Springfield, Ohio – Tomorrow’s Stars RV Resort, October 11-19, 2014

We continue our journey. Saturday dawned bright and beautiful with sunshine and 38 degrees. By the time we finished our preparations for travel the temps had risen to 50 degrees, with a light breeze. It was so lovely, with the trees continuing to turn color and softly drifting down to cover the ground. The fragrance of wood smoke and leaves wafted up to meet us…ah, the smell of autumn is in the air.

Our 257 mile trip from Buchanan, Michigan to Springfield, Ohio was uneventful; roads were generally good with no wind to speak of. We arrived to Tomorrow’s Stars RV Resort about 3:30 Saturday afternoon, and were surprised to find the park nearly full, and with trick or treaters literally everywhere! Apparently, this is an annual and favorite event here in the park, even though Halloween isn’t for another few weeks. Go figure…

Our site had a concrete patio with grassy area around it, and a large grassy area on the off-door side. The camper pad itself was pretty soft and muddy with not much gravel.

The park has full amenities, although the Wi-Fi is pretty sketchy. There’s an outdoor pool, clubhouse with both indoor and covered outdoor areas, shuffleboard, volleyball court, miniature golf, a small fish pond, amphitheater, laundry and showers.

We had just gotten settled when we received a phone call from Dick’s brother Bob; dinner was to be with brother Bob and sis-in-law Bonnie at a local restaurant, The Meadows at 6:30. Three of us enjoyed prime rib, while Dick dined on grilled shrimp. YUM-YUM!

Sunday was a day of errands, and using the internet at the local McDonalds. Then, a big family dinner at Bob and Bonnie’s, with their daughter Stephanie, daughter Staci and her husband Justin and 20-month old Jaden, Justin’s parents, niece Jessie and her mom TR. Bonnie served a lovely pork roast, baked potatoes, salad, green beans; Jessie had made a vegetarian corn chowder, which was wonderful. Dessert was apple pie ala mode, and banana bars with cream cheese frosting. Need I say, YUM???

Top to bottom, L to R: Bob and Bonnie, their grandson Jaden,
Jaden with his mom Staci and dad Justin, Bonnie with me and
her older daughter Stephanie, Oscar and  Bogey

Grandpa Bob with Jaden, Rufus and Bogey

Monday afternoon we visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force, located near Dayton, Ohio at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It’s the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world.  We were impressed! Of the 12 or so exhibits we saw only 6—the facility is HUGE!

Their mission:“The National Museum of the United States Air Force collects, researches, conserves, interprets and presents the Air Force's history, heritage and traditions, as well as today's mission to fly, fight and win ... in Air, Space and Cyberspace to a global audience through engaging exhibits, educational outreach, special programs, and the stewardship of the national historic collection. These statutory duties delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force are accomplished on behalf of the American people. We are the keepers of their stories.”

Panoramic of the grounds, map of facility, entrance and gift shop

Click here for a virtual tour of the facility. (Click on the map window in the upper right, then on the exhibit you want to view.)  

One of the exhibits, that we didn’t see due to time constraints, was President Kennedy’s Air Force One, on display in the museum’s Presidential Gallery, located a short distance from the rest of the exhibits. He flew aboard the “Special Air Mission, tail number 26000,” or SAM 26000, to Dallas, where he was assassinated. It was on this airplane that Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the new president. SAM 26000 then carried Kennedy’s body and Johnson back to Washington, DC.

