#244: Niles Frigid 5K

If you want to get going on your New Year's Resolution to work out more, here is the thing to do for you this weekend: the Niles Frigid 5K.  Finishing a race, especially one with such a hardcore name, gives you such a feeling of accomplishment, no matter what place you finish.  (Eg. See the excellent guest post recap of the Sunburst races.)  Age group awards, a forgiving start time (9 AM) and the appeal of hot chili afterward make this race an even better way to start an exercise regimen. 

It's rare to have a race mid-winter and rarer that we don't have significant snow cover, so take advantage of this opportunity, and you will have of being on your way to meet your fitness goals.

And you're waiting until the Chinese New Year to make your resolution, come to pique your appetite for the Hunter Ice Festival, which we featured last year (#105).

Where: Niles Amphitheater, Niles, MI
When: Saturday, Jan. 14, 9:00 start time
Cost: $20 w/o shirt; $25 with shirt (quantities limited)
Register at the website http://www.nilesf5k.com/ or on the day of.

#243: New York Central Railroad Museum

It started off as a trip to Amish Acres.  I have never visited this popular Nappanee tourist attraction, so I thought today, on this lazy, sunny Sunday, it would be a great brunch destination.  With thoughts of homebaked pies and pastries in mind, my cohort and I jumped in the car, and the 28 miles to Nappanee passed in a flash.  Following the signs, we arrived at Amish Acres...where there was only an empty parking lot to greet us.

A phone call confirmed that they were closed until March (disputing the hours listed online).  We decided that playing one round of 'the ring game' on the deserted grounds did not suffice for an adventure, and we got back into the car determined to find an alternate destination.

I admit that sometimes I hold local businesses to a double-standard.  I want the charm and authenticity of a place whose owner seems to be part of the community, a real person; on the other hand, I want convenience --why aren't most restaurants open in DTSB past 9PM!?!-- and clarity--why hasn't the website been updated in months?!?  Yet I must place my frustrations aside and remember that just as I cannot work 24/7, I cannot expect businesses to.  Owners need vacations and days home with the family just like I do.

We kept this in mind as we drove around looking for a local restaurant open on a Sunday.  Soon enough, somewhere near Bremen, we spotted a restaurant with a parking lot filled with American-made cars and a 'OPEN' sign in the window: Country Cafe.  The special was chicken and noodles, and the regulars were eating it up.  I myself was delighted by the hush puppies and sweet tea on the menu.  We filled up on the downhome cooking, so much so, no room for homemade pie was left.  But the day was still young, and we were still hungry for adventure.


We took the long way home, through Elkhart, and thanks to smartphones, we realized that the National New York Central Railroad Museum was nearby, just across from the Amtrak station downtown.  I didn't know any more than that, but that was enough reason to drive past.  And I am so glad we did.  Although the parking lot was rather empty, this time, the neon 'OPEN' sign was on to welcome us inside. 

The museum recounts the history of railroads, both in the region and nationwide, and appropriately, is housed in 1915 passenger coach.  The gift shop is in 100 year old freight house.  There are artifacts and photos in a timeline sequence that show how railroads were built and operated, what it was like to travel via rail, and when and where trains went.

The South Shore

I found this museum wonderfully interactive, and to be honest, I was more excited by the Brio set and functioning conductor's bell as much as the historical displays.  The indoor museum ends in a wonderful model train room, which features models of the trains displayed outdoors.

If one enjoys playing around inside, the outside holds even greater fun.  The "rolling stock" consists of (at least?) five trains.  First is the Mohawk, #3001, the only one remaining in the world, which is the largest piece of steam equipment this line featured.  It is jaw-dropping.  The wheels are taller than an average adult.

There are boxcars, the lead car of the last east-bound 20th Century route, a 150-ton crane, and an old South Shore train car.  (I found that South Shore's interior design hasn't changed much in the years.)  The best part?  You can hoist yourself up onto the decks and explore inside.  If you've ever been to a ghost town out west, you know what I'm talking about.  Passing trains add to the ambiance.

We drove back to South Bend a little more knowledgeable about railroad history.  It was only appropriate that the route home paralleled the tracks.  The museum was a true delight and the perfect way to spend a snowless, wintry Sunday. 

Where:  721 S. Main Street, Elkhart, IN
Phone: 574.294.3001
When: Sundays, noon - 4 PM; closed Mondays; Tuesday-Saturday, 10 AM - 4PM
Cost: $5/adult; $4 for children and seniors
Website: http://www.nycrrmuseum.org/

Did I mention you can climb on them?  (I think...) Of course, I couldn't resist striking my best conductor pose.

