COURTESY "REQUESTED" ON THE PANHANDLE PATHWAY

July 28, 2013  PEDALS adventure:  PANHANDLE PATHWAY 

One of the goals of the summer was to take a canal boat ride on the Wabash Erie Canal in Delphi, IN, which only runs on Saturdays and Sundays, so Tom’s birthday seemed like a good time to check off that goal..and add a bike ride with it. My favorite source of finding trails, Traillink.com, was helpful in showing us a trail we were previously unfamiliar with, the Panhandle trail.   This trail connects the Indiana towns of Winamac  and  Kenneth by going through tiny towns I previously had never heard of such as  Star City and Thornhope.  Since it was in the general direction of Delphi, we decided to go for it.

Part of the reason I like Traillink.com is that previous bikers post information about their ride, such as scenery, quality of the path, and notable sites. I have learned that I can only ride about 20 miles in one trip without creating too much pain for my lower back.   Since this path is 20 miles long, we had to choose at which end to begin because the ride would be 10 miles out…and the same 10 miles back.   I was grateful for the postings because we found out that the best spot on this trail is one mile south of the Winamac Trailhead…a view of the the Tippecanoe River from a fabulous bridge…so Winamac was the winner!

Extreme courtesy is STRONGLY suggested

 

After arriving at a trailhead and getting the bike ready for a ride, I typically go to the map and informational sign that is  posted to get a picture and find out interesting info about the path. I was glad I took the time to complete this task at the Pan Handle, because one of their suggested rules caught my eye…and my sense of humor.  Besides the usual, wear a helmet, stay to the right, don’t litter, the Pan Handle Pathway takes courteous riding seriously….Rule 3 not only asks you to be courtesy, it recommends that you say “Hi” or “Hello” as you pass other riders.   I laughed out loud when I read that…and then proceeded to follow that rule every time we passed other riders.  I chuckled each time too.

The post on Traillink.com was right, we quickly rode up to the bridge on the Tippecanoe River and stopped to enjoy the view.   The water was moving quickly, a testament to the steady rains that have fallen this summer, in contrast to last summer’s drought.  Way too fast for a kayak trip, unless your car is waiting at the other end, but perfect for a nice bike view.

View of the Tippecanoe River from the bridge south of Winamac

2 signs of Agriculture

The path was straight and in some ways,  boring, without a lot of diversity in the scenery or direction.   However, there was enough difference in these two areas, along with a nice tree canopy, to make an enjoyable ride.   As I looked for interesting signs, I was surprised to see a random informational sign in front of a random field.   I came up  to read it  and found  out it was all about (surprise, surprise) CORN IN PULASKI COUNTY!  Corn in any county of Indiana (with the exception of Marion County/Indianapolis) is as common as dirt, but the good people of the Panhandle Trail felt that we path users would want to be informed about THEIR corn.  Not sure what that was about, but it does constitute an interesting sign…plus it gave me an excuse to stop and get off my bike.

 

Another interesting sign was the one that greeted us at the Thornhope city limits…it declared that there were 70 residents that call Thornhope their home.   For such a small town, they sure do have big buildings!

The skyscrapers of Thornhope are part of the SIGNS of agriculture

Besides the really cool bridge over the Tippecanoe River, there were lesser bridges over lesser creek that broke up the long stretch of asphalt. One that caused me to chuckle was  labled “Mike and Mike’s Bridge.”  I presumed it was the newer bridge next to the rusty old bridge, but it brought to mind a favorite ESPN morning radio show of the same name, hosted by Mike “Greenie” Greenburg and Mike Golic.   Somehow, I can’t picture either of them (a big city “dandy” and an ex-football player) riding along in the Indiana countryside on a couple of bikes.  But if they did, I’m sure we’d hear about it.

The Pan Handle Trail did give us the opportunity to spot some interesting wildlife.  Along with the ubiquitous cows found on Indiana farms, a farm on the path also had llamas…or were they alpaca?  Not sure which they were, but they weren’t too sure about us either  and watched us intently, as though WE were the ones with a strange look.   Also crossing our path, literally, was a quail that skittered in front of us as we sped by.   Cool!

 

 

Outside the small town of Star City, another small sign appeared in front of a tree.  Since we had passed hundreds of trees, I of course was curious as to what made this tree special.  Another dedicated supporter sponsored an Indiana Native Tree, the red oak, and wanted to make sure we did not miss it.   

