Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

     Today's trip was one I could hardly wait to take! Yes, I was excited to go. But I was even more excited because of how anxious Drew was! See, for years he's been wanting to visit Black Pine Animal Sanctuary. While the kids were living at home, the fee to visit the sanctuary just wasn't in the budget. When it could be in the budget, they were closed to the public for a period of time. With our plan to visit another place in town, I looked to see what else was around. I saw that they were open to the public once again. I knew we needed to make that visit happen. Off we headed to Albion, Indiana.

     First of all, let me just point out that an animal sanctuary isn't like a zoo or circus. It's nothing like what you may see on Tiger King. The animals we saw today are all there because they needed someplace safe. Some were pets whose owners died and no one in the family wanted them. Some were victims of the exotic pet trade, some were mistreated in circuses and brought to Black Pine for safety. They don't buy, sell, trade or breed any of their animals. Any animal brought to the Sanctuary stays with them and is well cared for until the end of their life. You could tell how much trust these animals have developed in their caregivers as they would come to the fence without hesitation when they were called. Area farmers along with stores like Walmart and Costco donate food to them for the animals. Ticket prices, gift shop purchases and donations go to animal care and Sanctuary improvements. If you're interested in donating to them, they have an Amazon Wish List. The tour includes information about the animals and what brought them to BPAS. The guide also gives information about responsible animal care for the various breeds they have there. It was well worth the admission price! The tour lasted almost two hours and we quickly fell in love with the animals. I would have gladly brought a few home, but Drew said I couldn't. I don't think the Sanctuary would have parted with them either. They seem pretty attached. We'll definitely go back!

     After our tour and a little stop in the gift shop (hey, we had to take something home for the grandkids to play with!), we headed for our original destination. Not sure if you've noticed a trend in our #ThrillingThursdayThingamajig adventures all being at State Parks but we decided that we would make this a "State Park Summer" and visit a different state park in Indiana each week. Growing up, Drew's family visited several of our state parks. I had only ever been to one. So this has been particularly exciting for me. Until today, we've visited 5. Now we can say we've seen 6 and still have a few weeks left to see more. But today's destination was Chain O' Lakes State Park. Let's be honest...any place that has a literal chain of lakes has got to be on my list of places to visit! This park most definitely did not disappoint! Sand Lake is right in the middle of the park and has a very nice beach, picnic area and concession stand area with nice picnic tables under a large pergola. You can rent canoes, kayaks and paddleboats or bring your own. They even have a challenge that you can try to paddle your way through the entire chain! While there is only one lake with a beach, the other lakes have parking nearby so you can visit them. There are many boat launches throughout the park. Trails are very well marked and even labeled with the length of the trail. Most of our exploring at the park was done from the car with the exception of getting out to see four of the lakes. Some day when it's not so hot and humid (and we haven't already spent two hours out in the sun and heat), we will definitely go back to explore more on foot. Indiana definitely has some great parks to offer! If you're in Indiana, you should really check them out. Visit the State Parks website for more information, hours and prices.

     We headed down US 33 towards Churubusco to find something to eat. Drew has a tremendous love for tenderloin sandwiches and had been told about a place in town that has a really good one. He couldn't remember the name of the place but knew it was right along the main road (US 33). So we drove into town and went to the only restaurant we saw. We later found out it wasn't the one he had been told about. But we sure weren't sorry we had ended up at Brevin's Downtown Eatery and Lounge. They had Drew's beloved tenderloin which he said was very good! I saw tater tots on the menu and that was enough for me! I got two pieces of fried chicken with my tater tots and was treated to perfectly breaded and fried chicken! His tenderloin sandwich literally filled the plate and the basket of fries that were served alongside it was filled to the brim. The food was delicious, the service was great and it was nice to be well-fed before our drive home.

     Next week we will not have an adventure. Drew has to work every day because is assistant is on vacation. But we still have a few more weeks to adventure before school starts again. We can't wait to share with you as we continue exploring the area around us. We'd love to have you follow our blog!