One cool fact I remember: Elkhart once had the largest railyard in the world...and is still second overall.  This picture helps:

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#242: Get some Moves / Tres Reyes

"New Moves" is the theme of this month's First Friday celebration.  There are various events happening in Downtown South Bend tonight related to this theme, including a dancing lessons at the Woodward.  Whether you want to try out swing, latin dance, or salsa, there is an opportunity to learn from the masters.  If neither learning some new movers nor losing your inhibitions are on your new year's resolution list, then come (perhaps after a drink at Fiddler's or Oyster Bar) for the people-watching.  There's a reason "So You Think You Can Dance" averages over 5 million viewers on television.

If dancing really isn't your thing, you can check out yoga, either at Dhanwantari or at the South Bend Chocolate Company.   Or "Zero Balancing Therapy," a type of mind-body massage, at the DTSB office.

Why are dancing costumes always so ridiculous?

When: Tonight, 5-9 PM
Where: Downtown South Bend
Check DTSB's website for directions, parking, and details here!

If you are pining for the eating, singing, and festivizing of the holidays, get back into the Christmas spirit at the Tres Reyes celebration at the Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka.  This important Mexican celebration marks the Epiphany, the arrival of the three wise me to Jesus.  Come for tradition treats like horchata and rosca de reyes (cake).  There was also a celebration last night on the west side -- Jesus, sorry I'm late!

#241: Find a Christmas Tree

If Chevy Chase has taught us anything, it's that the best way to begin a Christmas Vacation is by cutting down the perfect tree for the living room.  If you haven't already found the best six-footer in Michiana, no worries.  There's still plenty of opportunities to find a nice tree in the area.  Plus, the forecast of light snow over the weekend will make it the ideal wintry conditions (but not too wintry) whether you're cutting it down yourself or just packing it into the trunk.

Here are a (few) suggestions -- please feel free to comment if you'd like to add your favorite spot!

For the convenience factor and everything but the tree: Buy a pre-cut tree at the Downtown South Bend Tree & Wreath Sale, outside the College Football Hall of Fame.  Keep kids entertained with the Holiday Train, screenings of holiday movies inside the Hall of Fame, and a visit with Santa (and/or the Grinch, if they're being particularly mischievous).  Visit downtownfortheholidays.com for more info.  Note: The sale was extended as of December 8, but selection may be limited.  Cash only.

For the 'out in the country' feel with all the convenience: Head to locally-owned and operated Matthys Farm Market at 57754 Crumstown Highway just west of town.  Fresh-cut Fraser and Douglas fir, Scotch and white pine, $25 and up.  Open from 8:30 - 6 PM weekdays; 8:30 - 5 PM Saturday; closed Sunday.  Call 574.287.1935 or visit matthysfarmmarket.com.

For the free hot chocolate and candy canes: Try Southern Plantation Christmas Tree Farm on 63727 Orange Road for precut and u-cut trees.  They offer a variety of tree types and wreaths, too... and of course, free sugary treats!  Open seven days a week at varying times until 5 PM .  Call 574.289.7485 for exact hours.

If you are willing to head toward Three Oaks, MI, Pinecrest Farms, 4403 Spring Creek Road, off US 12, offers free hot chocolate (and coffee for the grownups), as it does open at 9 AM.  Rides on the horse-drawn wagon are available in the afternoon.  Call 269.545.8125.

For the full woodsman effect: Trek to Gloria's Christmas Trees, 207 E. Bertrand Road (Niles).  You can have any blue spruce you like, from 6 feet to 20 feet (!!) for $25.  Open 9 AM - dark, Friday through Sunday.  Call 269.684.8632 and don't forget the hand saw and the Advil.

For the best swag: Roseland Garden Center on 25 Dixieway S. and Ginger Valley Garden Center off Route 23 in Granger offer a wide selection of fresh garlands, wreaths, and something called the "fancy mix." Probably named after Drake.  U fancy, huh?

#240: Holiday Wine Walk

Birds of a feather flock together, so the saying goes.  There is some truth to the enjoyment that comes from hanging out with people who enjoy the same things you do.  If you like wine, or supporting the downtown restaurant scene, or supporting innovative events for that matter, consider joining tonight's Holiday Wine Walk.

