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Southern Indiana Fall Colors Cookout and Cruise October 24th

enoniam

Full Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
2,860
We are OVERDUE for an Indiana gtg so I'm hosting one!

Got the Skyline Drive Shelter reserved at Jackson-Washington State Forest.  There are some unbelievable vistas along Skyline Drive - it's hard to believe you are still in Indiana!  Many are familiar with Brown County State Park - this area is a bit farther south and with some similar geography near Brownstown.  The forest is located pretty much in the middle of St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati.  See the map and images below.  Shelter is located at red circle in map.  Best way to get there is from state highway 250 and approach from the east.

We'll have a pitch-in cookout - I'll bring brats, dogs, charcoal and buns.  I'll keep a running list of who is bringing what so we don't end up with 10 potato salads and no deserts.  Bring your own drinks.  We'll shoot to eat around 1 pm eastern time.  Probably start to show up after 10 am.  If you've been to Bratfest then you'll know the gameplan.

Around 2:30 we'll cruise to the Medora Covered Bridge - the historic covered bridge spanning the longest distance in the U.S., about 10-15 minutes away.  Here's it's website:

http://www.medoracoveredbridge.com/

After checking out the covered bridge we'll cruise to the historic West Baden Springs Hotel, about an hour from the covered bridge.  The hotel is a National Historic Landmark and a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark due to having the largest free spanning dome in the world from 1902 to 1913, and the largest in the U.S. until 1955.  We can also check out the neighboring historic French Lick Springs Hotel and Casino.  Then if anyone is interested in a little competition, we can visit the French Lick West Baden indoor karting go-kart track where they claim the karts get up to 40 mph.  Here are web sites for the West Baden Spring Hotel (Wikipedia) and the indoor karting:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Baden_Springs_Hotel

http://www.flwbindoorkarting.com/

If anyone is interested, camping is available at Jackson-Washington State Forest and the nearby Starve Hollow State Recreation Area.  There's numerous hiking trails and a couple of mountain biking trails between the state forest and recreation area, not to mention fishing - but don't forget your fishing license.  Here are the web sites for the forest and recreation area if you'd more info on camping or other outdoor activities:

http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/4820.htm

http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/4819.htm

I'm going to also promote this gtg on the corvette forum - I know a couple other AV/corvette owners I hope will show up - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!  Maybe we can get a former AV owner who sold me his AV a few years back and who now owns a corvette to drive up from Kentucky to come out as well.

I hope to see YOU there!!!


Edit - for those with kids there is playground equipment.  The shelter is at the end of sort of a cul-de-sac so we will be away from the road.  Shelter is good sized with two fireplaces - hopefully we won't be tempted to use them!


3rd Edit

Go south (1.7 miles) on SR 250 from Brownstown, pass Jackson County Fairgrounds. Take next right onto County Road 100E (for 0.2 miles), then right onto County Road 175S/Starved Hollow Rd. Proceed up the hill (0.8 miles) to shelter.

I've also put pics of the signs at the turns below as well as GPS coordinates of the shelter parking lot.  (The sign for the second turn is shown first below.)

Attending:

enoniam & Minor One (Vette & AV) - brats, dogs, buns and charcoal
Mike Mercury & Yvonnee (Vette & AV) - Pretzels and chips
Didit & Lu (AV) - condiments, paper plates, napkins and desert
LD85 + 1 (Vette) - Potato Salad or Cole Slaw and desert
Ted (Vette)
Mentholized +1 (AV) - broccoli salad and desert

Maybe:
MS03 2500
 

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Z66 BUTCH & jomomma for the cookout and the cruise to the covered bridge, not sure we will be able to do more......I will make a bean salad & a cucumber & onion salad.
 
Z66 BUTCH said:
Z66 BUTCH & jomomma for the cookout and the cruise to the covered bridge, not sure we will be able to do more......I will make a bean salad & a cucumber & onion salad.

Great!

Look forward to seeing you two again!  :love:
 
Add me as a maybe, I should be down there around then.
 