THE MIGHTY RED OAK...not to be missed on the Panhandle Pathway

The final interesting sign was one that appeared with predictable regularity.   At every road where the Pan Handle crossed a county road, a large formal sign indicated that these were access points for the Pan Handle Trail.  To me, these signs represent the enormous pride that the Pan Handle Path supporters have in their trail, a well-maintained and easy to ride path that gives you a glimpse into rural Indiana. 

One of the prettiest Trail signs we have ever seen! 
Kudos to the Panhandle Pathway!

Oh yes, this path will also be remembered as the one where the benchmark of 600 miles was reached….let’s keep riding!

The stats: (RT) 20.1, Time: 1:59, ODO: 618

Notable Nature Sightings:  A quail, llamas (or alpacas), Indiana corn, and a Red Oak Tree (they must be notable..they had signs!

Notable Signs:  Rules of the path requesting that riders say "Hi or Hello" as they pass!!!

 

 

NEW TRAIL-OLD FRIENDS

July 14, 2013  PEDALS adventure:  Pere Marquette Rail-Trail- Midland, MI

Having located as an adult over 300 miles from my “growing-up city” of St. Louis, it is rare to spend time with HS friends, unless I travel back to Missouri.  This is in direct contrast to most people I know in the FW area who can name many people that they see (although not necessarily spend time with) that knew them “back when.”  It is therefore a great treat to have my longtime school friend, Barb and her husband Dan, only 4 hours away in Midland, MI.  And, it’s a bonus that a Hall of Fame Rail-Trail starts in Midland and we were able to combine the two.

 

 

 

Our car,  ready for a week of
biking and paddling adventures.

The trip to Midland was the first leg of our week long Paddle and Peds vacation to the Michigan Upper Peninsula. Although not bikers themselves (they have a darling mini-farm named Hope with chickens, crops and alpaca!), they were game to ride the Pere Marquette Trail with us.   

 

 

 

We met at The Tridge, a wonderful 3 bridge structure that spans the Tittabawassee and Chippewa Rivers. The trail’s park is clearly the heart of Midland as there were people everywhere, running, biking, strolling, and even kayaking the rivers and enjoying a splash pad. 

Tom on The Tridge in Midland

 As was expected from a rail-trail, the path was nice and level and began by going through a bit of suburbia.  There was still plenty of greenery, but quite a few cross streets which were easy to cross on a Sunday afternoon.  On one side of the trail are evidences of modern vehicle travel, while the other is the peaceful, although unusually coppery colored river.   Dan informed us that the unusual color was because of the high copper levels in the area.  Midland is the headquarters of Dow Chemical, which settled in this area because of the high concentration of naturally occurring chemicals in the area.

 

 

Can you really read all this while
flying by on your roller blades?

I am enjoying my quest this year to find unusual signs and am amazed that every path seems to deliver another entry.  The sign that caught my attention on the Pere Marquette said, “Detectable warning surface ahead/ Roller bladders use caution.”  Thinking that it was some type of sensor that triggered a warning signal for cross traffic (there’s one of those on the Pufferbelly Trail back home) I laughed to see that the detectable warning surface was just speed bumps!  To be sure, these would be dangerous for roller bladders, but if one were flying along on rollerblades, the chance your could read all those words and then have time to react before hitting the bumps and spilling into the roadway seemed remote.  We decided the sign should say, BUMPS AHEAD, ROLLERBLADERS WATCH OUT. 

 

Here is the "DETECTABLE
WARNING SURFACE"
aka SPEED BUMPS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am learning that the best rail-trails are ones where vestiges of their former life can be found.  The most common are old mileage markers that have remained and endured.  There were a few that remained, indicating the mileage from Saginaw, the original start of the railway.   Midland has mirrored that idea with mileage markers of their own indicating the distance from The Tridge trailhead.

Original Mileage Marker

 

New Mileage Marker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love the tunnels that bike paths use to cross under a busy road, as they are a testament to the secret slower life that goes on beneath the busy travelers above.  Several pictures on other blog entries are evidence of that!  The Pere Marquette has one of the prettier ones we’ve seen and Barb was surprised to see where trail crossed the busy M30 road above.   She noted that she travels that road often and never knew the bike trail was beneath.

 

In the early days of Michigan’s history, logging was king and entire areas were heavily logged, forever removing the heavy native tree stands.  A small nature area along the rail-trail has been set aside to commemorate the role of this area in Michigan’s history.  Again, signs along bike trails are great ways to expand one’s knowledge of the hidden history of an area.  Besides, it was another chance to get off the bike seat for a bit of a rest!    

