Five Things To Do on Your Vacation in Richmond, IN

The locals are astonished.
Why would anyone move two thousand miles from year round 65 degree weather, palm trees, and a place where people commute by surfing. It seems like a pretty ridiculous concept that anyone would choose to move from San Diego to anywhere other than Hawaii.

Nine and a half times out of ten, the response is "What are you moving all the way out there/here for?"

Even as I sat down on my plane, pocketing my one way ticket, I was mocked by the magazine I pulled from the seat in front of mine. I thumb through the table of contents of "Sky Delta" to find an article called Five Different Ways to Spend a Vacation in San Diego. A vacation for the night owl, one for the adventure-seeker, the classic family and so on... I read it... Then I console myself with the reminder that I wasn't much of a "beach person" anyway.

The truth is
I know I'll miss home, especially in the winter. Sure the the weather is perfect in "America's Finest City" but many family members and friend are still in Southern California too.

Humor is a great remedy for additional consolation. Therefore, I share my rendition of the "Sky Delta" article.
Partly tongue and cheek, alongside truly interesting events and places ...I'll let you decide which is which.

***

5 ways to spend a things to do on your vacation in Richmond, Indiana :

#1. Fine Art: If you are a fan of Da Vinci, Dali, or Van Gogh you're in luck, because Richmond has the next best thing. The Fifth Annual Senior Art Exhibit is right around the corner. This unique collection of amateur and semi-professional art ranges from pottery to painting, woodwork to tatting, and stamp collections to photography. The admission is free to this family friendly event. A must see!


#2. Get An Indiana Tan: If you take a vacation in Southern California or Florida you would have to get your tan at the beach. Why do such a thing when you can shade your skin in a fraction of the time, without the bother of sand and burden of other people? The salon is your solution! If you miss your appointment due to the construction on the main roads or you're running late because you were captivated by the senior art exhibit, just keep driving; you'll find another salon before you get to the next Starbucks. 
[I'm not recommending this - I have no experience tanning.
Im just bringing your attention to the abundance of tanning salons here]


#3. Architecture and Building Murals: take a walk in in Olde Richmond, enjoy the late 19th C. [1800s] architecture and  modern murals. there are a couple dozen murals on these and Uptown Richmond buildings. Richmond was the sight of the first jazz recordings ever. Gennett Records was owned by Starr Piano Company around 1917. Many Jazz artists like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton as well as some blues and country artists such as Charley Patton, and Fiddlin' Doc Roberts recorded some music with Gennett Records. This part of Richmond history is often reflected in the building murals.


#4. The Great Outdoors:
A few possible highlights of Richmond outdoor life are
Throwing rocks in the gorge: watch out for the splash, though - the water is polluted.
But we are on it (hence the construction reference in #2.)
Hoosier Point: Just north of Richmond, Hoosier Point stands as the highest elevation in Indiana.
[1257ft is a really tall when the typical landscape is flat corn fields]
Glen Miller Park: Playground, Pond, Rose Garden... a serene and beautiful way to spend the afternoon.

Disclaimer - When outside, please do not mind the smell of Dog Food; the Science Diet factory may be on the wrong side of the wind occasionally, but has been a sturdy establishment regardless of the recession.
 Instead, take pleasure on the moments when the smell of Cinnamon rolls coming from the Richmond Bakery dominate the air .


#5. The Darke County Fair: (over now)
Enjoy the plentiful selection of food vendors: corn on the cob, elephant ears [puts the fun in funnel cake], giant turkey legs, inauthentic Mexican food, and two-fer-one snow-cones.Take a spin on the Tilt-a-whirl or relax on the Ferris wheel. There are plenty of traditional carnival games including the local favorite cornhole. The locals are proud to tell anyone who asks - this is the biggest county fair (some say in the U.S., some say in the state, some say in the county ...but it was pretty big).

***

It may not be the most sought after tourist destination
But Richmond is cozy
The people are warmer than the humidity here
although it may smell like dog food from time to time
I embrace the sent of cinnamon when the wind is right

!!!Stay tuned to find out what happened to me when the back tire of my bicycle decided to stop spinning...