Category: Excursions

Our day began with us picking up Brother #1 at 10:30 am and headed to Whiting, Indiana for their Pierogi Fest which started at 11 am. By the time we arrived at our favorite booth, Dan’s Pierogis, there was already a line, but it wasn’t nearly as long as in previous years. We got 15 pierogis to share amongst the four of us, which isn’t easy as they are a bit difficult to cut up. We decided that next year we will each place our own personal order since it’s tough to tell which filling is which and it gets all over when you slice into them.

In addition to the namesake, we also enjoyed ice cream (everyone except me), blintzes (Brother #1 and I), Korean tacos (Joe and I; we wouldn’t recommend them), hot dogs (E), and a funnel cake (Joe and I).

The weather was overcast and drizzling when we first arrived but by the time we left it was sunny and since we didn’t put on sunscreen we got burned which is proof that clouds don’t stop the sun from baking your skin!

One thing I like about the fest is that they use these long trailers (which they hilariously refer to as pee-rogis) in place of porta-potties. They are actually quite nice and include flushing toilets similar to those on airplanes. The bathrooms are not smelly at all! I really wish other festivals used these but I’ve only seen them at this particular one.

On the way back to my parents’ we stopped at the local library. I’ve been pestering my family to take advantage of the free movies and games you can get there but they kept dismissing me. I quickly learned why – that particular library has diddly squat. I guess I’ve been spoiled by the many materials offered by the suburban libraries in our area. Just another reason the suburbs trump living in the city. ;)

Once we got back to my parents’ we played bags and badminton. We then made a run to Wendy’s for food and played Aggravation since the Catchphrase game I had borrowed from our library wasn’t working properly.

We ended up leaving just before 8 pm as everyone was exhausted. It’s been a pretty busy week. While I’m not looking forward to going back to work, I am getting tired of all the eating we’ve been doing!

Oh, and Brother #2 managed to peeve me in the five minutes he was actually around. He came home from work, walked right by the kitchen without saying a word to anyone, and then about five minutes later passed by quickly again and left the house. WTF? Can you say rude? You know damn well if my brother was at my house and Joe had done something like that he’d had made comments about it. I just don’t get how he can be so rude to people but will be the first person to call someone else out if he thinks they are rude. I try really hard not to let his behavior affect me but I’m so aggravated by what he did but there’s no point calling him out on it because nothing ever changes. Basically he can treat people poorly and there’s always what he feels is a valid an excuse for doing so, but if you do it to him there’s no excuse and he will distance himself from you for months as punishment. Nice, huh?

The morning started with an early 5:30 alarm so we could get dressed, pack a cooler, and head to my parents’ house to pick up Brother #1. Our destination? Indiana Beach Amusement Park in Monticello, Indiana. The drive was a long, frustrating one because there was an accident on the expressway near my parents’ house so we had to get off and snake our way around the side streets to get there. On top of that, we’re not familiar with the area in which we got off the expressway, so we had to double-back more than once due to a closed street, a train, and a street that didn’t go through. So even though we should have made it to my parents’ by 8 am or earlier, it was closer to 8:15.

We arrived at our destination just a bit after they opened and got parking in the free lot near the suspension bridge that goes over Lake Shafer and into the park. Everyone bought a ride wristband for $26.95 to make things easier. We also managed to sneak in some water bottles. Apparently sometime in the past five years (I’m shocked that it has been that long since our last visit!) they banned outside food and drinks in the park. Bummer! But no one checked my backpack so we were good.

The weather started out pretty nice when we arrived – cool and overcast, but by 1 pm it was hot, muggy, and sunny. We made sure to apply sunscreen before entering the park and reapplying it when we went back to the car mid-afternoon.

Now that E is older he loves all the rides and went on rollercoasters with Joe and other stuff with my brother. I only ended up going on a handful of rides because, according to my brother, I’m a wuss. I guess I am. I’m even scared of the skyride now thanks to Joe. We went on it, but I don’t plan on going on it again because he got me all anxious about how it is clamped onto the rope (precariously, in his eyes).

Anyway, throughout the day we munched on corn dogs, tacos, cheese fries, elephant ears, and dippin dots, and made a mid-afternoon stop back to the car for snacks, to reapply sunscreen, and to load up with more water bottles (to sneak into the park). That alone saved us at least $30. I don’t mind the overpriced food so much (and it’s way cheaper, but tastier, than the food at most sports arenas), but paying $3-$5 for a single bottle of water is insanity!

I was disappointed to learn that one of my favorite rides, the Flying Bobs, is gone. They also moved the Falling Star and Music Express to a different location of the park and neither were in operation during our visit. That was a bummer because I love the Music Express and E and my brother wanted to ride the Falling Star. In addition, their biggest roller coaster, The Hoosier Hurricane, was being worked on so it too was not operating.

We spent entirely too much time in line for the Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain which is way too bumpy of a ride, and the Den of Lost Thieves which only had two cars operating at a time! That line alone was over a half hour and the line was not that long! It’s super lame, anyway. My gun wasn’t even working properly and none of my hits were registering on the counter.

We did enjoy the bumper cars, however, which is the only ride I went on twice. We ended the evening with a ride on the train just because I’m a dork like that.

We ended up spending a good 7-8 hours there which was a lot longer than I expected, or to be honest, wanted to spend. I guess I’m kinda over that place. While it was nice to visit mid-week because it was much less crowded than any other time we’ve visited, I feel like the place has changed so much and has lost its allure. Whether that’s because I’m an adult now, I’m not that thrilled with rides, or because many of the older rides seem poorly maintained, I’m not sure, but even the gift shop was a huge disappointment, filled with nothing but cheap junk. I remember it having nice carved wood souvenirs and stuffed toys when I was a kid. Now it’s a shadow of what it used to be. And I’m definitely offended that my previous Flying Bobs were removed yet they seem to have room to add a second carousel when no one was riding either of them!

I guess what I’m saying is that even though I did have some fun hanging out with my family, I wouldn’t be too sad if we went another five years before visiting Indiana Beach again. Or maybe if we went sooner than that it would be more enjoyable to pick a hot day and hit their water park instead just for something different.

Besides, by the time we dropped Brother #1 off, I was ready to lose it. I had a pounding headache and he never shuts up. Just talk talk talk the entire two hour drive there and back. And he has a loud voice too. I didn’t say anything because I know he enjoyed talking to E, but if there was ever any doubt about whether I’m an introvert, there is none now. I am glad our Thursday is a lazy day to relax because I need to recuperate from all that noise between the park rides/music and the constant talking. I love quiet for a reason – lots of noise grates on my nerves and makes me feel even more anxious and off-balance than I normally feel.