I am a big booster of the Indiana Day Trip. I mean, I am not the official state spokesperson or mascot of the Indiana Day Trip, despite how many times I have shown up at the statehouse in my pork tenderloin costume. But I do love me some Indiana Day Trips. Here are four of my favorites.

HUNTINGTON:

It’s a charming little city with a great many reasons for making the 30-mile drive from Fort Wayne. For example, Huntington is home to a wonderful used bookstore called Turn the Page. It is owned by Rex Frederick, who retired from his photography business, then unretired into book sales because he’d grown bored with retirement. Rex does a brisk trade in new books and well-looked-after LPs. But I always make a beeline for an area below the stairs that has older books. I invariably find treasures there. Below the stairs seems like an excellent locale for such treasures and I am always willing to do the work of rooting them out. Crouching down is no problem for me, even at my age. It’s uncrouching that has become difficult. 445 N. Jefferson Street, Huntington, 260.200.1110

I always make my way over to TCB Games as well. I am not much of a gamer, but I like the fact that TCB Games is housed in a former Carnegie Library. I walk around TCB games secretly admiring the things that are reminiscent of a former library while pretending to pursue the merchandise. I know I do this convincingly because I have been told that I am as fine an actor as Lee Majors. In truth, I feel like a fraud, but I can’t stop myself. Please, go and buy something game-related there so I can say I threw some actual business their way. 44 E. Park Drive, Huntington, 260.358.0690

Antiquology, the world’s greatest soda pop store, used to be a regular stop of mine but it has been closed for a while due to a family illness. I eagerly await its triumphant return.

Have lunch at Nick’s Kitchen, which is – as you know – the birthplace of the Indiana pork tenderloin sandwich. I always get the mini sandwich because the mini sandwich has all the breaded pork tenderloin I ever want in a single sitting. I always get a slice of sugar cream pie as well, even though that is never as much sugar cream pie as I want in a sitting. 506 N. Jefferson Street, 260.356.6618

Spend a leisurely afternoon sipping a wine slushie at Two EE’s winery and then have dinner at the Brick House Grill, a Huntington gastropub. Two EE’s, 6808 N. U.S. 24 E., Huntington, 260.672.2000, twoees.com; Brick House Grill, 19 W. Washington Street # X, 260.224.6696, brickhousegrill.org

WINONA LAKE/WARSAW:

Over the course of 100 years, Winona Lake went from resort destination to religious community to economically distressed.

In 1994, a revitalization project was embarked upon that led to the creation of the Village of Winona, a row of shops and restaurants on a canal. 700 Park Avenue, Winona Lake, 574.268.9888, villageatwinona.com

I recommend starting your day there then going over to Grace College for a tour of the Billy Sunday Home. Sunday was a prominent abolitionist and one of the world’s first megapreachers yet lived a simple life in a Winona Lake home that has remained largely unchanged since his death.

It may very well be that you aren’t particularly interested in Sunday’s line of work, but his life and times are fascinating, nonetheless. 1111 Sunday Lane, Winona Lake, 574.372.5193, visitkosciuskocounty.org/locations/billy-sunday-home-museum

If you want to counterbalance a visit to the Sunday homestead, go over to Port Winona afterward and quaff a glass or two of the fermented grape juice that Sunday dedicated his life to abolishing. 807 E. Canal Street, Winona Lake, 574.400.5224, villageatwinona.com/shop/port-winona

I would suggest having lunch in Warsaw at Jason Brown’s One Ten Craft Meatery. Brown specializes in top-quality meat prepared exquisitely. I am not going to tell you what to eat for an entree, but I highly recommend the bacon flight appetizer and the dessert of crème brûlée made from duck egg custard. 110 N. Buffalo Street, Warsaw, 574.267.7007, 110craftmeatery.com

