Al Hunter’s Story Archive

Santa Claus Indiana’s Pat Koch: The Elf Coordinator, Part 1

Every Hoosier knows about Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Southern Indiana. Free drinks. Free Sunscreen. Free Parking. During its 78-year history, the amusement park has received just about every national award possible: Friendliest Park, #1 Outdoor Waterpark, Best Overall Waterpark Ride, #1 Wooden Roller Coaster on the Planet: (“The … Read More

The Gus Grissom Memorial at Spring Mill State Park, Part 2

The Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Museum at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana honors its most famous son and one of America’s greatest space heroes. The museum was dedicated in July 1971, ten years after Gus’s first flight, and four years after his death. The exhibits cover every phase … Read More

The Gus Grissom Memorial at Spring Mill State Park, Part 1

Last week I headed south to Indiana’s Lincolnland for book research (and a few future articles). On the way back home I stopped at Spring Mill State Park to visit a museum dedicated to the hero of many Hoosier Baby Boomers (myself included): NASA astronaut Gus Grissom. Lieutenant Colonel Virgil … Read More

The Indianapolis Bicycle Path Tollhouse

While thumbing through a pre-World War I guidebook of Indianapolis this week, I ran across a photo of a man standing beside an Indiana tollhouse. Oh sure, I’ve seen tollhouse photos and images of tollhouse keepers before, after all, I have a love affair with roads. I served on the … Read More

Elwood’s Airport Restaurant: the world’s only fly-in drive-in

A couple of weeks ago, my wife Rhonda and I drove some 40 miles north of Irvington to Elwood to visit the world’s first (and only) fly-in drive-in restaurant. Resting just northeast of the intersection of Indiana 37 and 13, the Airport Restaurant is located at 10130 State Road 37 … Read More