American Discovery Trail: Rochester, Indiana

Round barn in Rochester

We are now nine miles from Rochester, Indiana, in the north of the state, still about 100 miles from Illinois. Progress was slow this week because I played bridge twice Sunday, and because it has been very hot, particularly in the evening, near 90 several times, so I either skipped my evening walk altogether or took a shorter one. The forecast is for milder temperatures (just in the eighties), so things look good going forward

This week, I looked up things that Indiana is known for, so here are a few of them.

• Indianapolis. Capital city, largest city (more than three times the population of the second biggest), and right in the middle of the state. Apparently, you cannot get lost in Indiana, because all roads lead to Indianapolis.
• Large, flat farms. I can vouch for this.
• Hoosier, a term for people from Indiana. I just learned yesterday that a Hoosier is an old word meaning "a man who carries corn," so that fits.
• Basketball. Indiana kids learn how to play.
• The Monon Trail. Maybe Indianapolis's answer to San Antonio's Riverwalk, but 26 miles long and not all as urban. 
  
  
  

• Ope. Hoosiers like to say "ope" where you and I might say "excuse me." Like if you bump into someone, you say "ope."
• Johnny Appleseed, who was a real guy who lived back in the 1700s and 1800s, with apple orchards across Indiana that are still growing apples today.
• Pork tenderloin sandwiches. Might be worth a visit.
• Southern hospitality. This is odd, because Indiana borders Lake Michigan, but fine.

Total walking so far is 2.8 million steps, 1,268 miles. It does not seem like much versus the 4,870 miles total to get to Point Reyes, but if I had walked toward San Diego instead, I would be in Ensenada by now. If I were walking to Miami, I would be 40% of the way, in the middle of Wyoming. It's a good long distance.