The lovely Mrs. Honnold and I are headed over to Parke County Indiana today for our annual visit to the Covered Bridge Festival.
This is a tradition that we've done for at least the last 5-6 years as a couple. It's a close trip (< 2 hours) and a fun way to spend a day.
Growing up, Dad and Mom would take us over to the Covered Bridge Festival nearly every year. I don't remember well-enough to be able to say 7 times or 10 times or 15 times.... but, I remember many visits.
And I do recall some memories from those various trips......
-- seeing the gigantic mining cranes off in the distance (to the south) as we were driving between Paris Illinois and Clinton Indiana
-- getting a caramel apple under the tent in Rockville; one year, I got a cinnamon crunch covered apple
-- We grew tired of Rockville and started going to Mansfield as our destination of choice
-- walking across the covered bridge at Mansfield
-- hitting a particular vendor at Mansfield every year.... a guy who made all shapes and sizes of colored notepads, using scrap from a printing company, if I remember correctly; man.... he sold me a lot of paper
-- looking thru rusty tools and various "man stuff" with Dad
-- watching various craftsmen at work.... potters, blacksmith, basketweavers
-- being grossed-out by the thought of "pork rinds"
-- after Mansfield, dropping by little ol' Rosedale to see what was taking place there
-- tired legs (to a kid, Mansfield was huge then, so today's kiddos, it has to seem enormous!)
-- I seem to remember a bee sting; not sure if it was me or my brother; and I'm not 100% sure it occurred at the Covered Bridge Fest
Great times and great memories. Looking forward to making more this year, as we should run into Dad and Mom at some point in either Veedersburg or Bridgeton.
Out for now......
Matt