Of the almost 400 photos Dick took, these are just a few:

 The Early Years - WWI:

Top to bottom, L to R: Early Years entrance, 1909 Wright Military Flyer, 1916 Wright wind tunnel,
Standard J-1 Jenny Trainer, British Avro 504K, French Nieuport 28, British Sophwith F-1 Camel

Top to bottom, L to R: German Halberstadt CLIV, German Spad XIII C.1,
Kettering Aerial Torpedo "bug", DeHavilland CH-4 Air Service Workhorse

Top to Bottom, L to R: Italian Caproni CA-36 bomber, Martin MB-2 Bomber,
Ford Model-T Ambulance, French Observation Balloon

Interwar Years:

Top to bottom, L to R: Curtis P-6E Hawk, Boeing P-12E,
Kellett K-2/K3 Autogiro, Boeing P-26A Peashooter

Top to bottom, L to R:  Martin B-10, Northrop A-17A AttachAircraft, North American NA-64 BT-14

WWII:

Top to bottom, L to R: British Hurricane, Holocaust Exhibit,
Douglas B-18A BOLO

Notice the violin in the above Holocaust exhibit. In 1938, a terrified 15-year-old was forced to play his violin for the "entertainment" of the Nazis while his family's belongings were burned and his father was beaten by Nazi thugs, then taken away to a concentration camp. The boy managed to escape Germany, eventually reaching America. After the war, he wrote to the janitor of his apartment building,  describing where he had hidden his violin in the attic. This is the actual  instrument which the janitor found and returned to the now grown Robert Kahn.

Top to bottom, L to R: Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero, Curtiss P-40E Warhawk
North American B-25D Bomber,
Douglas A-24 Dive Bomber, Beech A-10 W\ichitaTrainer,
Bell P-63E King Cobra, Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Trainer

Top to bottom, L to R: Vultee BT-13 Valiant, British Bristol Beaufighter Mk,Lc,
Consolidated B-24D Liberator, British Supermarine Spitfire Mk,Vc,
British DeHavilland DH98 Mosquito, North Amercian A-35A Apache,
Lockheed P-38L, Republic P-470 Thunderbolt

Top to bottom, L to R: Douglas C-47-D, Skytrain, Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress,
North American P-51D Mustang, German Messerschmitt Me 163 Rocket,
Douglas A-20G Havoc, Consolidated OA-10 Catalina,
Boeing Boxcar B-29 Superfortress
Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II, Northrop P-61C Black Widow

Cold War:

Top to bottom, L to R: Cold War sign, Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, Boeing B-18 Lancer,
Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-20A Fulcrum, Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low IV,
 Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, General Atomics RQ-1 Predator,
General Dynamics EF-111A Raven, British Panavia Tornado GR-1 

Top to bottom, L to R: Lockheed AC-130A Spectre, McDonell Douglas RF-4C Phantom II,
McDonell Douglas F-15A Eagle, McDonell F-1018 Voodoo,
Cnvair F-106A Delta Dart, Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird

Top to bottom, L to R: Boeing X-45A, Convair F-102A Delta Dagger,
North American F-82B Twin Mustang*, North Amerian RF-86F Haymaker Sabre,
Northrop SM-62 Snark

* We noticed the name on the North American F-28B Twin Mustang: the Betty Jo. Because Dick's dad worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base at the time this plane was developed, and Dick's mom's name was Betty Jo, we're sticking with the idea that this plane was named after her.

Panoramic of Cold War hangar

Space:

Top to bottom, L to R: Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour, Columbia Space Shuttle model,
Space Shuttle (full size model), Space Shuttle guide, Mark Hodson (thanks, Mark, for the detailed
explanations of all we saw!)

Orange County Chopper and Memorial Park:

This Orange County Chopper was on display in the gift shop area--pretty cool!
The Memorial Park covers acres adjacent to the museum, and honors Air Force-associated
units and people for their courageous service and sacrifice in the cause of freedom. The museum
dedicated the first memorial in 1972, with a commemorative tree and plaque recognizing Americans held
as Prisoners of War by the North Vietnamese and those missing in action during the  Southeast Asia Conflict.
Memorial Park has grown since that first dedication, with more than 500 memorials, including
statuary memorials, plaques, trees and benches.

Tuesday, a dreary 64° day of rain, and a full day of doing not much. We spent a couple of hours at the Springfield library, catching up on emails, etc. After a stop to pick up groceries, we cruised Dick’s old stomping grounds; we drove past the home where he spent his growing up years, which was right across the street from where he went to elementary and junior high school, Possum School. We supplied dinner that night…pizza from Cassano’s, which has been a Cummings' family favorite for years, and spent the evening at Bob and Bonnie’s.

