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BY CAROL ARNETT

Southern Indiana is gearing up for the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth in 2009, but a recent visit there showed that there is something for everyone, from Lincoln buffs to nature lovers to families interested in a fun time together.

THE LINCOLN CONNECTION

While Lincoln is strongly associated with Illinois, Indianans proudly point out that he spent the years from age seven to age 21 in Southern Indiana. His mother died when he was nine and is buried at the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial and Living Historical Farm. Lincoln also developed an interest in the law while living here.

In addition, Lincoln worked for a merchant in the area and took a flatboat to New Orleans to trade goods for him. On this trip, Lincoln was exposed to slavery for the first time and began to form an opinion about it.

The flatboat trip was recreated for the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and will be recreated again for the 200th anniversary. The kickoff for all of the celebrations will also echo the 150th anniversary celebrations. A scout camp-out is planned at the memorial for Mother’s Day weekend 2008, with the state’s official kick-off celebration on Mother’s Day.

The Lincoln Boyhood Memorial and home-site, in Lincoln City, is maintained by the National Park Service. The Memorial building was built in the 1940’s. It contains a small museum about life in Lincoln’s time. Viewers can also watch a fifteen minute film about Lincoln.

The site of the Lincolns’ home is marked by bronze replicas of the lower logs and fireplace stones. Nearby, a log cabin the same size as the Lincolns is furnished with period furnishings. Park service employees dress in period costumes and answer any questions as they work in the house and on the farm. The farm is set up as it would have been in Lincoln’s time, with animals, crops, and a garden.

On the walk to the home-site from the memorial, visitors pass a small graveyard where Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham’s mother, is buried. Another path is known as the trail of stones, and contains stones from 12 sites that featured prominently in Lincoln’s life. Each has a plaque explaining the significance of the stone.

Another site of interest to Lincoln buffs is the Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum, in Rockport. Here, in the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built replicas of several log cabins in the area, many associated with Lincoln. A replica of his home is here, as is a replica of the law office where he began to study law. There are also replicas of several cabins owned by families in the area that Lincoln would have come in contact with, such as the merchant he worked for. The 1955 movie “The Kentuckian,” with Burt Lancaster and Walter Matthau, was filmed in the Pioneer Village.

The museum at the Pioneer Village contains several items from the area. One highlight is a cabinet believed to have been made by Abraham Lincoln. The story is that he borrowed a book from a neighbor and ruined it by getting it wet. He made the cabinet as repayment for the book. Curators theorize that Abraham made the cabinet because his father was well-known as a skilled carpenter and the cabinet is not that well-made.

NATURE LOVERS WELCOME

If you are interested in nature and outdoor activity, Southern Indiana offers caves and float trips. We toured Marengo Cave in Marengo. Wyandotte Care is nearby in Leavenworth.

Marengo Cave offers two tours. We took the shorter tour. We saw the site of the first entrance to the cave that was discovered in 1883. The cave has been opened almost continuously since its discovery. Our guide was knowledgeable about both the geography and history of the cave. The short tour, at approximately 30 minutes, was an easy walk over even pathways. The longer tour is also easily accessible. The cave also offers tours for the more adventurous that want to don a hardhat and explore areas less accessible.

Cave County Canoes is nearby in Milltown. The outfitter offers floats on the Blue River. The trips offered range from half-day to two day trips. Those who just want to canoe for a while can take a canoe onto the Mill pond, where all the float trips end.

After a hard day of cave tours and canoes, the Leavenworth Inn offers a great night’s sleep. This bed and breakfast welcomes families, with fold-out cots and futons for kids. The inn consists of two homes overlooking the Ohio River.

Homemade cookies greet guests in the evening, and the inn offers a full library of DVDs. The inn also has tennis courts, an exercise room, and bikes for guests to use. The staff here was very friendly and can help with any questions about the area.

The inn offers several packages, including a girls weekend away and a golf weekend.

