From a Capitol to the Ohio River

I found out this morning when I read my email that we will be sailing around Africa on our upcoming World Voyage, as expected, instead of through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. I spent some time looking at the changes, and I am thrilled with this new itinerary.

In addition to visiting national parks, I have planned to tour three state capitol buildings on this trip. It wasn’t until 2019 that I discovered The Capitol Collection, a passport book for the 50 state capitols. Naturally, I started collecting those stamps as well. I had always been interested in these grand structures, but the passport program has made visiting them more fun.

Therefore, I drove into downtown Indianapolis this morning to tour the Indiana Statehouse. It had been a while since I had driven in a large city, but traffic was surprisingly easy to deal with. I even found a parking spot and figured out where and how to feed the new-style meters.

Indiana Statehouse

The architecture of the Indiana Statehouse, like many state capitols, was influenced by the design of the United States Capitol and is Classical Revival in style. For me, the most striking feature of the interior was the stained-glass dome in the rotunda. Because I was running behind schedule, I spent very little time in the building and did not do it justice.

The Interior of the Indiana Statehouse

My next stop in downtown Indianapolis was the Eiteljorg Museum, a museum that focuses on Native American and Western art. I love Western art, and this museum had been on my radar for quite some time. The exhibits were outstanding, both the temporary exhibits and permanent galleries.

I started at the upper level and viewed two temporary exhibits. “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces” honored the generations of Native people who have served in the U.S. military throughout the nation’s history. “Developing Stories: Native Photographers in the Field” featured images by three contemporary Native photographers. Both were interesting.

Scenes from Two Temporary Exhibits

I was drawn, however, to the Native American Galleries. “Expressions of Life: Native Art in North America” focused on three themes – Relation, Continuation, and Innovation. This gallery was especially interesting to me since it included both historic and contemporary art, with which I was less familiar.

Expressions of Life: Native Art in North America

Moving to the lower level, I entered the Art of the American West Galley and “Attitudes: The West in American Art.” Some of my favorite artists were represented here, and I was pleased to see a few of their pieces in person. I was also able to discover new artists whose focus was various aspects of the West.

Attitudes: The West in American Art

The interpretive panels in both galleries were especially well done. The information presented explained the various themes and suggested a new way of looking at the pieces on exhibit, thereby helping me appreciate both how art has evolved and how it represents many different cultural values, attitudes, and points of view.

It had started to rain before I arrived at the museum, and the rain only increased after I got back on the road. As much as I dislike driving interstates, it’s even worse in the rain and fog. Luckily, the rain lessened a bit after a while, and the visibility improved as I made my way south.

I always try to stop halfway through the drive, especially if the stop involves a passport stamp. Today’s stop was Falls of the Ohio River State Park. I either misheard my GPS or it gave me odd directions, but it took me across the Ohio River into downtown Louisville, Kentucky, and then back again over the same bridge to reach the state park. Strange, but the bridge was very cool, so I was glad for the detour. I even decided to do a bit of research on the bridge.

The 2nd Avenue Bridge and Its Art seco Style Pylons

Originally called the Louisville Municipal Bridge, now the 2nd Street Bridge, this structure was completed in 1929. I was intrigued by the beautiful Art Deco style pylons at the entrance to both sides. The pylons are Art Deco in style, with engaged, fluted columns topped by sculptured eagles. The Kentucky pylons bear Kentucky state symbols and the incised words "Kentucky.” The Indiana pylons have a similar design. An Art Deco lantern tops each pylon. Just beautiful!

After recrossing the bridge, I finally found the interpretive center for the Falls of the Ohio State Park. This site is a point of interest on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail since William Clark set out from here with Meriwether Lewis to explore the territory of the Louisiana Purchase. The helpful woman at the information desk explained that the center’s exhibits focus on fossils and geology, with none on Lewis and Clark. So, this time, I skipped the exhibits and did a “stamp and run.”

Falls of the Ohio State Park on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail

When I left, I crossed the Ohio River again into Kentucky, this time on the interstate. Unfortunately, I failed to get in the correct lane and ended up on the wrong highway. Naturally, Google maps rerouted me, and I only lost a small amount of time. I drove through Kentucky bourbon country, so the revised itinerary turned out to be just fine.

I finally arrived in Somerset, Kentucky, and checked into a Holiday Inn Express on the edge of town.