Another rainy and dreary day welcomed us Wednesday. That morning I made dessert for that night’s dinner at Bob and Bonnie's: taco pie (at their request) and ladyfinger lemon torte. YUM-YUM! We headed over in the mid-afternoon to take advantage of their Wi-Fi.

Thursday promised to be a reasonably decent day, so we ventured into Columbus, Ohio to the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, where we spent about 5½ hours wandering the park. Spectacular! This, of course, is the home of Jack Hanna, so it’s a really neat place. (Now Director Emeritus, Jack was the director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993; he’s largely responsible for its quality and reputation, as being one of the foremost zoos in the country, if not the world.) The zoo is so well laid out, with areas dedicated to Australia, Africa, Asia, North America, and there’s an aquarium with beautiful tropical fish and manatees.

Top to bottom, L to R: Zoo entrance sign, flamingos, Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle, and
a Chinese Crocodile Lizard

Top to bottom, L to R: Dumeril's Grouned Boa, Gila Monster,
Grand Cayman Iguana, Southern Pacific Rattlesnake,
Burmese Python, Aligator Snapping Turtle

Top to bottom, L to R: Indian Star Tortoises, Humboldt Penguins,
Grand Carousel and sign, Red Kangaroos

Top to bottom, L to R: Lorikeets, Komodo Dragon, Sacred Ibis,
Abdim;s Stork, West African Crowned Crane

We thought you'd like to see these videos of more of the creatures we saw at the zoo:

Amur Tiger, the Lorikeets, Gibbons, Asian Small-Clawed Otter, and the Manatees.

Top to bottom, L to R: Blue Bellied Roller, Black and White Colobus,
Leopard, Mandrill, and Western Low-land Gorillas

Top to bottom, L to R: Reticulated Python, Large Flying Fox Bat, Silvered Langur,
Black Rhinoceros, Markhor, Bald Eagle

Top to bottom, L to R: Dromedary Camel, Cheetah,
Zebras and Ostrich, Vervet Monkey, Giraffes

Just a note: as we were walking toward the Vervet Monkey exhibit, one of the females in the exhibit gave birth to a little one. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a photo; the mom was very protective and was hiding the baby. Dang.

If you need more, here’s a link to the zoo site, and more of the animals we saw.

That evening we met friends Tom and Les at The Florentine Italian restaurant in Columbus for dinner. We used to vacation with them in Florida, where we always had a wonderful time. This evening was no different. We spent 2½ hours with them talking and eating and laughing. We miss them, and are hoping to entice them to visit us in Texas…(or go on the road with us...).

Friday was a beautiful day in Springfield. The sun was shining and the temperatures hit a whopping 68°! We stayed around the camper early in the day, and headed to Bob and Bonnie’s around 3 p.m. for our last visit and dinner (pot roast and all the fixin's--YUM!). Stephanie joined us. Then, while Bonnie and I stayed home and visited, Dick, Bob and Stephanie went to their alma mater high school football game: Shawnee Braves vs. Tecumseh Arrows. The Braves won 27:20. Woot-woot! We’re not used to being up so late; didn’t get home and to bed ‘til nearly midnight… (yawn)

We packed up Saturday morning, departed Springfield around noon, and drove on to Terre Haute, Indiana for an evening with Cracker Barrel in their parking lot. The drive through Indiana was uneventful, except for the on-again-off-again rain and heavy construction over some very rough roads. Since Cracker Barrel doesn’t have Wi-Fi, we walked across the street to Sunset Family Restaurant for dinner and to use their Wi-Fi connection. What a wonderful dinner! Dick had lasagna; I had BBQ ribs. SO GOOD! We highly recommend this place, if you’re ever going through Terre Haute. Because of the location of Cracker Barrel (very near I-70, it sounded like we were sleeping—or trying to sleep—right on the freeway…)

The next day we had breakfast at Sunset Family Restaurant, and again used their Wi-Fi before getting on the road again, heading to Carterville, Illinois, where we’ll be spending a few days with friends Marv and Shirl in their Kamper’s Supply “RV parking lot.” Their sons will go over our RV to attack the electrical problem we’re having in the living room area of our camper.