Even if you don’t think of yourself as an art gallery person, you should pay a visit to Sea Grandon’s Atelier. Sea is smart. She once tied an exhibit to the release of the “Barbie” movie. The moment you walk into her gallery and see what she has for you; you will be glad you came. 104 E. Center Street, Warsaw, 312.218.7316, seagrandon.com

Spend some of the late afternoon at Anthology Whiskey Room (which stocks more than 1500 labels … no whiskey, just labels  …  I’m kidding, I’m kidding) or Spikes Beach Grill. The latter does an incredible job of recreating the ambiance at an oceanside hangout, despite the fact that the ocean is 700 miles away. Of course, if the ocean is 700 miles away, so are the howling frat boys who like to party by the ocean and throw up into it. Anthology Whiskey Room, 109 E. Center Street, Warsaw, anthologywhiskey.com; Spikes Beach Grill, 310 Eastlake Drive, Warsaw, 574.372.3224, spikesbeachgrill.net

Eat dinner at Noa Noa Wood Grill & Sushi Bar (next door to Spikes), then catch a show or a concert at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. Noa Noa, 310 Eastlake Drive, Warsaw, 574.372.3224, noanoawoodgrill.com; Wagon Wheel, 2515 E. Center Street, Warsaw, 574.267.8041, wagonwheelcenter.org

WABASH:

Did you know that a circus elephant once ran rampant through Wabash? ‘Tis true. The year was 1942 and the elephant, named Modoc, was captured safely after five days.

Modoc was given six quarts of whiskey to calm him down, according to reports.

Veterinary science was still in its infancy, apparently.

Start the day in Wabash at the coffee shop named for the errant elephant, Modoc’s Market, then go over to the Wabash County Historical Museum. 205 S. Miami Street, Wabash, 260.569.1281, modocsmarket.com

I once wrote that the Wabash County Historical Museum is the best historical museum in northeast Indiana, but the editor of the publication I was writing for (not this one) cut that assertion out. He didn’t want to offend any of the other historical museums, many of which are admittedly a little sensitive for reasons that are only understood by Indiana historians.

By best, I didn’t mean it did a better job of capturing the history of its region than any other. I meant that it may be the most entertaining.

The Wabash County Historical Museum is on multiple floors and has interactive exhibits, wax-museum-like tableaus and a movie theater. Also, one of the largest examples of human hair art in the country. That last sentence probably raises more questions than it answers, but I am not taking any more questions today. Wabash County Historical Museum, 36 E Market Street, Wabash, 260.563.9070, wabashmuseum.org

Have lunch at 50 East Garden Center & Cafe. This is a cafe run by kids who are recovering from substance abuse and other early challenges. The produce used in
the cafe is grown by other kids in gardens and greenhouses. 5233 S. 50 E., Wabash, 260.563.1150, 50eastcafe.com

If it’s not too chilly out, work off your lunch by going over to White Rock Recreation and letting the folks over there arrange to have you float on the Wabash River via canoe, kayak or inner tube. 800 S. Wabash Street, Wabash, 260.571.9657, whiterock.eco

Have dinner at Twenty, which is the excellent restaurant inside the Charley Creek Inn. The Charley Creek Inn originally opened in 1920 under the name Hotel Indiana. In 2007, a renovation process began that turned it into the boutique hotel it is today.

The difference between a hotel and a boutique hotel is about 220 rooms.

Even though it was renovated early in the 21^st century, the Charley Creek Inn still seems like something from early in the 20^th century. And it is better for it. If you are as enamored as I am of visiting places that make you feel like you traveled back in time (as long as they don’t make you feel like you’ve traveled back to the time of The Black Death), you really need to visit the Charley Creek Inn and, even better, stay overnight there. 111 W. Market Street, Wabash, 260.563.0111, charleycreekinn.com

You can’t go wrong with ending the evening at either the Honeywell Center or the Eagles Theatre. I realize that “you can’t go wrong” is a cliche in articles of this type, but I can’t go wrong using it here. The Eagles Theatre has concerts and movies, and the Honeywell Center brings in major acts (some of which have never made it to Fort Wayne). Honeywell Center, 275 W. Market Street, Wabash, 260.563.1102; Eagles Theatre, 106 W. Market Street, Wabash, 260.563.3272; honeywellarts.org

SYRACUSE:

Like Winona Lake, Syracuse is another town with a rich history of being visited for purposes of recreation and relaxation.

