 

The event that drew our attention was the Bridgeton Rendezvous, a re-enactment of the 1750s to 1840s time period. The event is hosted by the Case family and centered around the original Case 1822 Log Cabin. In addition to vendors selling period appropriate items there were also activities for the reenactors to participate in such as a black powder shoot, bow shoot, skillet throw, Friendship fire and a shared meal. 

We arrived on Thursday afternoon to set up our tents and unload our supplies. The weather forecast predicted near freezing temps that night and some rain over the weekend but I was prepared. It was a little chilly that night but I slept well underneath multiple layers of wool blankets. When I awoke one of my fellow campers had already started the fire and made the coffee. Thank you Scottie!!!

Most events such as this host a "schooldays" on the Friday before the event with local school children attending. Unfortunately it was cancelled this year so we dressed in our 18th century finest and walked the historic streets to scope out the town and mill. We talked with the owner of Bridgeton Mill and learned the history of the building and what work is taking place in the restoration, purchased buckwheat flour, muffin mix and blueberry syrup. The owner gifted us a sample of the buckwheat pancake mix. This made for a very tasty breakfast the following day. 

We also talked with Celia Case who had been the one to invite us to this event when we met her last year. Her family owns the 1822 log cabin which is original to the county but has been moved to the current site. The cabin was built by her great grandfather and has been in the family ever since. During the event she informed visitors about the history of the cabin and town, cooked on the hearth and directed the events. 

The other reenactors were all well known to each other but a friendlier group of people you could not imagine. We must have interacted with each and every one as they stopped by our camp to say hi and share stories or information. 

Also present at this event was a couple that I have seen at previous events. They are always entertaining and provide portrayals of several different personas. This weekend they were present as Parson John and Maggie Delaney, his indentured servant. She gave a presentation in which she told her story as an Irish immigrant that arrived in the colonies as an indentured servant with her family and all the hardships she had endured. It is a very moving story and based on historical accounts. Parson John delivered a religious service on Sunday morning with a good message. A few years ago I encountered this couple portraying body snatchers. They do such a fantastic job portraying first person characters that I follow them on Facebook and watch their videos on YouTube. You can find them on Facebook by searching "Parson John & Maggie" and a search on YouTube of "Maggie Delaney" will provide several videos of Maggie's impersonations. 

As always some of the best times during these events is sitting around a campfire late at night talking with friends, eating food cooked over the campfire and spending time with like-minded people who enjoy history and realize the importance of it. We learned that onions roasted in the coals make a tasty treat and you can't always count on weather reports as, thankfully, the rain held off all weekend. 

Too soon, Sunday afternoon arrived and we had to take down our tents, pack our gear and start the long drive home. As I usually do following the fun I try to reorganize and reassemble my gear in a more efficient manner for the next event knowing full well that there is no perfect way to pack for these events. This took me a few days and then I have to rest up and begin thinking about the next Reenactment!

You may have events similar to this in your area. I encourage you not only to attend but interact with those that are portraying historical characters. We love to tell our story or give you information that you may not have learned in school. And although we can never know exactly what it was like to live in another time we can gain some perspective of what they experienced in day to day life. 

Scottie and Bob at the Case Cabin

me in front of our camp

Our gang

camp of a voyageur

Celia Case at Skillet Throw

Chicken on the hearth

Spinning demonstration

Hand knitted caps and other goods

Links for further information: 

http://www.bridgetonindiana.com/attractions/index.htm

https://www.coveredbridges.com/covered-bridges

Kentucky's Red River Gorge

We have just returned from Red River Gorge in east-central Kentucky located just south of Lexington.  I can't recall how this wonderful park first came to my attention but I'm so happy that it did. Last year I had no idea such a beautiful, unique place existed so close to home.

Red River Gorge sits within the Daniel Boone National Forest. The area has been designated as a National Natural landmark mostly due to the over 150 natural sandstone arches scattered throughout the park. This is the only area east of the Rocky Mountains that has as many natural arches.

Rock climbers flock to the Red River Gorge to climb the numerous sandstone cliffs, many over 200 foot high. I have never tried this type of activity but I can certainly understand the appeal. The website boasts that this is a world renowned area for climbers. Not having any practical experience in this area I will share the website for anyone that may have an interest to explore this further.  Visit Red River Gorge Kentucky | Red River Gorge

As you may recall, some of my interests are hiking and photography. I was certainly pleased with the opportunities available at Red River Gorge for these activities. I had only enough time to stir up my interest so hopefully a longer visit can be planned sometime soon. 

Many of the trails in the park are short and fairly easy hikes leading to a notable feature such as an arch, bluff, waterfall or overlook so there is something for any skill level. There are also some backcountry camping opportunities for backpackers. In fact the Sheltowee Trace winds through the park providing a long distance through-hike of 319 miles. There are longer day hikes with varying levels of danger and ability for those that seek more adventurous paths. On my recent brief trip I managed only a few of the shorter hikes and I'm looking forward to returning for a taste of the more adventurous ones soon. 

In addition to hiking, many people enjoy fishing and kayaking the rivers and streams that meander throughout the park. My grandson had to try his hand at fishing in the stream that flowed through the campground. He wasn't the only one enjoying this activity. We were camped at Middle Fork campground in Natural Bridge State Resort Park where the waters are stocked with 3000 trout in March, April, May and October each year. Besides the Red River and it's tributaries there are lakes nearby that offer additional opportunities for fishing. 