Riding bike trails is not only healthy, it is also educational!

A great asphalt surface and beautiful
scenery make this a great trail



A welcome sign for hot and hungry riders,
Barb, Dan, Sue and Tom

 Our destination goal was the town of Sanford, approximately  8 miles from Midland.   There we would find Alex’s Railside Restaurant, a diner serving good diner type food.  We (especially biking novice Barb) were happy that the restaurant was just this side of Sanford, and we gladly dismounted, removed our helmets and went inside…hopefully to cool off while we ate.   It’s always good to bike with the locals as Barb’s suggestion was spot on…good diner food and an atmosphere that embraced our biking attire.  (see Nature Sightings below for a "wild" story about Sanford)

 

 

 

 

As we started back towards Midland, we began to plan our next stop….it was the Ice cream shop along the trail that was closed when we passed it the first time.  We speculated whether it was closed because it was Sunday or if it just hadn’t reached its scheduled opening time (it was after 12 noon when we passed it the first time).  We anxiously approached the flowers and flags that marked its location on the trail and found…it was OPEN!  We got our cones, sat under some large trees and enjoyed the break.  Barb announced that she would remain here, firmly planted in the Adirondack chair, and wait for our return with the truck to pick up her and her bike.  She had been a trooper, having not been on a bike for quite a while, and we had, by this time biked over 10 miles….she earned spot there in the shade.

We were not too far from Midland and The Tridge trailhead and we picked up the pace as the traffic on the trail had slowed considerably.  I was struck by some areas of wildflowers that seemed to be a bit intentional…a scattered display of blanket flower and other perennials.  A glimpse of the river again and soon we were back at the trailhead, reloading our bikes and setting off to pick up Barb at the ice cream shop.

 

 

Love this wildflower...
whatever it is!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benches like this, dedicated  for lots of reasons by
supporters of the trail, dot the path, making it a
very personal experience.

        

 

 

 

 

We loved our ride on the  Midland section of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail and deeply appreciated the effort that our friends went to in order to join us (dusted off their bikes, purchased new bike seats…and ultimately had to borrow a bike when it was discovered one bike was missing a pedal!)  We look forward to future rides on the Pere Marquette (it is a much longer trail than what we pedaled) and hope that we again will be joined by our friends, Barb and Dan. 

 

End of the ride at The Tridge...the only 3 legged bridge I've seen!

 

The stats: (RT)15.53, Time: 2:00 hr  ODO:564                                                                                                         

Notable Nature Sightings:  Nothing for us besides the rivers, wildflowers, and trees.   BUT.....SIX DAYS later,  the Midland Daily News reported that a woman and her dog came face to face with a threatening bear along the trail near SANFORD where we stopped to eat.   Follow the link below for the entire story!

http://www.ourmidland.com/news/bear-on-rail-trail-threatens-woman/article_12fff127-72aa-5310-9b58-a626c4aae19d.html

Interesting Signs Sightings:   A warning sign with TOO MANY WORDS to read, vintage RR mileage markers, logging information sign, bike signs that mimic highway signs...I think not!!

Just a little intense for me...bike path signs
that mimic road signs are intimidating!

 

TO RIDE WITH LOVE

June 2, 2013 PEDALS ADVENTURE



Tom stopping
"Where the (Monon)
 Sidewalk Ends"

Between the Ride That Never Was on Memorial Day, May 27, and our next ride on June 2, the much anticipated arrival of our first granddaughter, Myla Rose, on May 28 occurred.  A quick trip on May 28 to Indy to meet her was arranged and a great time was had by all.  Of course that little bit of "Myla time" certainly wasn't enough.  So we combined our goal of finishing the Monon Trail in Indy AND visiting the newest family member into one awesome day.

Over last year, we rode most of the Monon Trail, starting at different points  but were prevented on our Double Birthday Ride from finishing the northern leg of the trail because the trail was closed.   Using our newly acquired smart phones, we found a trailhead in Carmel and set out going north to find the end.  

The Monon again went through some neighborhoods, through a light industrial area, and finally ended at a nice family park in Westfield.  It had taken some perseverance, but we found (with a nod to Shel Silverstein's famous children's book) ,"Where The Monon Sidewalk Ends."

These BBall goals are the largest I've seen!



