“Let Love Bloom” was one of many messages adorning tree sweaters around downtown as part of a charity project called “Wrapped in Love”.
Previously on Midlife Crisis Crossover:
In addition to our annual road trips, my wife Anne and I have a twice-yearly tradition of spending our respective birthdays together traveling to some new place or attraction as a one-day road trip — partly as an excuse to spend time together on those most wondrous days, partly to explore areas we’ve never experienced before. We’re the Goldens. It’s who we are and what we do.
Well, at least we did before 2020. Anne turned 50 this year, but for work-related reasons involving the Age of Coronavirus, I’m currently not allowed to leave the state of Indiana for the foreseeable future. Anne did some local travel research, a longtime hobby of hers (you have no idea how many of our future road trips she’s already mapped out), and came up with a few things she thought would be fun to do on a Saturday in autumn. Naturally we had to start with a long walk around someplace with millions of leaves changing colors. When you live in Indiana, it’s what you do. After picking up some sugar for breakfast, our first attraction of the day was McCormick’s Creek State Park, southwest of Indianapolis…
…and then it was on to Bloomington, home of IU and other Hoosier-esque things. After lunch Anne and I walked around their downtown a bit in search of specific sites and along the way saw the sights we could see as we sauntered — art, architecture, and other random acts of Indiana.
Giant guitar rocks on above a sports bar called Yogi’s.
Roller derby art on a traffic control box. Naturally the passersby are sporting IU colors.
A mural celebrating swimming pools, a crowded public artifact from the Before Times.
One of five murals by Jeff Laramore affixed to the Hyatt Place Bloomington.
Each of Laramore’s five murals incorporate an arrow motif. This one was the most arrow-forward.
Also near the Hyatt is a marker where the Monon Railroad once ran through Indiana. The portion of that railway that went through Indianapolis and much of Hamilton County is now a spruced-up walking trail.
As with our walking tours of other Indiana cities, of course there was an old county courthouse in the middle — Monroe County’s own, in this case.
Standing above its south entrance is “The Light of the World” by Hungarian sculptor Albert Molnar. Posing left to right: law, enlightenment, power.
Obligatory county war memorial.
Women in Government Plaza, a specific tribute to local councilwoman Sophia Travis who passed away unexpectedly in 2012, and a general salute to What Is It Like Being a Woman in Governments.
“Spirit of the Fighting Yank”, honoring the Nazi-punchers and other heroes who served in WWII.
To be concluded! Other chapters in this special MCC miniseries:
Part 1: Nature Under One Roof
Part 2: Ambling in Autumn
Part 3: Woodland Signposts
Part 4: Obligatory Food Photos
Part 6: Flora and Media
Midlife Crisis Crossover! 