BITS&PIECES: Canal Days in Metamora...?

Two years ago I went to Metamora for the Canal Days. Metamora is a little town in Indiana, and on the first weekend in October, there is a huge festival with crafts, food, and boat rides. My friendly neighbor at work reminded me that it was that time of the year again and I thought it would be the right little trip for a sunny Sunday because the really nice guy hasn't been there before.

Usually, we are very well prepared when it comes to trips like that. We have directions printed out, a map of the USA including Canada and Mexico, and we have Susie. Several months ago, the really nice guy bought a navigation system that directs us in a soft feminine voice to our final destination. Somehow that little box got named Susie and the really nice guy swears by it - sorry, her. I, however, am not a huge fan of her anymore. One reason might be that I never quite got over her attempt to drown us when she insisted on us making a right turn into the river in Louisville. I'm sorry but I just can't file this under female rivalry and move on. That's why I still rely on Mapquest.

Due to the spontaneous nature of the trip we had to find Metamora without our usual help. The longer we drove on I-74N the less sure I was that this was the right way. I shared my concerns with the really nice guy but he wasn't upset at all. "We just have to make sure that we always take Susie with us," he said. That was when I saw the Metamora exit sign and I saw myself confirmed - no need for Susie as far as I'm concerned!

Unfortunately, Indiana is not too generous when it comes to street signs and we took a wrong turn in Brookville. After checking at a gas station we were back on track and looking forward to the festival. We are still, by the way. Looking forward to the festival, that is. When we arrived in Metamora, we immediately thought that something must be wrong. We were paid for parking and the only movement in the village was caused by tumbleweed rolling through the empty streets. As it turned out, the Canal Days take place on the first FULL weekend in October. And since Friday was still September we were a week too early. Well, I should have known better. The fact that Indiana partially refuses to observe daylight savings time should have tipped my off. Things are just different over there. And you may want to check out their website before your visit: http://www.metamora.com/

If you've only been to Metamora during the Canal Days you might enjoy these exclusive 'before' pictures:

Nevertheless, we had a great time and even ran into other Germans (aren't they everywhere...?).

I only want to know if my friendly neighbor at work made this trip to no avail, too?

I'll keep you posted

Bis bald,
SAPgirl