The park was impressive, although deserted except for some bball players having a great time at the largest and heaviest bb poles I have ever seen!  A quick picnic lunch and we set off to find the other end of the trail where we were stopped  last summer.  

Passing by our car in Carmel we found we only had to bike a couple miles to our ending spot, and discovered the cause of last summer's bike path closure...a large overpass for the Monon!   It certainly was a large project and I was grateful we did not have to cross the traffic below. 

Impressive and new overpass for Monon users



We continued to Carmel's Hagan-Burke Trail which we also rode last summer on the birthday ride....and it also had its construction problems.  We were pleased to see that the construction was done, the path was easy to follow, and we again were amazed that so much nature could be preserved in such an urban environment.

Nature and US 31 together in Carmel!

A view down the Monon



We turned around (after all we had a darling granddaughter to visit) and returned to the car.  I stopped to read the sign about the namesake of this section of the Monon...and discovered another great motto, "I will do almost  anything outdoors.".  While this sentiment wouldn't describe me if taken to the  extreme, I will say it gave me pause and made me smile!

STATS: 11.57 (RT)  Time: 1:19   ODO: 489 miles

"I do anything that's outdoors!"



SOMETIMES I JUST EAT

PEDS Adventure

One of my favorite signs from last year was spotted on the Trail outside of St. Louis.  It was the motto of a local restaurant in St. Charles, MO, and it said,  "BIKE OFTEN, EAT WELL" and it paired well with my motto of June 9 blog "I BIKE TO EAT."  It was only fitting thatthe inaugural ride of the season was on one of our locally favorite paths, the Rivergreenway,  to our favorite Starbucks in downtown FW with Tom, Ryan and Heidi.  It was a beautiful afternoon for sipping an iced SB drink and an easy way to get "back in the saddle" again.  Nothing unusual happened except that we "felt" the lack of riding during the winter months!  But time will take care of that and we looked forward to our annual Memorial Day ride to help us gain more stamina.

The Stats :   8.3 miles  ODO: 478 , 1 hour 41 min

HOWEVER

We woke to the sound of rain on Memorial Day, which put a damper on the annual Neighbors Memorial Day Donut Ride (see May 2012: I Ride for Dunkin).  Gone was the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely ride on the Pufferbelly Trail, aka The Donut Trail.  Not to be deterred, I hopped in the car, DROVE to Dunkin Donuts, and the neighbors gathered in our screened room to enjoy sipping, munching, and chatting.

Tom, and neighbors Alex,Jen, and Ann enjoying DD despite the cold and rainy weather

The motto of The Ride That Never Was....sometimes, I just eat!

The Stats:  6 cups of coffee, 1 dozen  donuts and lots of chatting

WHERE WE'VE BEEN...IN THE MEANTIME...WHERE WE'RE GOING NEXT....

It appears that when we put the bikes away for the 2012 biking season, I also put away everything else that connects to this blog of our Hoosier Moves adventures….my thoughts…my words…….my typing….and then  went into hibernation.   The intent was to write one more blog post, recapping our adventures and  totaling up the miles pedaled (too tough to do miles PADDLED!), and then  post any PEDS adventures from snowshoeing in the winter.   As you can tell by the date, my good intentions went awry.  So this post will be the “Where We’ve Been,”  “In the Meantime,” and “Where We’re Going Next” post…three for the price of one, so to speak.

WHERE WE’VE BEEN:   

A statistical analysis of last year’s blogs reveals :

BIKE STATS:

Bike rides:  23   (19 with mileage;  4 early rides with unaccounted for mileage)

Beginning odometer (from rides with accounted for mileage):  224

Ending odometer:  470

TOTAL MILES BIKED:  236+

Number of states visited on a bike:  4 (Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri)

Paddling adventures:  3   (gotta work on that this year)

Notable nature sightings: a bald Eagle, snakes, a crazed squirrel, deer, Scarlet Tanager, cardinals, peacocks, an Indigo Bunting, and our personal favorite--- camels!  

Notable Non nature sightings:  a Swamp Thing, an airboat, Elvis, a  water propelled Air Pack rider,  flyover by the US  Military,  a lake surfer, several oxymoron signs, and  Santa Claus (partially incognito)

Calories consumed on bike rides:  too numerous to count (see “I BIKE TO EAT”)

Calories expended on bike rides:  hopefully more than what we consumed!!!

By all accounts it was a very successful season of biking, less successful for paddling (the 2012 Drought contributed to this) and it was great fun to revisit our adventures as I reread my posts, which was the ultimate goal of this blog anyway….document our lives before memory loss takes over!!

