Vincennes, Indiana

"The Old Northwest's most historic grounds.  In the year 1702, Francois Morgan de Vincenne, an officer in the service of the King of France, built a fort here on the very spot where the Clark Memorial and the historic old cathedral stand.  This Old North-west was under French rule until the treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the French and Indian War and gave control to the British until 1779, when it was captured by Clark and his little army.  Vincennes offers many of the historic showplaces of the nation.".  There is no date on this postcard.

The Red Roaster Coffee and Eatery in Madison Indiana

We did find the very cool coffee shop, the Red Roaster in Madison Indiana.

We didn't have as much time to hang out in Madison as I would have liked, but we were able to stop here for a bit.

They had good coffee, friendly staff, and just a nice vibe.


I love their cool logo too!

Madison Indiana

A friend has raved to me about Madison Indiana for years and I finally got around to going there the other day as we explored some of the southern part of Indiana.  He told me it was cool.  He described it as kind of Mayberryish.

Well, I see why he likes it so much, but I think his description is a little off.

I was trying to describe it for another friend when we got back.  It is way to big to be a Mayberry kind of town.  BUT, it has the things you love about a small town...

Madison is like several small towns all put together.  There are a lot of nice little towns with a block or two of cool shops, and some historic spots to see.  Well, think that... but bigger in Madison.

AND the buildings are all so perfect.  Nice old storefronts kept up nicely.

We stopped here for just a couple of hours but I want to get back very soon.  I need to spend a lot more time exploring here!

Scoops Ice Cream Shop- Madison Indiana

We stopped by Scoops in Madison.  I feel too guilty to say much about this place.  I know there is something in the Bible about NOT eating such rich treats.  I am in trouble.

Seriously though, we love this place.  I got a Sunday, and they just kept putting stuff (and lots of it) on my Sunday.  The staff was fast and friendly.  We had 4 scoops between us, one in a waffle bowl... and it was less than $10.  We were happy.

Battle of Corydon Park, Corydon Indiana

We stopped by the Battle of Corydon Park in southern Indiana.

This is a small park with some markers, and a cabin that could be put to better use in general.

I am glad that the area keeps this place up so nicely.  There are markers about the battle, but I sure would love to see more of a museum set up in that small cabin.  Right now there is just space and some flyers.  They DO offer a flyer on the battle.

One person visiting told us that this battle was the northern most battle of the Civil War.  I know there is some dispute to that, (Gettysburg comes to mind, and even some others involving John Hunt Morgan elsewhere) but it is generally very northern battle.

William Henry Harrison Log Cabin- Corydon, Indiana

I am going to say that the highlight of our visit to Corydon Indiana was the William Henry Harrison Log Cabin. 

First off, this is one of the RARE places where you can visit a home once owned by a President for FREE.  If you love visiting places associated with Presidents, you should go here for that reason alone.  AND, with an admission fee of FREE, it is a good value.

BUT, there are just a bunch of cool things to see here in a small space!

Many cool small local items are displayed.  I enjoyed seeing items from a store that used to be in town.

There is an amazing corner cabinet made by Squire Boone on display too- and it is signed by him on the inside!


AND, they have a small display on James Best from the Dukes of Hazzard (and Corydon) too.

Oddly, I think a lot of people have James Best stories.  I remember seeing him at the Everly Brothers Homecoming years ago in Muhlenberg County Kentucky.

Well, the guy running the Log Cabin site knew Mr. Best from his Corydon days.  He was friendly enough with him that he got to go out to California and see some taping of the Dukes of Hazzard!

If you don't want to see relics and hear stories relating to President Harrison, Squire Boone, and Roscoe P. Coltrane, there is something wrong with you.

Obviously, the William Henry Harrison Log Cabin gets my highest recommendation.

Point Blank Brewing Company- Corydon Indiana

We have a rule of thumb for lunch when visiting new places these days- Go with the breweries.

That rule served us well while in Corydon.  We stopped by Point Blank Brewing Company in Corydon and we had a great meal.

The inside is a bit bland....    And that's not a criticism, just an observation.  There isn't a lot of décor on the walls.  A classic painting of a man praying seemed a little out of place.  I think they are going for a "we have good food and no gimmicks" kind of feel.  It works.

There was a very local vibe here too.  The waitress seemed to know a lot of the other customers.

I ordered a Reuben sandwich that simply had a ton of meat on it.  It may have been the thickest Reuben I have ever had.


I was able to substitute a salad for the fries, and expected a small, wimpy side salad.  They brought out a nice, very fresh salad that could have been a meal on its own!

My wife had a half pound burger that she enjoyed.  We both had tea (fresh and brewed right) and our bill, not including tip, was around $20!

Our waitress was great too.  Our glasses were filled when they got low, and she politely provided me with a to go tea when I asked. 

Corydon- Capital of Indiana..... at one time.

For $6, you can take a brief one hour walking tour of Corydon.  The town is very walkable on your own, and there are plenty of historic markers to explain everything to you.  The one advantage of doing the tour is that you get to peek into a few of the historic buildings.  So, if you want to actually go INSIDE of the first Capitol Building (called the Old Capitol Building), paying the $6 for this tour is a small price to pay.

The tour also takes you into a couple of rooms of the former Governor's Headquarters, and we went into the First State Office Building, which had a display on Abraham Lincoln while we were there.  The display was pretty much large displays with pictures and statements about his life.  There were no relics or anything.  This might be a nice exhibit for younger kids on a field trip.

Corydon Indiana

Here are just a few of the photos we took while in Corydon Indiana.  The small but very cozy town is mostly known for being the first capital of the Indiana Territory and then the state of Indiana.

A Civil War Battle went down here too, thanks to John Hunt Morgan.

Oh, and our old friend, President #9, William Henry Harrison hung out here too!

AND Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane from the Dukes of Hazzard, James Best, was from Corydon!

More on all of those connections to the town later....  But for now, here are a few photos!