It's been a long time since I've posted here; but I haven't forgot all those I've met at past Avalanche GTG's.  I still have fond memories of the first AV GTG Yvonne and I attended; it was early spring 2009 and was in Indiana.  And have same great  memories of the the last one we attended -  held at the USAF Museum in Dayton Ohio.

This sounds like a fantastic event; right now add Yvonne and I to the list, this weekend looks open for us.
Great to see a nearby Avalanche GTG planned again.  Hey, Avalanches and Corvettes are Chevrolets; we are family.

Tim
 
enoniam said:
Got you down!

Maybe you can drag KY_Bob up with you!

Bob tells me he doesn't trust his C3 Vette that far from home - I told him if you (MS03 2500) come maybe you can pick him up.
 
Mike Mercury said:
It's been a long time since I've posted here; but I haven't forgot all those I've met at past Avalanche GTG's.  I still have fond memories of the first AV GTG Yvonne and I attended; it was early spring 2008 and was in Indiana.  And have same great  memories of the the last one we attended -  held at the USAF Museum in Dayton Ohio.

This sounds like a fantastic event; right now add Yvonne and I to the list, this weekend looks open for us.
Great to see a nearby Avalanche GTG planned again.  Hey, Avalanches and Corvettes are Chevrolets; we are family.

Tim

Got you down Tim.  Should be a great time if the weather cooperates!  (y)
 
The good Lord be willin we should be able to make this!  Put us down for the condiments, paper plates and a desert!

Didit
 
Didit said:
The good Lord be willin we should be able to make this!  Put us down for the condiments, paper plates and a desert!

Didit

Gotcha on the list!  (y)
 
Wish I had the extra time to make a trip out  (n)

Looks like its shaping up to be a great gtg  (y)
 
I received a PM from a member who was trying to talk his wife into coming and was interested in non-car enthusiast motivation to make the trip so I offered the following in a reply PM:

Show her that this is our cruise destination:

http://www.frenchlick.com/

top 50 best hotel spas by Conde Nast Traveler, Readers Choice for Best Overall Indiana Property by Southern Gaming and Destinations Magazine, and Best Historic Resort by USA Today 10 Best Readers Choice Award.
 
Sorry but we are going to have to miss this one.......I PM'ed you enoniam.
 
We had every intention on being there, however I totally forgot we have a wedding that day. I have been asked to do the mealtime prayer. Since they want me to be a part of their big day I couldn't "skip it".

Maybe next year!
 
CntrySngr72 said:
We had every intention on being there, however I totally forgot we have a wedding that day. I have been asked to do the mealtime prayer. Since they want me to be a part of their big day I couldn't "skip it".

Maybe next year!

I know about the wedding thing Stephen - Amber is going to have to skip the cruise part because the daughter of the Maid of Honor in our wedding is getting married that day too.  Amber didn't think about it until after I had paid for reserving the shelter, and of course asking her if that was a good day for her!  :E:
 
Looks like a pretty good chance of rain on Saturday, but high around 75 degrees.  Amber and I drove the cruise route today and the fall colors don't yet appear to be at peak, but there are some good colors out there.  We took some pics, including one of the two fireplaces in the shelter that we can use to take the early chill off.

Of note we'll be driving by a couple of pumpkin patches (keep an eye out for the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown) and there's a Haunted Mansion in French Lick that is open 6-9 Saturday evening which may be fun.  Weather could be more cooperative but it should still be a great time!
 

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A few more pics from today...
 

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Those views are amazing.  I wish we could go but aJosie has hockey practice.
 
the more I look at the weather radar, I don't see rain being a big factor (or happening at all).

I'm surprised the AV'ers aren't attending in mass; I would imagine they are hungry for a GTG.... and for cookout type food !!!
 
I'm planning on getting there around 10.  How about you guys Didit?
 
Well hopefully I'll get out of the center in the morning early and be there 10:30 or so.

Didit
 
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