We arrived in Carterville about 12:20 p.m., where Marv and Shirl welcomed us with open arms. After getting set up, we took a little road trip with them to Famm’s Orchard where we thoroughly enjoyed a tasty treat of fresh apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream. YUM-YUM! Shirl was wanting some Jonagold apples (no longer available at that orchard) so we headed to another where we both were able to get some.

Don't they look good??? The crust had cinnamon in it, too. YUM-YUM!

Of course after our sightseeing, we had to have dinner, so we drove into Marion, Illinois for dinner at O’Charlie’s, where we dined on their famous homemade curly chips, chicken salads, cheesy potato soup, tomato basil soup and a club sandwich. So good!

Well, that’s about it for this week. Thanks for continuing to join us on our travels. We love having you along, but would really love to have us join us on the road. There's so much to see!

Hugs and blessings,

RJ and Gail

Bear Cave Resort, Buchanan, Michigan – October 5-11

Our journey so far, since leaving Cloquet in September:

Bear Cave Resort is one of the prettiest RV parks we've been in since we started our nomad life. Located alongside the St. Joseph River in southern Michigan, it’s surrounded by oak, maple, and lots of redbud trees. The park has over 170 sites, some with full hook-up (water, electric and sewer, which we have and for which we’re thankful), some with partial hookup (electric and water only), and a few extended stay sites with park model trailers on them. There’s a large clubhouse, complete with billiards, a movie room, book exchange, a separate game room, and kitchen; another site has a large pool with another clubhouse and kitchen with facilities for outdoor grilling for the masses. A walk behind the office to the river disclosed a covered bridge with access to walking trails throughout the park.

From the office and for $3, one can have a self-guided tour of the bear caves located directly beneath the office near the river. When the Indians first inhabited this area, it was teeming with black bears that lived and hibernated in those caves. The bears have since disappeared, but not the caves.

Another interesting tidbit of information on the bear cave: it’s the only naturally formed cave in Michigan. Formed in something called "tufa rock" which is a secondary limestone, it's estimated that this particular bed of rock is at least 25,000 years old and is resting on a glacial drift deposited during the last ice age, or approximately 50,000 years ago. I mentioned the “cave tour” earlier. Along the 40' winding stairway that leads through the cave, you will see stalactites, petrified leaves, and other peculiar shapes. The metal oxides of native ores color the entire cave. The cave itself measures 15' deep, 4'-6' wide, and 1'-15' high.

The caves were also instrumental in the Underground Railway system during the period of slavery. And, in 1875, the "loot" from an Ohio bank robbery was "deposited" in the cave. This became the inspiration for the 1903 silent film, "The Great Train Robbery." The film is now considered a silent film classic and was the precursor of the thriller movies of today.

We’re within about 5 miles of Buchanan, Michigan, which has enough infrastructure to support the community, including a couple of elementary schools, the high school, public library—and it even has a McDonalds and 2 Dollar Stores! (Alas, we needed to drive to Niles, Michigan, about 7 miles beyond Buchanan for a Walmart…)  Also, we’re within about a mile of the Redbud Motocross , the centerpiece of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. Redbud is among the most highly regarded motocross tracks in the world, and has bragging rights to claim the largest attendance of any US motocross race, year after year.

Popularly known as "Redbud City," because of the many beautiful redbud trees that have historically lined the city streets and major approaches to the city, Buchanan has also been recognized, by the National Arbor Day Foundation, as a Tree City USA. Originally known as McCoy Creek, so named in 1833 after an early settler Russell McCoy, it was eventually renamed Buchanan after James Buchanan, the 15^th president of the United States, who had taken the Territory of Michigan’s side during its battle for statehood.

