A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 11 Continued (5/26/2022)
The inside portion of the Grissom Air Museum displays various military aviation and space related artifacts and memorabilia. These include photos of Gus Grissom and the Mercury Redstone 4 (Liberty Bell 7), in which he was the 2nd American astronaut to orbit the earth. Grissom was the 2nd American astronaut to fly twice in space in the Gemini 3 (Molly Brown) space capsule with John Young. I also checked out the cockpit of the museum’s restored F-4 Phantom while I was there.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Almost next door to the Grissom Air Museum, I stopped to see what they had going at the American Huey Museum, but it was closed. So, before I left Peru, I drove over the check out the Peru Historical Circus Winter Quarters. Since it wasn’t WINTER the area and buildings all seemed deserted, with just a few circus wagons scattered around the grounds. I took a photo of their sign and was on my way to the next museum on my list.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Now I headed northeast 15 miles on Alternate US-24 to visit the Wabash County Historical Museum located in Wabash, IN. This museum is filled with local artifacts and memorabilia related to the history of the city of Wabash and the surrounding Wabash County area dating from the time of the Native Miami Indians and French fur traders of the early 1700s to the present.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Next, I headed northeast 20 miles on US-24 to visit the Forks of the Wabash Historic Park located along the Wabash River in Huntington, IN. This village park museum is set on the site of the signing of the historic Treaty at the Forks, in 1838, that allowed the extension of the Erie Canal into the Wabash Valley. There are restored original and replicas of 1800s cabins, buildings, and a church, with period furnishings, on the site to help educate visitors about the life and times of the early settlers to this area.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
While I was in Huntington, I checked out the Veterans Memorial located next to the city’s Memorial Park. This memorial honors veterans from all branches of U.S. military services. The Memorial
is used to celebrate several military events each year, and historical markers around the Memorial honor past Huntington citizens who have contributed their lives and talents to our nation’s history.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
It was only a short drive to where I visited the Corn Coast Comics, which turned out to be a computer games and all things ‘geek’ store and was closed. So, for my last museum today, I drove over to check out the Sheets Wildlife Museum there in Huntington. This museum is a collection of animals, fish, and bird taxidermy displays of hunter, Sumner B. Sheets, which he has taken during his many hunts all over the world. A unique example is the 2nd largest polar bear ever known to have been taken.
Photo Credit: Bill Lites
Now I gave Greta (My Garmin) the address for tonight’s motel, there in Huntington, and she took me right to it. After I got checked in, I asked the desk clerk for good restaurants there in Huntington, and he rattled off a list of restaurants close by. I selected the Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant, where I had their Chili Relleno plate which came with yellow rice and refried beans. That was indeed a delightful meal. Back at the motel, I recorded my day’s activities and went to bed. No TV tonight.
Photo Credit: https://www.nomascantina.com/items/chili-relleno
—–To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
Thank you for stopping by and reading our posts. Your comments are welcomed.