For breakfast, the inn provides vouchers to the Overlook Restaurant across the street. This restaurant is housed in a former home with spectacular views of the Ohio River. The restaurant has an outside deck where diners can linger after a meal on rocking chairs and watch the river go by.

AREA ABOUNDS IN HISTORY

If you are interested in history, the area offers a few options besides the Lincoln sites. Dr. Ted’s Musical Marvels, in Dale, is a museum of organs, player pianos, and all sorts of musical players, from small Victrolas to giant street organs.

Dr. Ted Waflart is a practicing physician. His interest in collecting and restoring old musical organs eventually led to the museum. He also collects medical paraphernalia, old advertisement, and anything else that catches his eye.

The tour guides at the museum will turn on the musical instruments for guests. Some were built to be used in dance halls or on city streets, so they can be very loud.

Another interesting museum is the Santa Claus Museum in Santa Claus. The museum tells the history of the town with the unusual name. It was originally called Santa Fe, but the United States Postal Service made the town change its name because there was already another Sante Fe in Indiana.

Santa Claus receives thousands of letters to Santa each year, and all are answered in the museum. Several civic groups help write the letters. Students at the local high school make the cancellation stamp used by the post office, and museum employees hand stamp all the letters sent to children. The museum has a display of some of the letters received through the years, many addressed simply to “Santa Claus, North Pole.”

FAMILY FUN AT HOLIDAY WORLD

After the history and nature in the area, Santa Claus offers family fun in the form of Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari. Holiday World makes a point of being family friendly by not “nickel and diming” guests. Parking, soda, and sunscreen are all free. Food offered in restaurants throughout the park is very reasonable. Our family of five was able to eat for approximately $20-$25 per meal.

Holiday World is known for its three wooden roller coasters. All three are ranked in the top ten wooden roller coasters by Amusement Today, a trade paper for amusement parks. The newest coaster, The Voyage, includes five underground tunnels, a 66 degree angle of descent on the first drop, and a record air-time, or 24 seconds.

The Voyage is in the newest area of Holiday World, Thanksgiving. Other areas include Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas. Santa Claus appears year-round. In addition to the coasters, the park has all of the standard amusement park rides, and a greater collection of kiddie rides than most.

All the rides are themed to the area in which they are located, so in Halloween you can go on the Hallowswings and Scarecrow Scrambler, while the Liberty Launch and Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride are in the Fourth of July. Christmas contains several kiddie rides, as does Funtown, and area with a roller coaster and car ride for kids, as well as a huge playground with sprinklers.

Splashin’ Safari is part of Holiday World. This water park offers two wave pools, two lazy rivers, a kids playground area, a toddler area, and several water slides. Several guests were enjoying Holiday World in the morning, then going to Splashin’ Safari as it got warmer, and finishing up in Holiday World in the evening. There are lockers and changing rooms at Splashin’ Safari to make going back and forth easy.

The newest addition to the water park is Bakuli, a water slide that opened this year. Four riders go down an enclosed water slide together in a clover-leaf shaped inner tube. Then the drop into a 6- foot bowl, and spiral down into another slide. Other slides include ZOOMbabwe, the world’s largest enclosed water slide at 887 feet long. Another family favorite is the Jungle Racer, where riders race each other for the best time.

Other family activities in the area include Frosty’s Fun Town, a pizza and ice cream parlor and miniature golf course. The course was very well-maintained and had a Christmas theme.

Frosty’s Fun Town is an easy walk from Santa’s Lodge, where we stayed for our visit. The lodge has both and indoor and outdoor pool, and offers a nice breakfast buffet in the on-site restaurant. There is also a campground next to Holiday World.

Families also might want to drive to Reo, Indiana, for the Holiday Drive-In Theater. The drive-in has five screens, including one that contains a two-story, two-bedroom apartment where the projectionist lives. Some families watched from the car, while others set up blankets and lawn chairs in front of the car. All screens show double features each night.

So whether a good trip means relaxing under the stars at a drive-in, learning about history, seeing natural sites, or scaring yourself on a roller coaster— Southern Indiana has it covered.

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