IN THE MEANTIME…..



Self-Portrait of my Showshoes



The “PEDS” part of “Paddleandpeds.com” was chosen for its connection to pedestrian movement, not just pedals.   Since the snowy winter of 2010-11, Tom and I have taken up snowshoeing,  i.e. trekking, as a way to get outside in the winter and again enjoy nature on a slower pace.   The weather obviously has to cooperate, but we were able to have a few snow trekking adventures.

JAN 1, 2013:  We started New Year’s Day  with a snowshoe trek around  Cindy and Dick’s property in Whitley County.   It was a gorgeous morning with fresh snow…great way to start the New Year



Happy New Year 2013!!!!



JAN 3, 2013:  SNOWSHOE ADVENTURE:   The big Christmas present around our house was the purchase of two IPhones…one for me and one for Tom.   On the recommendation of our daughter-in-law, I downloaded Map My Fitness and found it to be the perfect accompaniment to snow trekking.   

 

On Jan.  3 we went to a local rural county park and snow shoed within the woods.   I really got into snapping pics of Tom AND being able to document our distance.  It was a beautiful  way to see the park at a time most people miss it!!

Distance:  1 mile         Time:  47 min.  (although it was longer…I forgot about the app until after we had started the trek)





JAN.  27, 2013:  SNOWSHOE  ADVENTURE:  Michigan was beckoning us once again and so we went to St. Joseph, MI, home to many family beach adventures and then a place of great snow.  We snow trekked 2 different parks, both with marked trails….who could get lost with such an obvious sign to follow!!!



Again, it was a beautiful winter day and it felt great to be outdoors.   A trip to St. Joe would not be complete without a visit to the beach and a view of the lighthouse…..Tom was NOT interested in trekking out to it!!!

Distance 2:50 miles  Time:  1’ 45”  (there’s a lot of stopping and gazing when one is snow shoeing….otherwise, what is the point of missing the views?



Tom snow trekking on a narrow "boardwalk" through the park...
it's an easier place to walk in the summer!



The unusual  beauty of the snow path is why we snow trek



St. Joe Lighthouse.....trek at your own risk



The Beach at St. Joe, Michigan in January....BRRRR!





MAR. 3, 2013:  The challenge of snow trekking is that you cannot plan ahead as the weather has to cooperate to provide the venue for snowshoeing.   A late winter snow storm gave us an unexpected chance for one more snow trek at Metea Park.   

We got right down to the river and reminisced about paddling  through that very area many years ago on our very first paddling adventure….that was when the DNR (or someone) was clearing Cedar Creek to make it accessible.   They are not accessible any longer, so it was great to see Cedar Creek once again as it wound through the park.   We really moved along through this hike as it was pretty windy, but it felt good to be outdoors once again.

Distance:  2.21 Miles    Time:  50 minutes

SNOW TREKKING STATS:

Snow Treks:  5

Distance:  Around 6 miles (yes, there’s an app for that!)

WHERE WE ARE GOING NEXT . . . .

We are ready to start the new  biking and paddling adventures for  2013.  We already have plans to visit the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in July to paddle Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Tom says we might have to rent wet suits for that one…YIKES!) and have our bikes on the back of our car to use along the way.     It is said that Ohio has some nice paths, so we are looking at expanding the states in which we pedal.   The  Rails to Trails Conservancy (www.railstotrails.org)  is a great help with that goal.

In re-reading our 2012 blog posts, I can’t imagine we will “happen upon” as many unusual things during 2013 as  crossed our paths in 2012…but I still intend to document our adventures for ourselves…and you are welcome to read along with us!









"The A-B-C's of Biking" (and you won't believe the "C")

November 10, 2012  PEDALS adventure: 

When we started this season of biking, we certainly did not expect it to last into November, but when November brought some unseasonably warm weather (relatively speaking), we quickly responded by loading up the bikes, putting on a few layers and setting out for a new biking adventure.  It became clear that this was to be “The A-B-C’s of Biking” adventure.

Susie, school secretary extraordinaire and fellow bike path enthusiast, has been raving about the Pumpkinvine Trail that goes right through the heart of Indiana Amish country, between Middlebury and Shipshewana.  Not too long, not too far away, and not too hilly was her report and it sounded good to us….plus, she said we could look for a very unusual animal on a particular farm along the path (that piqued my curiosity) …but more on that later.

