Tulip Trestle, Yoho General Store among those hidden travel secrets

Greene County Tourism has constructed an ov\bservation deck for visitors to view the Tulip Trestle and enjoy the beautiful valley view. There also are picnic tables

 and portable restrooms.

Fishing, hunting, camping and hiking usually are the primary focus of the Outdoor Tales column. Sometimes it is something like a flower or tree, maybe even a bug. And, sometimes it is a road trip.

Often I enjoy just taking a drive and a nice day. There are times there is no destination in mind when the drive begins. 

Many times I end up in a park like Rough River, a Memonite grocery and bakery and the Yellow Bank Wildlife Management Area. Hovey Lake, or a public access site on the Licking River or who knows where. 

Sometimes the Junkers and their dog, just like to explore. You can see and learn interesting things, and meet neat people.

For years, I have heard about a huge railroad trestle in Southwestern Indiana. Numerous people have told me about taking a jaunt to see the huge bridge, which seems a bit out of place in Greene County, Indiana. It looks more like something one might see across a large gorge somewhere in the mountains.

When a beautiful day arrived and nothing significant on my schedule, I decided it was time to hunt for the Tulip Trestle. I had done a Google search on the internet and found considerable information, including directions to its remote location. It is located east of Bloomfield and west of Solsberry near the community of Tulip,

One set of directions suggested visiting the Yoho General Store in Solsberry, and ask for directions. That sounded best.

I couldn’t recall ever being in Solsberry, but I did remember the small community once turned out several outstanding basketball teams before school consolidation eliminated the local school and students were then sent to Eastern Greene. Solsberry is on Indiana State Road 43.

My first stop was at the General store, which has been remodeled and is quite attractive. I quickly learned good food is served throughout the day. A friendly waitress provided simple directions to the trestle, and I assured her I would be back for a late lunch.

From the General Store, simply drive west about five miles. There are signs leading visitors to a newly built observation deck. (bring your own chairs if you want to sit and wait for a train to cross. There are about four per day.)

The observation deck  also is a good place to watch for wildlife and enjoy the scenery. There are two picnic tables, a sculpture, and rest rooms.

The bridge’s size is somewhat surprising. The 2,307 feet long and 157 feet tall steel-girded railroad trestle is one the longest of this type of bridge in the world still in use today. It is operated by the Indiana Railroad Company.  

The Tulip Trestle, locally known as the Viaduct, but officially identified as “Bridge X75-6”, was built in 1906 stretching from hill to hill across the beautiful Richland Creek Valley making it the most memorable structure in one of the most scenic areas of the county.    
  Construction was directed by Archibald Stuart Baldwin and completed primarily by immigrant Italian laborers hired by the Strobel Construction Company.  The total cost of the project was $246,504, which today would equal over $20 million.  

While not necessarily appealing to the eyes, graffiti has littered the structure helping to preserve it with the most well-known being “MICHELLE WILL YOU MARRY ME?” in the middle of trestle under the tracks, which no one knows for sure whether or not she said yes. Hopefully, she did, and lived happily everafter.

After a visit to the trestle for photos and exercise for our dog, Missy, we headed back to the Yoho for lunch. It was good home cookin’. Phyllis tried the breaded tenderloin, and I went to the meatloaf plate special. 

Even if you aren’t ready for lunch, the breakfasts or ice cream cones are inviting. An old stove if worth a look.

For additional information, Google, Tulip Trestle. Yoho General Store is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., during week, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 on Sunday., Phone: 812-825-7834. Yoho also has a Facebook page.

Solsberry, the Tulip Trestle, and the Yoho General Store are worth a day trip.

Thoughts of 9-11 still fresh in my mind

(The following was a piece I wrote about 9-11 not too long after it happened. I recall and reprint them. I will always remember...)

My head is filled with thoughts related to 9/11. They are numerous and difficult to organize. That may be the case for many Americans.

I know exactly what I was doing when the first twin tower was hit. My wife Phyllis and I had made plans to attend an outdoor writer’s conference. We planned to take our motorhome, so I had scheduled some minor maintenance at a Tell City automotive garage.

When I arrived at the garage with the motorhome on the morning of 9/11, a radio was playing in the back of the shop. A newsman was talking about a plane crashing into a World Trade Center tower.  A short time later, the second plane hit. Being an old news guy and retired Air Force officer, it didn’t make sense. 