The St. Joseph River I mentioned earlier was once a major transportation route for Native American tribes in the area, especially the Potawatomi tribe. The area was first settled in 1833 at the spot where the St. Joseph River meets the McCoy Creek. The village of Buchanan was incorporated in 1858.

During October the businesses in Buchanan created stuffed dolls; these are just a
few. Most are posed individually and attached to sign posts, light poles, and
any other vertical post throughout the town.

Much of Buchanan’s rich history has been preserved along Front Street, which includes many beautifully restored 19^th-century homes. The town’s fortuitous location is at a juncture where the St. Joseph River drops 60 feet to create powerful water surges, which at one time propelled 13 mills, including Pears Flour Mill, the sole surviving mill. Built in 1857, this Greek Revival working mill has been fully restored with a water wheel and millstones that continue to grind flour and cornmeal. Unfortunately, they’re open to the public only on Saturdays, so we weren’t able to tour the inside, but we thought we’d share these photos of the exterior.

For a small community, Buchanan offers quite a variety of interesting things to see: the Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve; The Tin Shop Theatre located in a historic building constructed in 1865 as a furniture shop; the Buchanan Art Center located in a mid-century Prairie-style building; a variety of eating establishments, including the Wheatberry Restaurant & Tavern and the Tabor Hill Restaurant & Winery; and a whole host of coffee houses.

Monday was sort of a day of rest for us. We did head into town to check emails (no WiFi in the park), and to publish the blog; then, we headed to the Niles, Michigan to Walmart for a few items. The remainder of the day was spent chillin’ in our coach. The rain showered us occasionally, but there were sun sightings between the drops.

Tuesday we headed to South Bend, Indiana, about 15 miles away, to explore Notre Dame University. The day was beautiful, with bright sunshine, no clouds, and temps in the mid- to upper 60s. Perfect.

Notre Dame was quite impressive, both in size (1,250 acres) and beauty. The campus is designed primarily for pedestrians, encouraging safety and community spirit, so vehicle access is limited and monitored. There were a lot of bicycles and skateboards in evidence. The school’s property includes more than 130 buildings, 2 lakes, 2 golf courses, and a Catholic cemetery open to members of the Notre Dame family.

It was interesting to note that the student to faculty ratio is 12:1. Not bad, considering that there are almost 8,000 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate students on campus from all 50 states and 100 countries. About ¼ of undergraduate students are referred to as “legacy” students, whose parents had attended the university. There are 74 bachelor degree programs across the 4 colleges and 1 school on site, as well as graduate and professional degree programs. Nearly 75% of students receive financial aid, with the average scholarship offered at a bit over $30,000. There are more than 350 student clubs and organizations on campus; 13 men’s varsity sports teams, 13 women’s varsity sports teams, and a wide range of intramurals and club sports.

Louise

We just missed a scheduled tour of the campus, so we set out on our own, with help from Louise, a student in the Eck Visitor Center, who gave us a map of campus and pointed out things we shouldn’t miss. We set out at about 10:45 and were done around 1 p.m. Whew! 

Founded in 1842 by Edward F. Sorin, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame’s student body is about 83% catholic; however, people from all faiths are welcome. Following are just some of the photos taken of the campus, with captions.

Grounds of Notre Dame, the Main Building (administrative offices), and the
rotunda inside. Beautiful!

The Basilica

Hesburgh Library

Just a few of the Word of Life murals embedded in the exterior walls of the library.

War Memorial dedicated to those who fought and may have given their lives
in the Korean War, World War II, and Viet Nam.

Clockwise from top: Football stadium; Knute Rockne Gate leading into footbll stadium;
statue to Knute Rockne to the right of his gate; the Four Horsement of Notre Dame (comprised
a winning group of American football players under coach Knute Rockne. During the entire
3-year tenure of the Four Horsemen, Notre Dame lost only 2 games, one each in 1922 and
1923, both to Nebraska in Lincoln before packed houses).

