Bison at Kankakee Sands, Indiana

Less than a year ago, we drove by the Kankakee Sands Nature Conservancy in Morocco, Indiana with no luck of viewing these majestic beauties. Bison, like many other areas in the country, used to roam plentiful across the Indiana prairies. This all changed with the encroachment of man, agriculture and industry. It's reported that in 1824, a traveler came across a bison near the current preserve's location and killed it. By 1830, they were all gone. Since 1996, the Nature Conservancy has been purchasing acres and restoring the prairie lands to their customary habitat. In 2016, a herd of around 23 were introduced to the prairie along with viewing areas off of Highway 41 for anyone to see.

Not only are there bison to see but it's also a birder and wildflower enthusiast's paradise as the website explains. I'll admit when I drove by, I wanted only to see the bison so my limited scope of interest and of time, prevented me from exploring. It now has 8,000 acres of wetlands and prairies and is one of the largest east of the Mississippi. There is also a sign depicting a place called Beaver Lake which would have surrounded the area except in the late 1800s, it was drained. One of the largest lakes in Indiana, seven miles long and five miles wide, it provided food, furs and shelter to the then Native Americans and later food and furs for the early settlers. It took over 20 years to drain it and it was eventually turned over to farm land.

My photo didn't turn out very well compliments of the snow storm we drove into:

After taking in the bison or walking the trails, drive a bit further to Kentland and view an ancient meteor crater that was discovered in 1880.

Adorable Utilization of Vacant Building Sites: Pocket Parks

I admit that I've never heard of pocket parks until I visited my sister in a small town tucked away near the Illinois border but still in Indiana. In this small little town that once had an overnight guest that would later become one of the most important presidents in the history of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, is a downtown area trying to revitalize it's small little place in a county that was once a vital hub. A town holds many fascinating pieces of history and is there for the taking if you have the time to see what is unique and hidden. Towns like Princeton are rich in history but hidden by obscurity only due to an apathy towards history in my opinion. There are many interesting factoids that could lend an 'aww' or an 'ah ha' if only given a moment. One of the newer features that caught my eye as I tried to find remnants of the past removed and now converted into pocket parks nestled neatly between two other buildings in the downtown area is a growing trend. 

These pocket parks are also known as parkettes, mini-parks, vest-pocket parks and vesty parks. No matter where you reside, they are fun and some are quirky. They are a hub for photographers given the beauty and natural features provided as a free resource. We weren't the only ones who partook on a journey for photographic excellence as we had to wait our turn if we wanted one of the more beautiful pocket parks so we settled on this gem right next to the best pizza place in Princeton called Susan Bobe's Pizza if you are ever in the area.

Here are some more of my favorites:

Nike Missile Site C47 - Porter County, Indiana & Contaminated Soil

What is technically Hobart, Indiana, yet very close also to Portage, Indiana, is an abandoned Nike Missile Site known as C47. Off a rural road protected by overgrown brush and trees in spring, summer and fall, one can find the remnants of what is left behind. From deteriorated buildings marred with graffiti to the remains of elevator doors and bunkers, it's an interesting site. The Nike defense system erupted in response to the Cold War era across the United States. They were radar guided anti-aircraft missiles aimed at protecting populated cities. The ultimate plan was to curtail any attack from ever occurring. There is one renovated site available for public viewing and it's in California. This helps to explain the system in detail:  https://www.nps.gov/articles/nike-missile-site-c47.htm

This is the map of each building or structure of importance:

These are comparisons of how they were years ago versus now:

Even though the facilities were all closed, the remains still haunt the areas they once were built to safeguard America. The bigger question remains is what was left behind especially in those water filled bunkers like the one on a lowly little country road in Porter County, Indiana? A news story from the Chicago Tribune helped answer some of that in fact, there was chemical contamination on the site that is very slowly moving into the ground water. It is being monitored and it is claimed there is no risk to people as of yet. A remediation plan begins August of 2019 that will include limited excavation to remove some soil and they will mix it with other soil that will have chemical amendments to treat the contamination. This worked in a pilot study so they have hopes it will work for the entire site where contamination occurs.

The article can be found here.

More photos: