Spending the day at Spring Mill

This week My Friday Column takes you back to years gone by with a trip to Spring Mill State Park in nearby Mitchell Indiana.

SPENDING THE DAY AT SPRING MILL

When your children reach a certain age it is sometimes hard to find family activities that everyone enjoys doing together.  Sometimes it is hard to hold the attention of my youngest son, who is nine and has grown up with a game controller permanently attached to his hand.  There are also times when my teenage son gets bored doing things that are age appropriate for his younger brother and sister and then there are times that the my little girl doesn't want to do something that her brothers enjoy doing.  When you find the activity that everyone enjoys you want to tell the world about it.

My children attend a church camp in Bedford, Indiana.  On the way home after dropping one of them off I like to treat the others by taking them to Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana.  It seems to be one place that each of them has a great time and we always find something interesting to do there.  We have been able to stop twice this year and the kids cannot wait to return.  Each time we go we try to do something new and we still haven't done everything there is to do.

When you enter Spring Mill State Park you are charged a minimal fee of $5 per car for Indiana residents a price that is well worth it.  As you approach the gatehouse at the park entrance you immediately notice a fairly modern building to your right.  This is the Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom Memorial, a tribute to America's second man in space who was a native of Mitchell.  Coincidentally, the Liberty Bell 7 mission that propelled this local hero into space and history books occurred 50 years ago this week.

Inside the Memorial you see pictures and memorabilia from his childhood growing up in southern Indiana through his years with NASA until his death in 1967.  While the small museum holds important artifacts including space suits and an actual Gemini space capsule, my children found Gus's grade school report cards some of the most interesting.  High School Year books and other memories donated by friends and family makeup part of the collection and a short movie is shown about his life.

As you move on through the park you come to a sign pointing to the “Twin Cave Tour”.  This is the only cave that is open to the public on any of Indiana's Department of Natural Resources properties.  The other caves on  forestry properties have been closed to control the spread of White-nosed syndrome, a fungus that is killing bats throughout the eastern United States.

Two small specially designed boats, like squared off canoes ,are loaded up with up to ten people.  The  guides lead the boats through the stream that runs into the cave,  carefully pointing to the caves unique formations and occasionally stopping to see the creatures that call the caves their home.  This cool trip into the underground world last about twenty minutes and is great on a hot summer day.  No matter what the temperature is outside the cave's air conditioning is always set on cool.

The main feature of Spring Mill State Park is the Pioneer Village.  An actual working gristmill  grinds corn every day is the cornerstone of this community as it was when the original settlers made this valley their home.  Over twenty buildings sit on the grounds of this world that seems to have journeyed back in time over one hundred and fifty years.  You can see what the houses of those early settlers looked like as they tried to make a go of it in this new frontier.

You can visit the Mercantile and pick up some penny candy or visit the weaver's shop to see how clothes were made back then. Many of the attractions are manned by interpreters that live their lives as they did back then,  in traditional garb they tell stories of life in pioneer times.  My children loved watching the Blacksmith as he stoked his fire and bent and hammered his metal forging tools out of raw steel.

Spring Mill State Park has miles of trails for hiking for just about any skill level.  We walked back into the woods along a stream a few hundred yards to see a waterfall that is the source of power for the gristmill.  Bike paths are also available throughout the park for those who enjoy some two wheel exercising.  There is also an Olympic sized swimming pool to keep cool on a hot day and plenty of areas for picnicking.

Spring Mill State Park is only about fifty miles away, perfect for a single day trip but if you prefer spending the night lodging is available inside the park at the Spring Mill Inn.  If you are the type that would rather rough it, campsites are available also with different levels of accommodations.

Taking my kids on a trip where they all have a good time is a rewarding experience.  Taking them someplace that they learn something makes it that much better.  If you are looking for a place to take the family I believe you can't go wrong by spending the day at Spring Mill State Park.