On campus is the very impressive Snite Museum of Art, considered one of the finest university art museums in the country. It contains over 27,000 works representing many of the principal cultures and periods of world art history. The 70,000 square-foot building was a gift of the Snite family in memory of Frederick Snite, Jr., from the Notre Dame class of 1933. Here, we took in the featured exhibits: "The Roaring Twenties Exuberance & Depression Era Extravagance," selections from the Jack B. Smith* automobile collection; the exhibit of early Mexican artifacts; and, early American artifacts. *Jack Smith and his wife Laura are both Notre Dame alumni, involved in and fund various programs on campus.

Top to bottom: 1931 Cadillac Series 355A Fleetwood Dual Cowl Phaeton;
1932 Auburn 8-100A Speedster, 1923 Studebaker Big Six Speedster,
1932 Packard Light Eight Roadster (900)

Thursday we again headed to South Bend to take in the Studebaker National Museum, the historic Oliver Mansion, and the South Bend Chocolate Company.

Studebaker History

First a bit of Studebaker history. The world of Studebakers began in February 1852 when Henry and Clement Studebaker opened the H&C Studebaker blacksmith shop in South Bend, near the St Joseph River. Three younger brothers would later join the firm, and soon it became the world’s largest manufacturer of wagons and buggies, under the name Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company. In 1880 production moved to a newer plant south of downtown.

The Studebakers entered the automobile market in 1902 with the introduction of the electric car. (Thomas Edison purchased the 2^nd electric car they produced.)

Gas powered models arrived in 1904, and until 1920 Studebaker offered a full line of horse drawn and self-propelled vehicles. At this point horse drawn production ended and the company name changed to The Studebaker Corporation. Although the 1920s were very profitable years for Studebaker, the effects of the Great Depression saw Studebaker enter receivership in 1933, but within a few years and under the leadership of the company’s vice presidents Hoffman and Vance, Studebaker was led back to solvency by 1935.

With the onset of WWII, Studebaker began producing military vehicles and equipment, just as it had for every conflict since the Civil War. While previous wars relied on horse drawn vehicles, Studebaker’s defense contracts called for B-17 Flying Fortress engines, US6 6x6 military trucks and the amphibious M29 and M29C Weasels.

Following the war, Studebaker introduced all-new styling for the 1947 model year, including the famous “bullet nose” styling; 1951 saw the introduction of Studebaker’s V8 engine. For all its success, Studebaker faced stiff competition in the ‘50s, and the 1954 merger with Packard Motor Car Company was terminated in 1958. Studebaker rebounded in 1959 with the introduction of the compact Lark, however, in 1960 their competitors also introduced their compacts, pushing Studebaker once again back into the red. The sporty Avanti was introduced in 1962, hoping to give Studebaker the edge it needed to get back into the black, but their financial woes continued. Studebaker closed its South Bend plant in 1963, although their Ontario facility stayed open until the last Studebaker was completed in March 1966.

The Studebaker National Museum

The Studebaker National Museum traces its roots to the late 19^th century when Clement Studebaker purchased the Lincoln and Lafayette carriages (these carriages are on display in the museum). By the 1960s the collection had grown to 37 vehicles (referred to as the “original collection”) and included 4 presidential carriages, the 1^st and last Studebakers built at the South Bend facility, and the last Studebaker ever built.

President Lincoln's 1865 Barouche; he and his wife rode
in this to Ford Theatre the night he was shot.

President Grant's 1873 Landau

President Harrison's 1889 Brougham

President McKinley's 1900 Phaeton

The Studebaker Corporation donated its collection and archives to the City of South Bend in late 1966; the collection was housed in numerous locations throughout South Bend. In October 2005 the 55,000-square foot National Museum opened its new home, and the entire collection was moved to one location. The building has three levels and features fully climate-controlled galleries and storage facilities to ensure the best possible care for the collection. Here’s a link to a Packard Hawk video (RJ’s favorite car in the collection), shot on the 2^nd floor of the museum.

Today, The Studebaker National Museum’s collection boasts over 120 vehicles, with about 70 on display at any one time. These are just a few.

Top to bottom, left to right: 1857 Phaeton, 1904 Model C, 1905 Sleigh,
1911 Electric Coupe, 1919 Big Six, 1920 Farm Wagon

Top to Bottom, left to right: 1925 Big Six Duplex Phaeton, 1932 President St. Regis
Brougham with golf club door, 1941 Champion Coupe Delivery2,
1947 Champion Deluxe Station Wagon, 1950 Studebaker and me!

Top to bottom: 1952 Commander Starliner, 1955 Packard Caribbean,
1957 Golden Hawk 300

L to R: 1957 Golden Hawk 300, 1961 Hawk 2

1963 Avanti

Under the direction of South Bend’s Center for History, the museum also had an extensive WWI exhibit, a women’s baseball exhibit, a gallery saluting early voyages through the area, and a gallery dedicated to J.D. Oliver and his father, inventor of the chilled plow.

Salute to women's baseball

World War I exhibit

Prior to the 1850’s, farmers used wooden plows with a metal edge to help them work the earth. These plows were not sturdy and often broke against the hard ground. Damp soil would also stick to them, making the whole process difficult and less efficient.

In 1857, Oliver received a patent to make “chilled” plows. The plows were cast in a mold which allowed the metal to be cooled rapidly, resulting in a hard surface that kept a sharp edge. The plows were also extremely smooth, alleviating the problem of sticking soil.

Oliver’s plows became commonplace throughout the United States and around the world. By the turn of the 20th century, he employed over a thousand men and produced as many as three hundred thousand plows a year, living up to its slogan, “Plowmakers for the World.”

Adjacent to the Studebaker Museum is the historic Oliver Mansion, owned by J.D. Oliver, which was our next stop.

Oliver Mansion

Built in 1895-1896, the Oliver Mansion (also referred to as Copshaholm named after an ancestral Scottish town) was home to J.D. Oliver, president of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, located in South Bend. The company was founded by J.D.’s father, James. 

Copshaholm is located on Washington Street in South Bend, on 2.5 acres of landscaped “Italianate” gardens, including a teahouse, rose garden, pergola, tennis lawn and fountain. (The home and gardens are listed on the National Register of Historic places, and is registered as an American Treasure.

Upon its completion in 1896, 19^th century industrialist J.D. Oliver, his wife, Anna, and their 4 children moved into their new home. Copshaholm is a 38-room Romanesque Queen Anne-styled house, built of native Indiana fieldstone, which was transported and cut on site by skilled masons. It was one of the first homes in South Bend to have electricity.

Notice the curved window, that follows the contours of the home's exterior.
Carol was our tour guide for the mansion.

The home includes 14 fireplaces and leaded glass windows, many are curved to follow the contours of the home’s exterior. Oak, cherry, and mahogany woodwork are found throughout Copshaholm; the furnishings on all 3 floors are original, and include period porcelains, glass, silver, prints, and a bronze bust of J.D. Oliver and a bronze bust of his father James, giving visitors a glimpse of how the mansion appeared during the 72 years the Oliver family lived there.

Following are just a few photos of the seemingly hundreds that we took during our tour of the home. We were mightily impressed! The attention to detail was unbelievable; we hope you can see the beauty on display through these photos.

All entry doors are 3" thick, with leaded glass. the room to the right is
the receiving room, just as you enter the home.

The library; notice the ceiling details and the extraordinary detailing on the fireplace.

The dining room; the wall coverings are all woven tapestries.

The music room; the children are detailed playing musical instruments in the plasterwork.

J.D.'s office. His Scottish heritage is noted throughout, in the furnishings and decor of the room.

Mrs. Oliver's sitting room

The kitchen and butler's pantry; notice the safe in the corner of the pantry. All silver was locked up at night.