There are several good places to have breakfast in Syracuse. The Pier and Back Porch have a breakfast buffet on the weekends. I may have just confused you when I used a plural verb there, but The Pier refers to the indoor part of the restaurant and the Back Porch refers to the outdoor part of the restaurant. It occurs to me now for the first time that the literal definition of back porch refers to an indoor place and the literal definition of pier refers to an outdoor place. Perhaps, I am confused too. 702 E. Lake View Road, Syracuse, 574.457.8700, oakwoodresort.com

Or try a breakfast sandwich or a waffle at Lakeside Coffee Company.

I like the Nutella Waffle. Because of the extra protein, of course. 1409 S. Harkless Drive, Syracuse, lakesidecoffeeco.squarespace.com

One place I always stop in Syracuse is the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum. The Winona History Center on the campus of Grace College in Winona Lake is nice, but it is mostly devoted to the life of Billy Sunday and the people who worked for and worked with Billy Sunday.

The Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum casts a wider net. I love hearing about Syracuse’s heyday as a big resort town, a heyday which peaked exactly 100 years ago.

For example, there was a popular resort in those days called the Spinks Wawasee Hotel where, for a time, Al Capone ran gambling operations.

The Spinks Wawasee Hotel is now Spink Condominiums, but the exterior of the building remains much as it was 100 years ago.

Before you leave the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum, get someone to play a recording of the “Wawasee Waltz,” a song composed about the region by Will F. Tucker. It was performed in Syracuse at the Waco Dance Hall by an African American band from Indianapolis called Hart’s Orchestra. 1013 N. Long Drive, Syracuse, 574.457.3599, syracusemuseum.org

There are fancy options for lunch, but I would be remiss if I didn’t send you to Pat’s Chicago Dog.

Not only does Pat, whoever he is, deliver a quintessential version of the titular Windy City wiener, he also offers a creditable Italian beef sandwich, an excellent Philly cheesesteak and a superb Reuben made with Polish sausage. 601 S. Huntington Street, Syracuse, 574.457.5586

Take your midday repast to Syracuse Beach in Lakeside Park, surely one of the nicest lakeside beaches in Indiana. The most popular lakes in Indiana tend not to have much public beach space because the land is too valuable to wealthy out-of-staters who like to vacation near Indiana lakes when they aren’t vacationing near Italian lakes. 801-901 N. Long Drive, Syracuse, 574.457.2693

Spend the afternoon (in Syracuse, Indiana, not Syracuse, Italy) at South Shore Social where you can play virtual golf and mini golf plus baseball, football, stickball, Skee-ball, soccer and cornhole. 10601 IN-13, Syracuse, 574.475.8733, southshoresocial.net

A good option for dinner is the LakeSide. Visit Kosciusko describes the LakeSide as “a welcoming bistro serving Spanish tapas with Asian accents,” which seems to translate into, “a French restaurant that serves Spanish food that occasionally seems like Asian food.”

Don’t try to label it is my advice. It’s excellent, however you describe it. 110 E. Main Street, Syracuse, 574.537.1027, thelakesidesyracuse.com

End the evening by seeing a movie at the Pickwick Theatre which has been open since 1937. 108 W Main Street, Syracuse, 574.457.4160

Another thing I am a booster for is independent, small-town theaters in Indiana and outside of Indiana. The factory stores of movie exhibition these days seem to
employ one person to do everything and haven’t been updated since the Incredible Hulk was played by Eric Bana.

Support your local exhibitors. They will give you a personalized experience that you can’t get anywhere else.