By water and Rail - Historic Metamora, Indiana

Log cabin.

 Metamora, Indiana is a lovely historic town and had all of the elements that make for a great day trip. I have to say too that the townspeople and volunteers that we encountered added to the overall nice feeling that we were left with as everyone was so pleasant, helpful and friendly. Located on Route 52 one must be careful to not fly on by as the sign to the historic town is small and does not stand out. We had to turn around. Worth the hunt though. There is an area with these wonderful old cabins, little shops to wander around in and some great restaurants. The town does appear to have been hit hard by the economy (lots of empty buildings) so get on out and support them as so many are so welcoming yet remain positive. There is plenty to do and see. Like the oldest working water powered Grist Mill in the state. The unincorporated town was established in 1838.

View of the park, railroad and Whitewater canal.

The Whitewater canal runs through Metamora and boats were pulled by draft horses. Boats ran from 1839-1865. At one time there were mills for processing cotton, grinding flour and making paper. Outside of the Grist Mill on the day we were there a Grist Mill Jam was going on with a group of wonderful musicians playing acoustic music. We took a half hour canal boat ride while our guide gave a history of the town and the canal. It was also fun to learn about the horses that pull the boats and who are so well taken care of down the line on a farm.  We also visited the horses at a small feeding area after the ride.

View of the town from the canal boat.

The original canal was 101 miles long. It is a pleasant ride down the waters with lovely scenery on both sides, large soft shell turtles lounging on the banks and ducks quacking along side. There were originally 56 locks to help move the boats along and now there are two of these which have been preserved and you can see these at the historic site. The canal boat is 75' long and 12' wide.

Our draft horses that pull the boat along side. Being moved to pull us back up the canal.

The view from inside the covered bridge at Duck Creek aqueduct. This bridge is 16' above the creek and believed to be the only one of its kind in the country. The old beams are original.

Inside the Duck Creek aqueduct covered bridge.

We also went on the Whiteriver Valley railroad for a half hour ride along the same path next to the canal. The depot is in the center of town where you buy the tickets and you can go on line to check their schedule. Our host on the train was quite knowledgeable and told us all about the history of the area. He was a volunteer from Ohio. Check out their website for year round events. It was a beautiful day so we sat outside on one of two outdoor seating areas.

Looking inside the passenger car.

There is a variety of antiques, we browsed through the Meeting House antique store located in an old church along the canal. Luna's garden in the Mount Holland House is an eclectic shop with beautiful jewelry, stones and Native American artwork. The Gem Mine is in the back and you can buy a bucket and experience sifting through the bucket looking for gems. There is a Museum of Oddities, carriage rides and a lovely park with a gazebo.

View of the town of Metamora.

You have to stop by the Old Fashioned candy shop for candy and fudge. Grannies Cookie jars and Ice Cream Parlor is a must see too. Over 2600 cookie jars line every inch of the interior. By the time we were ready for lunch it was late and many places were closed so we stopped at the Hearthstone Restaurant just a half mile down on route 52. It has been in business since 1930 and was very good, old fashioned hearty cooking. I read that parts of Rain Man were filmed here in the restaurant. Anyway it reminded me decor wise of a time when I was a kid in New England. A bit if a time warp but the open faced pot roast sandwiches with lots of mashed potato and gravy over white bread was a blast from the past and tasty.

So all in all a fun day and a scenic drive. You never know what is hidden on a back country road in the mid west.