The rest of the day, and for several days, I was glued to the television and radio. It was hard to believe. I couldn’t get enough information.

The thoughts and mind-pictures from the scene poured into my head, and my heart. I felt for the victims, their families and their friends. And to me, the physical loss of the buildings also was like losing a friend.

For four years, I rode the train from Mt. Lakes, NJ, to Hoboken, then boarded the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson). Rode under the river to the train station in the basement of one the Twin Towers. Each evening, I made the reverse trip.

I can still see the escalators which carried me daily up from the lower level station. There were sandwich shops and restaurants. I often visited them for lunch.

There also were other restaurants higher in the building.. And if I remember right, in the early days of CNN, the network had an office there that covered Wall Street. I sometimes worked with its reporters.

Windows on the World was a wonderful restaurant atop one of the towers. The food was good, but the view was even more spectacular. I remember attending a Christmas party there. The view at night was breathtaking.

I worked about a block and a half away in media relations for AT&T. It still is hard for me to imagine or believe the towers are gone.

One day a wacky guy using suction cups on his hands and feet decided to climb one of the towers. Fred Heckman, the former news director of WIBC in Indianapolis, was a good friend. He called me and asked it I could see the climbing guy, who I think called himself,”The Human Fly.”

“Sure,” I said. The next thing I knew I was live on WIBC providing an account of the nutty guy’s climb. In fact, I did several reports for Fred.

I have many memories of the now missing beautiful buildings. I still see them in my mind.

Had the timing been a bit different, I could have been in one of the towers.

My fear is that something similar will happen again. It is hard to protect against people who have no respect for human dignity, for life, and freedom.

We do the best we can.

Doves make a good meal-starter

       Dove season opened Tuesday, Sept. 1, in both Indiana and Kentucky, and it appears there should be a plenty of birds for hunters.

        If you are lucky or a good enough shot to bag some doves, they can provide good eating.

        Doves are a dark meat with a flavor somewhat like liver. Some people say they don’t like the meat, but properly prepared, doves are great eating.

My favorite way to prepare them is to marinate the breasts overnight. You can make your own or buy a commercial marinade.

The next day, wrap them in in bacon to make them like rumaki, and cook them on a charcoal grill. They make a great meal-starter, or if you have enough, a main course themselves.

Indiana's dove hunting season opens Sept. 1; there should be plenty of doves

        Dove hunters should have plenty of birds when they take to the field this fall.

Although the weather this summer was one of the wettest on record in many areas, it appears the dove population is in good shape. 

Despite the heavy rains, corn fields look good, pastures are green, and soybean fields have pretty much survived the excess rain. This all points to good conditions for the dove season opener Sept. 1 in both Indiana and Kentucky.

Indiana’s dove upcoming dove season is broken into three parts. The first runs from Sept. 1 through Oct. 18. A second one week portion is slated Nov. 1 through Nov. 8, and the third will be Dec. 12 through Jan 10 of next year.

Fields have been designated and planted for dove hunting at a number of state-owned properties, including land at Patoka Lake. These field will offer controlled hunts on a drawing basis Sept. 1 and 2, and then will be opened to all of the public on Sept. 3,.

Five fields are at check station 17 (Jordan Branch). The other two are at check station 6 (Tillery Hill State Recreation Area). 

A drawing will be held at 6:45 a.m. EDT each hunt day at the scheduled fields’ check station. There is a maximum of two hunters per stake (assigned location) period. 

      Hunting hours will be 7:15 a.m.-noon EDT each day of the controlled hunts.  All fields surrounding controlled sunflower fields will be subject to similar time restrictions on Sept. 1 and 2.

  Non-toxic shot size will be limited to 6 or smaller, with a three-shell maximum capability per firearm.

  There will be no “stand-by” or refilling of shooting stations for early departures.

  According to a Department of Natural Resources news release, fields will be “open hunting” starting Sept. 3.  Shooting hours will be 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset. Non-toxic shot will be required for dove hunting throughout the season.

      If hunters require additional information, they can call the Patoka office at (812) 685-2464. The office is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Patoka Lake is at 3084 N. Dillard Road, Birdseye, IN 47513.

Boaters less than happy about possible increase in ethanol in gasoline

One's perspective on use of ethanol in gasoline may vary depending on perspective.