Starting at 5:00 PM, you can enjoy 3 wine tastings with complimentary appetizers at four restaurants:  Carmela's at Macri's, Ciao's, the Emporium, and Sunny Italy Cafe.  You can purchase a wristband at any of the restaurants, and this allows you to visit (and imbibe at) at all four.

While I doubt the weather permits, (weather permitting) there will be free carriage rides between the restaurants.  With or without the horses, you may prefer to walk (or drive, soberly of course!)-- Sunny Italy and Ciao's are practically next door, and Carmela's and Sunny Italy are a bit just farther down Niles Street.

This group of restaurants, especially on a rainy day, have cozy and welcoming atmospheres that will make this jolliest happy hour (or wine dinner!) in the 574.

When: 5:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: from 601 North Niles Ave - 121 South Niles Ave.; copious parking available at any of the restaurants
Website: http://www.eatdrinkdtsb.com/events_WW3.htm
Cost: $40, purchased from any of the participating restaurants

Really? On a Wednesday night in South Bend?  
Yes.  Listen: $10 from each ticket will be donated to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.  When you factor in the donation, it's less than $8/restaurant for a lot of wine and food at top of the best Italian eateries around!

#239: A Christmas Carol

Have you changed your music to the unique mix Burl Ives and Mariah Carey, put up the Christmas tree, and decked the halls, and still don't feel in the holiday spirit?  Is the lack of snow around here keeping from feeling like the holidays are here?   Perhaps a different approach to the hap-hap-happiest season of exactly what you need to get your (holiday) swag on.

According to the recent review by the South Bend Tribune, the Civic Theater's production of "A Christmas Carol" is not your typical feel-good holiday theater.  This year, it's a bit more sinister, focusing on Scrooge and Marley, his deceased business partner.  Director Jewl Abram-Copenhaver has emphasized this element with sophisticated stage effects.  For those of you who miss Halloween, check this play out.

When you leave the theater, you will be all more grateful for the glowing lights that decorate Downtown South Bend this time of year.

When: Tuesday - Sunday shows through Dec. 18.  All shows begin at 7:30 PM, except for the weekends.

Where: 403 N. Main Street

Cost: Tickets start at $16/adult.  You can order tickets online here.

#238: Tippecanoe Place

It’s a funny thing how easy it can be to ignore the history of a place.  I’m afraid we live too casually, letting our harried selves set up impenetrable routines. For three and a half years when I lived in South Bend, there was never a reason for me to drive by the corner of Washington and Taylor, and so I never did.  It wasn’t until I was hunting for the closest parking space to downtown without a two-hour parking limit, which I found on those very streets, that I first physically stumbled upon Tippecanoe Place. I had heard of a fancy brunch place in an old mansion where you took your parents when they came into town, but I had never taken the time to go the necessary couple of blocks out my way.

And it wasn’t until several months after that initial, ignorant brush with South Bend history that I finally made it to the aforementioned brunch with two of my closest friends. For those of you in the know (I’m sure all of you), Tippecanoe Place represents the pinnacle of South Bend industry. It was the official and palatial Studebaker residence from 1889 to 1933, designed by a famous Chicago architect, and named, ostensibly, in honor of the family’s friendship with President Benjamin Harrison. Since then, the house has been transformed into a renowned restaurant and event space.

Even on a dreary Sunday morning in May, the house looked impressive. Inside, preserved Victorian remnants surrounded heaping trays of brunch food.  To give you some indication, we finished the made-to-order omelettes and then went back for Belgian waffles. After brunch, with the wait staff’s permission, we were able to explore the unused upstairs portion of the house filled with dusty velvet curtains, shiny wooden banisters, and small bits and pieces of a South Bend dynasty.

Since that morning in May, two of us have moved away from the city. So now, whenever I think of Tippecanoe Place, I think of them, and it’s always somewhat bittersweet. You see it’s a funny thing how even once you learn about the history of a place, the people you’re with while you’re there matter more.

For more about the fascinating history of Tippecanoe Place, go here.

Location and Contact:

620 West Washington Street

574.234.9077

www.tippe.com

#237: Beaux Arts Ball

Tuesday, South Bend elected a new mayor.  It was first race without an incumbent since 1987.  South Bend will get a fresh face starting January 1st.  Mayor-elect Pete Buttigieg claims he will give the city a face-lift by tackling abandoned houses, old infrastructure, and empty storefronts.

