Trip to Indy, Part 3

This is the last entry for our trip to Indianapolis.  We did pretty much what we set out to do, and wore our butts out doing it, but we don't know relaxing vacations . . .   

 The Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument (and Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum).

This big-honkin' monument was "erected to honor Hoosiers who were veterans of the American Revolution, territorial conflicts that partially led up to the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the US Civil War, and the Spanish American War."

Detailing on one of the light-posts . . . I am not sure what the entwined bears have to do with anything, but I thought they were neat.

 Dudeboy atop the 284' (or 331 steps!) monument with the state capitol off in the distance.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis . . .

Dudeboy probably would have enjoyed the museum much more at a younger age, but they did have a pretty good dinosaur exhibit.  Here he is touching a fossil that is in the process of being prepared for display.

Enveloped by Chihuly . . . 

National History Bee . . . Nashville Regional Finals

Dudeboy just returned from the Nashville Regional of the National History Bee.  He was fairly nervous, but he did really well and made it all the way to the championship round.  So, we are very proud to say Dudeboy is a Regional Top-10 qualifier for the National History Bee National Finals to be held in Atlanta on June 6-8.

*Update . . . here is a photo from the twitter page of the National History Bee.  Dudeboy is on the far left side of the photo.  These kids were the finalists from the championship round.

Trip to Indy, Part 2

Very extensive yard art just outside Jolietville, In.

It is impossible to get everything in a single photograph.  Needless to say, the person who created all of this is very driven.  While we saw no posted signs, we viewed it all from the road.  It would have been nice to amble amongst the dinosaurs, whirligigs, and countless other installations.

The Indiana Medical History Museum compares very favorably to two of our favorite museums . . . the Mütter Museum and the Moosnick Medical and Science Museum at Transylvania University.  Without a doubt, this was our favorite destination of the whole trip to Indy.

 The 100 seat amphitheater.  Even the chairs are original (however, the seats were recaned).

Cold storage unit for awaiting the autopsy room . . . 

The autopsy room complete with table, drains, scales, and a built-in speaking tube connected to offices in the floor above.

One of the three laboratories . . .

Dudeboy perusing through the newly acquired collection (one of the curators (?) just bought the collection for herself and let us look through them as she was organizing them) of stereocards of disease, skin rashes and the like for use with a stereoscopic viewer.

In the library of the facility.  Dudeboy was in heaven . . . oaken cabinets, old books, odd paintings, etc. I daresay, he could envision this as his own study.

Trip to Indy, Part 1

The past few days, Dudeboy and I joined Dr. J for a trip to Indianapolis where she had a conference for those English-Rhet-Comp type people.  While she was all business, we played.

   

 Our first stop was the Morris-Butler House.  Unfortunately, it is now closed to tours while they "implement a new vision for the property."  Needless to say, Dudeboy was very bummed about this development.

Indiana War Memorial . . . this massive memorial houses a museum dedicated to Indiana's involvement in the various wars throughout our nation's history .  . . from Tippecanoe to our most recent endeavors in the Middle East.

One exhibit is a recreation of the radio room of the USS Indianapolis.  If you are not familiar with the harrowing story of the Indianapolis, you will want to take a few moments to look into it.

The Shrine Room is "the emotional and architectural core of the Memorial" being a striking remembrance of the Great War.

The Benjamin Harrison Home . . . the last home of the 23rd president (wedged between the non-consecutive terms of Grover Cleveland).  The home is amazing for the sheer amount of original furnishings that make up the collection.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art . . . Dudeboy in front of the iconic "LOVE" statue by Robert Indiana. Unfortunately, time didn't allow us to do justice to both the permanent collection and the temporary exhibit The Essential Robert Indiana, so we elected to limit our Robert Indiana to this permanent piece.

 Dudeboy interacting with the A Room installation by Sopheap Pich.

Dudeboy's first in the flesh encounter with Bosch.

The recently acquired Dream of Spring by Bouguereau.  After our brutally cold winter, I admit no shame in being totally enamored with this over-the-top celebration of the season.
 

Amazingly, on this first full day we were also able to visit the Indiana State Museum, but none of the pictures I took are worth sharing.  I must note they have a nice exhibit on the natural history of Indiana . . . lots of trilobites and such!

Fort Donelson living history

This weekend, Dudeboy and I braved the cold and joined the rest of the 9th Kentucky for a living history event at Fort Donelson (it was the 152nd anniversary).

Darwin Day 2014

Dandy Darwin Day (& don't forget Lincoln) . . . the "Darwin's Finches" edition.
*as always, click picture to enlarge

Trip within a trip . . . part 2

Whew . . . this is the last entry for our our War of 1812 Tour - Year Two. Like the last entry, this one pertains to the more touristy type sites we visited in Canada.

I am sure you can guess where this is . . . so, I won't blather on about it much.

In the tunnels directly behind the falls . . . 

The Nikola Tesla Monument near the falls . . .

While eating at a restaurant near Brock's Monument, a certain celebrity was making the rounds and stopped by for a photo op. Apparently, the little guy's "travel" stops include War of 1812 battle sites. He certainly gets around.

The Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum not far from Queenston Heights Battlefield.  It is Canada's largest working printing museum. As a tourism website states:

The restored home of rebel publisher William Lyon Mackenzie reveals 500 years of printing technology, amid the authentic ambiance of a period print shop. Rarest in the museum's collection is the Louis Roy Press, oldest in Canada and one of the few original wooden presses remaining in the world! A hands-on experience is encouraged with a working linotype and 8 operating heritage presses. 

In the above two photos, Dudeboy selects type and then works a press to print up a souvenir. I should note that the "rebel publisher" William Lyon Mackenzie was one of the leaders of the Upper Canada Rebellion . . . see next photo.

The Caroline Affair . . . just one of the many events along the US/Canada border which had the potential to escalate into something a bit more problematic. I find all of this awkward history odd given that we are so friendly nowadays, at least that is my impression. I know most Americans are completely ignorant of these incidents. But then again, we are pretty much ignorant about most things. The plaque reads:

On the night of December 29-30, 1837, some 60 volunteers acting on the orders of Col. Allan Napier MacNab, and commanded by Capt. Andrew Drew, R.N., set out from Chippawa in small boats to capture the American steamer "Caroline". That vessel, which had been supplying William Lyon Mackenzie's rebel forces on Navy Island, was moored at Fort Schlosser, N.Y. There she was boarded by Drew's men, her crew killed or driven ashore, and after an unsuccessful attempt to start the engines, her captors set the ship afire and left her to sink in the Niagara River. This action almost precipitated war between Britain and the United States.

The Battle of Ridgeway, part of the Fenian Raids of 1866-1871. The plaque reads: 

PRO PATRIA In abiding memory of the officers and men of the Queen's Own Rifles, 13th Hamilton Battalion, Caledonia and York Rifle Companies of Haldimand who fought here in defense of their country against Fenian Raiders, on 2nd June, 1866.

The Fenian Raids were instigated by irregular forces of Irish-Americans with the intent of giving support to those in Ireland seeking an independent republic. Many of the men involved were veterans of the US Civil War. And, there was a sizable group of men from Kentucky . . . the 17th Kentucky Regiment of Louisville, under the command of Col. Owen Starr (who was second-in-command on the battlefield). Alas, Kentucky and Canada share a lot of history and, I daresay, most of it antagonistic and primarily provoked by Kentucky.