We decided to start in Middlebury, and easily found the Pumpkinvine Trail  right behind the local Dairy Queen, just like Susie said.  We put on our layers, and our gloves and set out.   The path immediately is flanked by farms on each side (mostly Amish) , and many riders were coming towards Middlebury---and the Dairy Queen ---as it appeared to be a favorite Saturday activity of the local Amish families. 

A is for Amish--farms, harvesting and a school

We enjoyed farmland, which was easily seen because the leaves had fallen from the trees, exposing the beautiful scenery.   It was easy to negotiate the several country roads that crossed the Pumpkinvine Trail as many of farms belonged to the Amish, resulting in fewer than usual cars on the backroads. Although is seemed a bit late, there was still harvesting going on in the fields by the Amish farmers, driving their horses as they pulled the harvesting equipment.  Yes, “A is for Amish”  in our  A-B-C ride which also became clear when we came upon an Amish School.

Amish schools are common, and as they are not very large, many are needed to serve the Amish community…not mention that bussing students from all across the rural area is not an option.  All that I have seen are white, tidy, and always seem to have a nice playground area too, something that I, as an elementary teacher, always notice.  

B is for Bike Parking on a crowded shopping day 

We continued on to Shipshe, where I promised Tom a wonderful lunch at The Blue Gate Restaurant, a Shipshe favorite of ours…and hundreds of other tourists!  The Pumpkinvine Trail takes a slight jog and travels on the surface roads into Shipshe.  As we approached, it became clear that the tourists were out in force, cars were bumper to bumper, and the sidewalks were filled with people.   We learned that it was their pre-Christmas festival weekend, complete with a Light Parade scheduled for 6 PM.  Normally, this is the type of weekend we would avoid because of the crowds, and we certainly has some challenges avoiding cars and people as manuervered around town.  However, being located in Amish Country, bike racks are easily found in Shipshe, which led Tom to comment that we had a much easier time finding a place “to park” compared to everyone circling around in their cars..the “B is for Bike parking” in our A-B-C ride !!!  A fabulous lunner or lupper (lunch/dinner/supper) Amish inspired food (noodles, roast beef, fresh bread, apple butter, sweet potato casserole) and we were ready for the 10 mile trek back….I was glad for my gloves and sweatshirt.

The Historical Marker for
Chief Shipshewana

As we approached Shipshe, we noticed a historical marker which we decided to visit on our way back to Middlebury.  Turns out it was a marker to Chief Shipshewana (who knew Shipshe was named after a person?) of the Pottawattamie Indians who was allowed to return to die at Shipshewana Lake (who knew there was a lake in Shipshe?) in 1835.  Curiously, Chief Shipshewana’s name means “vision of a lion.”  Now, I may not know all the ins and outs, but how does an Indian, in the early 1800’s , in the center of the  United States, come  to have a name that references an animal that is indigenous to central Africa?   Enquiring minds (like mine) want to know!

But, what about the “C” in our A-B-C trip?  Along the Pumpkinvine Trail, halfway between Middlebury and Shipshewana, you can find an Indiana farm that is raising CAMELS!   Yes, as hard as it is to believe, camels are being raised just off the Pumpkinvine Trail.   Susie, my source for all things Pumpkinvine, gave me the heads up to watch for them and we weren’t disappointed.   There they were, calmly grazing in a couple of large pens, oblivious to the fact this wasn’t Egypt nor a Christmas Pageant (the most likely place you could see a live camel in northern Indiana).  Now I’m not sure what the purpose is for raising them, but I heard that camel milk is a very healthful alternative to cow’s milk for some people, and I actually did once see a live camel at a Christmas pageant.  I just never considered where they came from….or went back to after the program.  Now I know! 

C is for Camels (even in Northen Indiana)

Technically, the Pumpkinvine Trail goes beyond the DQ where we parked our car, following some surface streets in Middlebury and ending up on the other side of Middlebury…but that’s for another day.

Today we learned the A-B-C’s of the Pumpkinvine Trail.  This unexpected November ride, leading us to unexpected crowds, Indiana Chiefs and animals (camels…really?)  was an awesome ride to end our season. 

The stats: 13.5 (RT), Time: 1:28:30 , ODO: 469.30

Notable Nature Sightings:  Camels being raised by an Indiana Amish farmer

Oxymoron Sighting: Camels being raised in northern Indiana by an Amish farmer…yeah..it covers 2 categories!