This past weekend, I went on a fun trip to Spring Mill State Park with Em. Located about two hours away from home, this beautiful park features hiking trails with multiple caves, a memorial to Gus Grissom, and a fun area called the Pioneer Village – featuring a sawmill and grain mill, each still functioning.

Friday

Our weekend began with the drive during which we listened to our favorite selections from Harry Styles and Born Ruffians.

On the road, we were unsuccessful with our hunt for Jug Rock, located in Shoals, Indiana – a feature which I have located before and wanted to share with Em. Once we finally arrived to the state park, it was time to pitch our tent and start on supper.

For our first evening meal, I chose to introduce Em to a camping delicacy of Beef Stew with rice, a one-pot meal I learned during a Scout trip to the coast of North Carolina.

Our campsite was quaint among the village of RVs, pop-up campers, and 10-person tents – but I think we liked it that way. Our simple setup allowed for eating, sleeping, and—most importantly—sitting around the campfire.

Saturday Morning

Our morning began with cooking breakfast! On the menu – bacon and chocolate chip pancakes!

Em and I cooked up a few very yummy pancakes topped with maple syrup. On the side, strawberries.

Our first morning adventure included hiking on the trail to Twin Caves and Bronson Cave. The caves were a nice sight and offered cool air – an escape from the heat already coming in for the morning – but brought slight disappointment at the realization that there would be no cave exploring.

The disappointment would soon be gone, however, as we neared the Grissom Memorial. Virgil Grissom was the second American in space! His missions included the Mercury-Redstone 4, Gemini 3, and Apollo 1—which tragically ended his life after 15 minutes.

Our trip to the Grissom memorial was a fun and memorable experience. We learned about Gus’s early life, his space career, and the struggles of the early space program. Highlights of the museum included the Gemini 3 capsule and Grissom’s spacesuit.

After visiting the Grissom Memorial, we returned to the campsite for lunch. On the menu, grilled turkey & cheese. We shared three sandwiches between the two of us. After finishing up lunch, we discussed the afternoon/evening plans.

Saturday Afternoon

Our afternoon began with a quick drive to the Spring Mill Inn. We stopped by the gift shop, where I found that the Indiana State Parks have started selling Silipints! Of course, I had to purchase one. Now I have a new squishy vessel to drink my sweet tea out of. This cup will go perfectly with my Old Ben Scout Reservation Silipint and Sea Base Silipint collection. I wonder where I will find another one! After our quick visit at the Inn, we drove further down the one-way road to find the Pioneer Village.

The Pioneer Village had all of its buildings open, where we learned a lot about the way of life of early pioneers in the area. Many buildings had knowledgable and passionate staff.

One particularly interesting staffed building was the printing press. Others included the blacksmith and the mill. I especially enjoyed learning about the mill while Em found an appreciation for the early literature. We both found great joy in looking at artifacts and reading about them.

Our visit to the Pioneer Village was brought to a close with a visit to Hamer cave. The uphill trail following the creek was was worth it to look down at the village and follow the flume down to the mill.

Saturday Evening

After visiting the Pioneer Village, it was time to head back to the campground. This weekend was the Vintage Camper Rally, so we decided to check out some cool RVs and classic vehicles.

After visiting others’ campsites, it was about time to return to Campsite #10 and start preparing supper. On the menu, Dutch Oven Pizza. Pizza in the dutch oven has always been one of my specialties and since pizza is our favorite meal together, it was only right that we fix a pizza. The recipe: crust, sauce, cheese, deli pepperonis, yellow bell pepper, and—most importantly—fresh cut pineapple!

After we finished up with supper, it was time to clean dishes then sit around the fire. We ate some very yummy s’mores then headed to bed.

Sunday Morning

In the very early hours of the morning, a thunderstorm stirred our slumber. Sounds of thunder and heavy rain, and sights of lightning kept us up.

After a busy Saturday and a night of storms, we arose late in the morning. Once up, we once again prepared chocolate chip pancakes. After breakfast, it was time to start tearing down the campsite. We put away everything from inside the tent, tore down the camping gear, and the wet tent.

For lunch, we snacked on carrots, broccoli, and some leftover pineapple from the previous night’s supper.

Lastly, we took down the camp chairs – and with no more seating room it was time to leave our campsite. After one last check for belongings and trash, we drove down the road to the pool.

As a final activity for the weekend, Em and I spent some time at the Spring Mill pool. I tried the rock wall while Emily practiced balancing in the water. After fun time spent in the pool, it was time to finally shower off and head home. Just before leaving, we stopped at the Grissom Memorial one final time to make some souvenir coins using the penny masher machine.

On the drive home, we once again tried to spot Jug Rock with no luck. I dropped Em back off at home and proceeded to my home where I unpacked and laid out the tent to dry in the sun.