Kayaking sounded like a fun activity for the grandkids so we booked an underground kayaking excursion through The Gorge Underground (The Gorge Underground - The Coolest Place in the Gorge! Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge Kentucky). This adventure took us to an underground limestone mine that had flooded. We were given basic instructions in paddling along with a helmet, headlight and life jacket then settled into our kayaks for an hour long tour through the mine. The guides were fun and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It stays cool in the mine at 52 degrees so dress appropriately and consider gloves - my hands got very cold! I didn't take my camera or phone with me but I'll share a photo I found online. 

I noticed there was also ziplining available in the park but my youngest granddaughter was too small so we didn't follow up on that. We did take the skylift up to the largest natural arch which was fun. The lift dropped us off near the top of the arch and by walking across you could walk down to the base of the arch where I took the picture at the top of the page. There are many trails nearby leading to overlooks looking out over this beautiful country. Other trails descended back to the parking lot, wandering through the forest which was full of spring wildflowers. 

We love to camp and there are several great campgrounds in the state park and other public campgrounds nearby. Most camp sites in the park included electricity and water and the campgrounds are located near trails and streams. There are other options available for overnight or longer stays. I noted cabins for rent and there were some small motels and the Red River Lodge. On the website there were also treehouses advertised to rent. 

There are not a lot of restaurants within the park and we didn't explore nearby cities having planned to cookout in the campground most of the time. We did visit the Lodge for dinner and it was very good with all-you-can-eat fish or shrimp options the night we were there as well as other taste tempting options. Miguel's Pizza was another popular spot as there was a line out the door whenever we drove by. I learned this was the place for hungry climbers to visit and a primitive campground mostly for climbers is nearby. A Mexican restaurant usually does not disappoint and La Cabana was certainly busy. We were too hungry to wait for a table and missed out this trip. 

I can't write about an area without including something historical. We did take a drive through the Nada tunnel, a 900 foot long, 12 foot wide, 13 foot high logging tunnel built between 1910 and 1912. This tunnel is frequently referred to as the "Gateway to Red River Gorge." We traveled through this one lane tunnel and found a one mile trail to a suspension bridge across the Red River and historic Gladie Center.  The Gladie Visitor Center was closed and seemed to have been closed for sometime. The website says it is temporarily closed due to Covid. We were able to walk around the grounds and could tell this could be an interesting stop once reopened. It contained an authentic log home and barn full of period farm machinery. Signage told the story of those that had lived there. 

(forgot to take a picture so this is borrowed from the internet)

Living in southern Illinois amidst the Shawnee National Forest and having made frequent trips to the Smoky Mountains I thought this area was a great mix of both regions. With higher elevations than found in southern Illinois and many water features it had an amazing resemblance to the Smoky Mountains. As we hiked through the woods the trails were lined with rhododendron which hinted at how beautiful this area would soon be when these beauties were blooming. While this area shared many features of the Smoky Mountains, the rocky bluffs, deciduous forest and spring wildflowers had the familiarity of home and like the Shawnee Forest there thankfully was a lack of crowds and commercialism. But the natural sandstone arches make this region unique in it's own right and well worth a visit. I hope this will encourage you to explore this treasure or visit a local treasure wherever you may live. Sometimes the best places are right in your own backyard. 

my daughter and grandkids

Hidden Arch

Mining for gems

 

on the suspension bridge

on the sky lift

A new beginning

I have finally made it to this day. Work is in the rearview mirror. While I have been looking forward to this day for a long time, I know that I will miss it. I have spent over 40 years working in healthcare with the last 12 years working as a nurse practitioner. I wish I could have gotten to that point earlier in my career as I found my greatest satisfaction during this last phase. I really enjoyed interacting with my patients and helping them find solutions for their problems and hope that I made a difference. I have had many wonderful, caring coworkers surrounding me that I will remember always. But the time was right to give it up. 

So now I'm asking myself what happens next. My head is filled with ideas, ambitions and goals. Where should I start? I've been making some small plans for traveling which includes some camping, living history events and visiting family. I have some bigger trips on my bucket list but I'm still waiting for international travel to open again. Sounds like I should be getting my plans for cleaning out the clutter taken care of first so I can feel free to take off when that time comes. The volunteer activities I enjoyed in the past were mostly on hold last year but are starting to get active again. And the time is right for beginning my garden work. I've decided not to tie myself down with a big vegetable garden this year to free up my time for other things. I still plan on growing my flowers, herbs and a few easy vegetables. Any time left is all for family. 

It's been nearly two weeks since my last day at work. Not a lot of difference yet but as I sat in my pajamas till late in the morning I asked my husband if this was how it was done. He smirked! Plans definitely need to be made so I have something to get dressed for. 

For our first adventure we will be traveling in our RV to the Red River Gorge area in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. This region is known for natural sandstone arches, cliffs and waterfalls. I hope to get in a lot of hiking, explore the historical features and also have time to relax around a campfire. Watch for updates on this trip soon as we are traveling there now. 

There are other simple things I will be pursuing too. I recently purchased a new camera which I've been playing around with. It provides a good break from day to day cleaning and organizing plans as well as challenges my creativity. One of my dearest friends shares a love of photography and understands when I'm crouched over some wildflower trying to get just the right angle and light. We've made several trips close to home in the Shawnee National Forest. The trees are barely budded out but wildflowers are starting to make their appearance. On a return trip last weekend we happened to notice a sign for the peach blossom trail. The owner of the peach orchard encouraged anyone to come out and see the beauty. We got some great photos there too. Another lesson learned. You have to be in the right place at the right time sometimes to find small wonders. 

So I have made it to one end and ready for my new beginning. I anticipate what comes next and hope to share my pursuits here. 

Me and one of my dearest friends, Patty