Spring Mill - Season's Change

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber

We were living in anticipation of Indian Summer, and at the first hint of a warming trend in the forecast, we made plans to travel to one of southern Indiana's finest parks. Spring Mill State Park, just minutes from Mitchell, Indiana, is one of the

oldest parks in the Indiana State Parks System. The trees were mostly bare, but the moderate temperatures and the lack of other campers afforded us space and solitude in the campground. While there are many lots with some inclines that would have presented us with a leveling problem, our selection of Lot 23 was level and required no adjustments. This also made our coming and going a breeze.

The park features the classic Spring Mill Inn with its sig

nature limestone walls from the area's world-renown quarries. A big fireplace greets travelers in the sunken great room filled with rustic furniture. The inn's restaurant looked like a good dining option for us, but the night we went, they experienced a power outage, and we had to make other plans.

Spring Mill State Park, in addition to its gently winding roads and hilly grounds, has two exceptional attractions that make it unique among state parks. First, as you enter the park, you are along the side of the Virgil "Gus" Grissom Museum. Gus, a hometown hero of nearby Mitchell, was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts that launched the US space program. Grissom's exceptional skill and daring made him an obvious choice to transition from flying fighters in Korea to piloting experimental jets for the Mercury program. His significant input into NASA's Gemini program led his fellow astronauts to nickname the capsule after him. At this museum, you'll find many artifacts from his Mitchell, Purdue, and NASA days, including a capsule. The excellent film tells the inspiring story of this local boy who always had his eyes to the sky.

The second unique draw at Spring Mill is Pioneer Village. This grouping of restored old log structures displays southern Indiana life from the 1800s. While we were there, a craft show was in full swing, so each structure, be it a home, store, or mill, was decorated with seasonal items for shoppers.

Another park attraction is Twin Caves, which offers a unique boat ride excursion into caves. Unfortunately, this area was closed for the season. We took advantage of the many trails of varying difficulties that run throughout the park. There is also a mountain bike trail available.

The valley of Spring Mill State Park is a pleasant place full of trails, pavilions, and the Pioneer

Village. There is plenty of parking here, and we took advantage of the mid-70s temperatures to enjoy the surroundings. We stopped for a few moments at the old cemetery overlooking the valley. Here, a number of pioneers are at rest, along with some of their more recent descendants. This particular gravestone caught our eye.

One day we took a side trip further south and visited Squire Boone Caverns near Maukport on the Ohio River. The caves were open for touring, but we found the village of log structures closed for the season. The mill at Squire Boone Village is an impressive structure; however, we were unable to tour the inside machinery. We'll save the cave tour for another time, but it's open all year and lasts about an hour, with a lot of walking and a lot of stairs.

We also stopped briefly at Corydon, Indiana, the home of Indiana's first capital. Corydon has a pleasant town square, and the buildings and grounds are well maintained.

Our four days in early November were clear evidence of short-term opportunities providing long-term memories as we travel Along the Pooka Trail.