We say “see ya” to Wally

You have to imagine the
music playing

The night we stayed in Zeeland we returned north a few miles to Grand Haven to have dinner and watch their musical fountain.  We only recognised a couple of the tunes – Theme from “Friends” and Orinoco Flow.  Thoroughly enjoyed sitting on one side of the Grand River and watching the show on the other.

Stumbled across a distant cousin of the Loch Ness Monster while in Grand Rapids.  How do they keep missing the one in Scotland when it’s this size?

We spotted Nessie - she's in Grand Rapids

The Dead Baron

A little further south, in Benton Harbour, we came across what has to rate as one of the more unusual attractions that we’ve visited – Skellville.  In a yard behind the old family

Elvis is alive and well and
performing in Skellville

agriculture supply store are a number of plastic skeletons in various poses, a lot of it alongside rusting cars and farm equipment.  Inside the old store the owner is setting up a museum of oddities that he’s collected over the year.  All in all, an interesting place to visit.



These chaps are just waiting for the right inspiration

Once over the state line we visited a cemetery in the small town of Hamilton where there is a grave of a man who lived in 3 centuries – born in the 1700’s and died in the 1900’s.  Subsequent research hasn’t been able to confirm the validity of this grave site but we like to think it is.

What do you think - did he really live to be 110 years old way back then?



Mmm, chocolate

Stayed the night at a town called Merrillville.  Probably would’ve just passed through but discovered the Albanese Candy Factory and spent way more time there than intended.  I think they needed an extra shift in the factory to rebuild their stocks after our visit.

Visited Wolf Park at Battle Ground just out of Lafayette.  Wolf Park was created in the 1970’s when a local scientist wanted to study the wolves in a 

Socialised or not, they still
live behind huge fences

natural environment but without the stress (for the wolves) of constantly being around humans (we all know that stress).  This entailed socialising the wolves from a very early age to the point that when you get close to them … they ignore you.  I think they have turned into cats.

Jean at Wolf Park

Montgomery County Rotary Jail

Our next visit in Indiana was to Crawfordsville where we stopped at the former Montgomery County Rotary Jail.  There were about 18 of this style jail built in the USA and this is the only one where the cells still rotate.  Cells are a wedge shape and there was only one door per level.  This was done in order to manage the

This light fixture was put in
before electricity arrived at
Crawfordsville - the candle-looking
light was gas operated, the other
was electric

prisoners easier and to cut down the risk of escape.  The whole cell floor would rotate

A few turns on a lever
and the entire
cell block rotated

with a few turns of a lever.  The rotary cells though, had to be discontinued when a number of prisoners crushed arms and legs that were hanging through the bars when the cells were turned.

Not much room in there - the circular area at back was the toilet

Sue gets some time out

World's Largest Wind Chime -
even the people at Guinness
World Records agree

 

We then stopped off at Casey to get an ice cream and happened upon the World’s Largest Wind Chime.  Bonus!  A number of places claim to be the World’s Largest but these guys have a certificate from Guinness World Records to 

We found Wally - he was in Casey

prove their claim.  When you pull on a rope to make them chime it sounds like bells pealing.

 

Just for Wally we spent his last night in a Walmart car park to the accompaniment of idling trucks.  Don’t think that’s how he envisaged his last night in the USA, for this trip anyway, especially when one pulled up right next to us in the middle of the night, with the engine right by Jean & Wally’s open window.  Sue slept on, blissfully unaware of the cacophony going on around her.

 

Cruised back into St Louis and the same spot at the same RV park we left 3 weeks earlier.  A couple of hours relaxing then it was off to brave rush hour traffic and get Wally to the airport.  Made it in plenty of time and he was soon winging his way back to New Zealand.  Hope you enjoyed your visit Wally.