We arrived in Indiana at Peggy and Larry Eckerts home in Fishers.Peggy has done the usual wonderful job of decorating and making us feel welcome.
We gathered around the table for a bbq dinner and had a great time together.
Ed found time to visit the Indianapolis Raceway Museum while Peggy and I caught up.
All the 500 winners are represented well into the 1980's.
This car is a front wheel drive.
All these are 500 winners.
Turbine engine race cars. No winners.
Next stop was Fort Wayne, our base for 2 years.
We stopped at the home of Maureen and Alan Grinsfelder where we indulged
in a beautiful lunch...
...in this lovely dining room in their 100 year old home.
We both love the clock that was built for the home.
We had dinner with the Meatloafers, the Monday night dinner group
Maureen and Al belong to. Cool group.
The next morning we met Al at the Allen County Public Library. They had just
broken ground on it when we left ten years ago. What an impressive building!
The children have not been forgotten. They have a starring role in the library.
How about those reading pods...!
The library acquired a large portion of the collection from the Lincoln Museum when it
closed. I used to be a docent there giving tours to children's groups. It is one of my best
memories of Fort Wayne.
Alan had arranged for Cheryl to give us a private tour of the collection in the
very sub basements of the library. She was great!
The library has received a donation of this bronze and is preparing to
put it on display. It's of soldiers carrying President Lincoln from the
Ford Theater to the home across the street after he had been short by Booth.
It's a very moving sculpture.
This sort of felt like visiting old friends.
Under the velvet covers are these personal photos from the Lincoln family.
These are all original items.
These are all original items.
The most requested item is this famous original photo.
It's the "ghost" photo of Mary Todd Lincoln with the faint image
of Abraham Lincoln with his hands on her shoulders.
It was amazing to hold it in my hand...
One floor below is the digitizing department where books and documents are
scanned for storage and internet access. They also do custom scanning
for various institutions and universities.
It's quite the operation. Amazing to know that anyone can access the
information from any computer.
We had dinner with Mary and Dick Lee and Maureen and Al
at the Liberty Diner - one of our old haunts.
(There seems to be an eating theme to being in Indiana...)
The next day I met up with Mary Lee for a friendly afternoon while Ed
visited one of his old haunts - the Auburn Cord Dusenberg Museum.
The building is the old Auburn administration and showroom.
The showroom is where dealers came to view the new models and order
for their dealerships.
Today it houses a magnificent collection in a 1929-30 art deco setting.
There are lots of weddings held there.
Upstairs are the offices.
This is where the car design began.
And this is the office of the president, E.L. Cord.
Dusenbergs were so pretty. Circa 1932-33.
The Cord L29 chassis with a photo of an L29 front wheel drive car.
Ed even found time to visit the Military and Carriage Museum in Auburn, IN.
It's a fraction of its former self after the sale of a large part of the collection.
It houses military vehicles...
...and carriages dating from 1850 to 1900.
Now that's a dog catcher's cart I could get behind.
The Allen County History Center
Ed and Alan toured while Mary Lee and I went to the Fort Wayne Art Museum.
Mary and I had a ball being together and cementing our friendship.
The building is the former Fort Wayne City Hall, circa 1890's.
Isn't this a hoot!?!?
It covers the history of the region.
The far West back then.
Gas station equipment was built in Fort Wayne.
Brings back a few memories...
Of course we had to eat! At the local pizza place with Maureen and Alan.
Then back to the house where Alan was hunting for a bat that had gotten in.
We are still wondering if he ever got it.
Breakfast at the liberty diner before heading on....
Alan and Ed had a patriotic moment.
We had a great time visiting in Fort Wayne. We couldn't believe how much the city has
changed in the 10 years we have been gone. The once dead downtown has been
revitalized and made new, parks have been built, a baseball stadium,
and community pride seems high.
It was nice to see, but most of all it was so much fun to spend time with good friends.
We made a decision to spend a few days in the Amish country. Shipshewana used
to be my hideaway. I would get in the car and drive the backroads to this sort of
Amish central town. I loved to wander around by myself and see what I could find.
One day I found a dining room set...
Our plan was to meet Peggy and Larry Eckert who were spending the weekend
there, visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN about 20 miles away.
There's a constant cloppity clop of the ever present horses and buggies, people who "live plain,"
tacky tourist attractions, great antiques, Amish food, pristine farms with colorful gardens, corn as high as an elephant's eye, the best cinnamon donuts we've ever tasted, yummy cheese,
the bulk food store, and endless stuff to buy.
Shipshewana is lots of fun.
The bulk food store parking lot.
The RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart, IN
houses a collection of historic RV's.
Thor Industries is the largest player in the industry. They own many brands
including Airstream. The Hall of Fame was put together by manufacturers
and is used as a venue to promote the industry and showcase their products.
Following the trail is a walk in history.
I picked out some of my favorites.
This is a model T RV.
Ed's hands down favorite is the Bowlus for its streamlined shape.
It was the predesessor to the Airstream. This one is circa 1934-35.
The interior is boat shaped, wood paneled, with a mini-galley up front.
The Cadillac is a one of a kind. Built in 1988 on a 1976 caddy frame.
It's slick and "modern" inside.
The 1927 Weidman Housecar had folding chairs for driver and copilot chairs
and a plain window up front.
We even saw a Woody model!
I have a thing for the GMC of the 1970's.
It used to be a creme de la creme of RV's. You stopped dead in your tracks
and admired them when they drove by. They are still beautiful today.
There are clubs that restore them. That was good news to me.
Our last night after dinner at an Amish restaurant with Peggy and Larry
and their friends Doug and Edwina.
The old and the new.
Ed caught this photo in the station in town.
Heading out to Chicago in the morning to spend time with the Golden's.
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