Midwest travel links for December 2011

Check out some of these great Midwest-related stories I read online during this past month:

Looking for Fairy Crosses near Little Falls, Minnesota-I love searching for unusual rocks when I travel (like the red rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline you see in my blog header), so I loved this story at Travels with Children about Linda’s search for staurolite stones on the Mississippi River bank south of Little Falls, Minnesota. Many of these stones are cross-shaped and sought after as good luck charms.
Frankfort North Breakwater Light-I’ve visited this lighthouse many times in the past, and written about it here at Midwest Guest. This post at the Michigan in Pictures blog features a beautiful wintertime photo of the ice-bound lights at Frankfort and an update about the recent transfer of the lighthouse’s ownership from the Coast Guard to the City of Frankfort.
Indy to Repurpose Stadium Seats at Bus Stops-I like seeing innovative re-uses for things that outlive their original purpose. Check out this story at the Urbanophile blog about a cool re-use for seating from a now-closed minor league ballpark in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dr. Ted’s Musical Marvels in Dale, Indiana-One of my favorite things to do when traveling to seeking out unique small town museums, and Dr. Ted’s place looks like a lot of fun. Jessica takes Little Indiana readers through this eclectic collection of large musical instruments like player pianos, calliopes, and orchestrions.
4 Unique & Boutique Museums in Indy-Looking for a fun way to spend an hour or an afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana? Check out unique museums like the home of beloved Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, the Medical History Museum and more at the Doing Indy Blog.
Discover Fort Wayne’s Burmese Heritage-Burmese cuisine and culture in northern Indiana? You’ll find it at Fort Wayne, home to the largest concentration of Burmese immigrants in the country. Check it out at the Visit Fort Wayne blog.
Shopping Safari at Jungle Jim’s-I’ve always said that one of the best places to shop for souvenirs is the local grocery store. Take a trip with Jill to a fun foodie paradise near Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Discovering Ohio blog.
Shop at the World Famous Lehman’s-Hardware stores can also be a fun shopping stop when you travel. Lehman’s is a 45,000-square-foot hardware (and so-much-store) in northeast Ohio’s Amish Country. Kendra takes Discovering Ohio readers to this Kidron, Ohio, store to shop for hardware, wind chimes, books, kitchen ware, toys and more! (I wonder if Lehman’s is a bit like Yoder Department Store in Shipshewana, Indiana? Maybe I need to revisit Yoder and check out Lehman’s as well!)
Professional Hockey in Indiana? Absolutely!-We often take in a hockey or baseball game when we travel, so I’m keeping Indiana Insider blog list of professional minor league hockey teams in Fort Wayne, Evansville and Indianapolis for future reference! By the way, check back here later this week for a post about the Plymouth Whalers, our Major Junior hockey team here in metro Detroit.