How you think and feel about ethanol in your gasoline probably varies depending on your perspective of the fuel additive.

If you are a grain farmer, you likely have a different view than that of a boat owner, especially the perspective of  a boat owner with an older engine.

The media relations folks at Yamaha recently put out information from their perspective about the current use of ethanol in gas and the desire of the feds to add even more per gallon.

The Yamaha release said, “Unless you haven’t put fuel in your car in the past ten years, you’re probably familiar with the term E10. It refers to the 10 percent ethanol that is blended into the gasoline you buy at the pump. If you’ve owned an outboard-powered boat during that same time period, you are far more familiar with E10 than your over-the-road counterparts. 

“The introduction of ethanol into the U.S. gasoline supply was the result of an EPA regulation called the Renewable Fuel Standard, and it caused a lot of costly headaches for boaters at the 10 percent level. 

“Now, the EPA is doubling down under intense pressure from the agri-industry’s ethanol lobby in Washington, increasing the mandated amount of ethanol in gasoline to 15 percent, a move dreaded by boaters and marine engine manufacturers alike. 

“Ethanol is derived from plant sources, mostly corn, and the government mandate has been a major boon to farmers and refiners. Basically, it is a fermented and refined grain alcohol that is denatured and then blended with gasoline. It initially found its way into the nation’s fuel supply as a replacement for a chemical additive called MTBE, which was used to increase octane and reduce emissions. 

However, the use of ethanol in fuel came with a host of problems for marine engines and fuel systems as I learned first hand with my old boat and 60-hp Mariner engine.

“Not long after the introduction of E10 gasoline, boats using it began experiencing problems. Almost immediately mysterious substances began clogging fuel filters that were later identified as a byproduct of mixing fuel still in the tank containing MTBE with ethanol-blended gasoline, but that was only a harbinger of things to come. 

In my case, it took nearly two years to determine why my boat wouldn’t run properly, and why my carburetor would be dirty with little specks of material just shortly after it had been cleaned.

  Also in some boats, any sludge deposits in older fuel tanks began dissolving and were pumped into the fuel system, damaging components and making a mess of filters. 

As in my case, ethanol-blended fuel can also be responsible for the decomposition of rubber gaskets and fuel lines that heretofore had been approved for use in gasoline fuel systems. Finally, again cleaning the fuel system and replacing the fuel line with a new ethanol resistant line appears to have solved the problem. I also now use fuel (which I can still buy) which contains no ethanol. It is more expensive, but worth it.

Yamaha has available a brochure titled “Maintenance Matters – A Simple Guide for the Longevity of Your Outboard”, which makes a number of recommendations for avoiding the potentially damaging effects of burning ethanol fuel in your outboard engine. It contains good advice for dealing with the ethanol problem.

According to Yamaha, the problems created by the initial introduction of ethanol into the fuel supply were widespread and costly to both individuals and the marine industry. The increase to 15 percent will have far-reaching consequences.

Yamaha has gone on record opposing an increase to 15 percent ethanol. It says it could build motors to deal with the increase, but it also will increase motor cost to the consumer, however there also will be a significant problem with 10 million existing motors whether they are made by Yamaha or other manufacturers.

“There are more than 10 million outboards currently in service that would be destroyed by the damaging effects of E15. As an industry, we cannot allow this to happen to consumers.

“We strongly urge consumers and members of the marine industry to make their voices heard and stop the EPA from going forward with a plan to increase the amount of ethanol in the fuel supply,” said a Yamaha spokesperson.

Can't pass up offer to fish

Look grandpa, we caught a bluegill.

        Granddaughters Molly and Kennedy arrived for an overnight stay. Despite the hot summer evening, they were ready for some time outdoors.

The backyard deck had just been painted a couple hours before the girls arrived, so it needed to be avoided to provide more drying time before use by the girls and our dog, Missy.

I suggested a ride on the ATV (all terrain vehicle) and the girls enthusiastically endorsed the idea. Missy always is ready for a ride.

With the girls and an excited Missy safely on board we headed off to a small nearby lake. There is a shaded trail atop the dam, just right for a hot Saturday evening.