Side entry, with 3" thick door; bannister leading to 2nd floor; reading "nook" between floor; and the view
across the 2nd floor landing, looking over the receiving room,

Master bedroom suite; notice the original bath fixtures and the 

Left to right: girl's room, boys' room, guest room for inlaws, and dressing area.

Click here for a virtual tour of Copshaholm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kcnIO7_-k

The formal Italianate garden was designed circa 1907 by the same interior designer who decorated the famous Oliver Hotel in South Bend. Lilies, peonies, lilacs, tulips, daffodils, dogwood, irises, and lilies-of-the-valley are some of the flowers and bushes that bloom in the Historic Oliver Gardens. The gardens are being restored to look as they did in 1915. It is well-known that the Oliver family used their gardens quite extensively for entertaining, hosting numerous lawn socials and lawn tennis parties.

Also adjacent to the Studebaker Museum and just a short walk from Copshaholm, is the 1,200 square foot  “Worker’s Home,” a modest residence that may have been home to a Polish, working class, factory worker of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. Painted white, the house reflects the subtle, clean and fresh look prominent during the early 1930s. It’s quite a contrast to the vivid and oft-times gaudy colors of the Victorian Era of this time. The home has a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and 3 bedrooms. The home was moved to the property of J.D. Oliver in 1907, where a succession of Copshaholm staff lived until the mid-1980s.

Whew! It had been a full and busy day so far, but we weren’t done yet. Our last stop was at the South Bend Chocolate Factory, which was on our way out of South Bend.

In 1991 Mark Tarner founded the South Bend Chocolate Factory. Since then he has opened 13 company-owned stores in northern Indiana and 4 franchised locations throughout Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The factory, located on West Sample Street in South Bend occupies 60,000 square feet, and includes an outlet store and production area, as well as the packaging and shipping area. The company got its start making chocolates under a license from Notre Dame, and its first 3 products were created for Notre Dame: the Domers (a chocolate truffle whipped until it’s silky smooth, covered in pure milk chocolate, named in honor of Notre Dame’s students and alumni), Rocknes named after guess who? (a mound of premium chocolate blended with coconut, almonds and a cherry flavoring), and nuts (chocolate covered Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, pecans and filberts). Now, there are over 500 products and it’s the fastest growing chocolate company in the US.

We toured the facility guided by Emily, were treated to a couple of tidbits each, and ended up in the outlet store where we just had to purchase some goodies to take with us: pecan turtles with sea salt, raspberry cremes, dark peanut-butter squares, and Rocknes. Yum-yum!!!

Top left to right: South Bend Chocolate Factory entrance; our tour guide, Emily;
Bottom left to right: me with Ethel and Lucy (" Speed it up a little!"); and, the machines
used to cover the candies in chocolate.

To order and experience a bit of the delectable treats from the chocolate factory, click here: www.sbchocolate.com.

On our way back to Bear Cave Park we stopped for pizza, and to spend a bit of time computing, since we don’t have WiFi at the park. That evening the temperatures dipped to the low 40s—really cold. Overnight something happened to the electrical connection in the rear of the trailer, where the living room is. None of the outlets work back there, but they work in other areas of the coach (kitchen, bathroom and bedroom). Thankfully, the 12-volt lights still work so we’re not totally in the dark, and we do have heat. Bummer, though, since this also affected the TV, but we did connect an extension cord so we could watch it. (Marv and Shirl, we may need to alter our route to make a stop to see you on our way to Texas. We’re like bad pennies—we keep showing up! Ha!)

Friday we drove to Buchanan to the library for our final opportunity to compute before leaving on Saturday, and to wash and fuel the truck. There are always things that can be done prior to the final preparations the day we leave, so while Dick did the outside stuff, I stayed indoors and did my own stuff. I’m sure I was the warmer, as temps didn’t get much above 58° all day.

Saturday we got up to 38° temperatures, but lots of sunshine. We did the final preparations, and headed out to Ohio to see Dick’s brother and family. We’ll have more of that next week.

We hope this finds you well and warm in this chilly fall weather.

Blessings,

RJ and Gail