So perhaps is appropriate that this Saturday, the South Bend Musuem of Art is throwing a masquerade party, one that will honor outgoing Mayor Steve Luecke as well as sculptor Tuck Langland.  We can all try on a different face for the night.   The Beaux Arts Ball is marketed as a costume party, calling "revelers to dress to the nines and celebrate the spirit of the arts."  While I doubt all attendees will come looking like stepped out of Dali painting, the quality of prizes available might encourage you to break out your Halloween costume one more time.  (Hey, it's been a whole two weeks!)

There are two options to the night -- the full dinner and champagne reception or the after-party, when the costume prizes will be awarded and there will be a live band playing.  This event is the main fundraiser for the museum, so you can party hard knowing that you're supporting one of South Bend's arts institutions!

Where: Century Center, DTSB
Cost: $150 for dinner/champagne reception/afterparty; or $25/person for the after-party (tickets available at the door)....and I heard that Groupon is having a deal for buy tickets for half that!
When: Saturday, Nov. 12.  Schedule below....

6:00 p.m.: Champagne Reception
7:00 p.m.: Dinner (entree choices include beef medallions, salmon, or Portabello mushroom)
8:00 p.m. After Party — Help us get the Ball rolling! Strut on in at 8:00 p.m. for the evening's continuing festivities:
8:30 p.m.: Presentation of the Carlotta Banta Award to Mayor Steve Luecke and Sculptor Tuck Langland
9:00 p.m.: parade your costume in the Beaux Arts Grand Procession and vie for best costume prizes…(see below)or buy votes for your favorite! Delight in desserts and a cash bar as you cavort to tunes of The Marquis with Terry Austin. 

Inspiration?  Check out those 'staches and glasses.

#236: Freaky Flower Friday

What's scarier than this jack-o-lantern?

Nothing.  Honestly, I can't think of anything more menacing than that pumpkin's face, but the South Bend Potawatomi Conservatories' "Freaky Flower Friday" promises to feature some equally frightening flora and fauna.

Trick-or-treaters and boo-tanists of all ages are invited to visit the Potawatomi Conservatories for an evening of horrifying horticulture, vexing vegetation, and delicious Halloween candy.  If you're asking yourself "how scary could a plant be?" take another look at the creep-o-lantern above.  That image will haunt my dreams, and I bet the folks at the conservatories have some spookier botany planned for tomorrow night.


Location: Potawatomi Conservatories, 2105 Mishawaka Ave, SB
When: Tomorrow!  Friday, October 28th from 6 to 8 pm
A Fun Freaky Fact: These conservatories are heated by computers owned by the University of Notre Dame, which is an especially green use of that energy.  So tomorrow evening when you escape the cold for a little Halloween fun, it's thanks to an eco-friendly example of collaboration between the City of South Bend and Notre Dame.
Warning: Don't eat the plants, just the Halloween candy - unless instructed otherwise by Potawatomi Conservatories staff...

#235: Club LaSalle

I imagine even the most infrequent reader of this blog is aware of our fondness for dive bars.  Earlier this year, we even dedicated a week to our favorite Michiana watering holes (Ewing Cafe, Frank's Place, Midway, and more).  Personally, I'd be happy writing exclusively about dives for another 365 days.

That being said... every now and then, I think we all have a craving for the finer things in life.  There are moments when we want to indulge, but not be indulgent - treat or even pamper ourselves without extravagance.  For those evenings, I suggest Club LaSalle. (cue subtle jazz music, sound effects of soft laughter/conversation, aaand dim the lights)

Two floors above its dinning counterpart, LaSalle Grille, yet on the same level of quality, Club LaSalle is South Bend chic in all of the right ways.  If you can describe Fiddler's with a Guinness or Club 23 with a PBR, then perhaps a martini or even an old fashion would best characterize the atmosphere.  The low lighting, exposed brick, and upscale cocktails combine to make it classy, yet far short of stuffy.

Open at 5 pm and live music starting around 9:30 pm, Club LaSalle is great for that pre-dinner aperitif or post-dinner digestif, but not necessarily for a full night out because the music and service end before midnight.

Location: 115 West Colfax Ave, SB - 3rd floor
Hours: 5 pm to 12 am Monday - Saturday, closed Sunday
More info: www.clublasalle.com
Tip #1: Club LaSalle can be hard to find on your first visit.  Walk down that little alley way in between LaSalle Grille and The Vine, and go in the back door of the LaSalle Grille.  Take the staircase on your left up 2 flights of stairs, and enter through the glass door.
Tip #2: check out the website for a schedule of their live musical acts almost every day of the week
My drink of choice at Club LaSalle: Manhattan