Missy loves the trail. She loves to walk or run  on her leash with the cart, stopping to sniff where other dogs and animals have explored. While she checks the woods side of the dam trail, I watch the water for bass and bluegill lounging or feeding along the dam. Polaroid sunglasses help in spotting fish.

On this trip, a young man and woman were fishing from the dam. That prompted an immediate response and question from granddaughter Molly. “Can we go fishing back at your house?”

“Well, maybe tomorrow, but I’ll have to get some bait. We probably can fish a while tomorrow,” I responded.

This grandfather has a built in positive response to grandchildren who want to fish.

We finished our ride and headed back to the house where grandma Phyllis and the girls had a plan for baking chocolate chip cookies.

The next morning, I hardly had the sleep out of my eyes before Molly again was asking about fishing. So, the next item on the agenda was a trip for bait. Red worms were selected as I figured they offered the best chance at producing some bites from bluegill and a chance to hook a fish.

We picked up the fishing bucket, rod and reel, and a chair from the mini-barn and walked down to the lake bank. The bucket contains some spare tackle, hand rags, knife and other fishing gear.

Grandpa needs a chair, but the girls are always to excited to sit.

While many girls may want to fish, they have no interest in get up close and personal with fishing worms. That’s not the case with Molly and Kennedy, especially Kennedy. At times they are very feminine young ladies, but both have no fear of handling the worms. In fact, they immediately wanted ot check them out.

We baited the hook, and rather quickly a nice bluegill became interested in the bait. I set the hook, and handed the rod to Kennedy who after a brief battle landed the fish. After a careful examination by both girls, the bluegill was returned to the lake.

Next, Molly landed a gill, and then Kennedy had another. First thing I knew, she was taking the fish off the hook. That’s aanother thing, many youngster would prefer not to do. 

We then heard a honking sound announcing the arrival of five Canada geese. They flew in and landed about 30 yards in front of us. It was a nice show for the girls.

We caught a couple more bluegill, and the girls became more interested in exploring the lake bank with its rocks and sticks than fish. That’s OK.

Fishing with youngsters should be simple and fun for the kids. It need not be a chore.

In this case, the girls had fun. It was obvious. But, grandpa had more.

Summer almost over before it starts

Once tiger lillys have bloomed. school has started,
and many people are ready for fall.

These days, once the last Fourth of July fireworks have exploded, it seems summer is over, even though there are probably numerous 90-degree days ahead. 

Somehow, we've managed to nearly kill off half much of summer. It seems many people are anxious to end summer early, even before squirrel season opens.

Labor Day used to be the time we seriously began thinking about fall. Kids returned to school, football started, fishing picked up, and in a few weeks temperatures started to cool. 

After Labor Day weekend swimming pools and beaches closed. Now, during the hottest time of the summer, the pools close a month before Labor Day.

Schools start in early to mid-August, so there aren’t youngsters around to swim in the pools or at the beaches, or serve as lifeguards. 

A few year back while camping at Kentucky Lake in mid-August, the change related to summer really hit home. There were few people around the lake, especially in the parks and resorts. The only kids at midweek naturalist programs were out-of-state youngsters who still had a week or two of vacation before starting the fall semester.

I haven’t figured out the big rush to start school so early. Administrators say state regulations require more days in the classroom. Apparently, the kids need more study time and instruction so state test scores can be raised. 

This testing itself has me wondering about the process. More testing appeared to be a good idea, but now it seems as if the educational objective is on the tests with the teaching directed at passing the tests, and not broader learning. That’s another whole subject. It has nothing to do with the great outdoors and the early demise of summer.

With kids back in school early, some amusement parks, other recreational facilities, and summer theaters also end their seasons early. Many depend on youngsters as part of their work force.

High school football starts during some of the hottest time of the year. In Kentucky, if the heat index is above 104 degrees, games can’t be played. That makes sense, but when the first game wasn’t until after Labor Day there wasn’t a problem. However, cold at the other end of the schedule sometimes was an issue.

Today, when it is really hot, most of us want to sit next to the air conditioner, however during warm days and nights, there still is good opportunities for catfishing and casting a lure while wading a nearby stream.

Fall is a wonderful time of the year, but it will wait its turn. Whether it is Daylight Saving Time or the seasons, it seems everyone these days is always trying to rush everything. 

Remember those days as a youngster in late summer,, walking barefoot down a dusty path or playing outside after dark and catching fireflies.