Rambling Down Country Roads
Rooster and I spent a day rambling down country roads with no particular destination in mind. The trip turned into a marvelous adventure. #Indian Motorcycle #Adam’s Mill #Delphi #Indiana #Bricks and Mortar Pub
There is an activity motorcycle enthusiasts like to engage in on lazy afternoons. It becomes an obsession with them in the summertime. It’s a pleasant way to pass the time, which leaves you with a euphoric feeling that can last for hours. It is such a pleasant experience it can become addictive. I’m talking about climbing on a motorcycle without any destination in mind.
You might have a general idea about where you want to end up, but not a planned route on how you’re going to get there. The one requirement seems to be the ability to locate a country road where you can travel for miles wrapped up in your own thoughts. There’s something about being in the green countryside bikers find liberating. There is no slang term for this activity.
When a biker says they are going for a ride
A biker might say he’s going for a ride, but that doesn’t adequately express the true nature of the journey they are about to make. I will refer to this activity as rambling for the purpose of this blog.
Rooster and I picked a country road we hadn’t traveled in the past and followed it until it ended in a highway. The weather was perfect. It was neither too hot nor too cold. There was a slight breeze blowing the tassels of corn, which were now standing tall in the fields. It was amazing the amount of growth the stalks had managed to achieve in such a short length of time.
Rambling down country roads in the Indiana countryside
The Indiana countryside was starting to look like a typical growing season. This year’s growing season might not turn out to be the predicted disaster everyone thought it would be due to the excessive amount of rain we had in the spring. Farming is still a big deal in the Hoosier state. We flowed past barns with enormous advertising painted on the sides. These monstrous structures make the perfect billboards.
Many of these buildings have been around for a hundred years. Some of them are collapsing due to weather and neglect. It leaves me with an empty feeling when I see one of these ancient structures with tattered roofs collapsing into a heap of rubble.
Bricks and Mortar Pub
The destination Rooster and I had in mind were The Bricks and Mortar Pub in Delphi, Indiana. The restaurant is a tiny pub located at 114 E Main Street right off the small town’s square. We’d visited this establishment once before and sat on their patio. This time we sat in the main dining area of the pub. Delphi is a small Indiana community, which didn’t have much to offer until recently.
The only industry in the small city is a hog processing plant. It’s big boast to fame was in the 1850s when the Wabash and Erie Canal flowed outside the middle of town. The artificial waterway served as a link between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River. The canal was once a major trade route. I love the Soldiers and Sailors statue standing on the courthouse square. It’s like the large one, which occupies the circle in downtown Indianapolis.
The building sitting on Delphi’s square is the Carroll County Courthouse because Delphi is the county seat. This gave it the honor of being built with a little grandeur since it represented the entire county. Limestone was the material used to construct the building in 1916. Architect Elmer E. Dunlap created the design. The three-story rectangular structure reflects the classic revival style.
Rambling down country roads near Delphi, Indiana
We may never have stumbled upon the Brick and Mortar Pub a couple of weeks ago if it hadn’t been for hunger. Indeed, we followed a river road on one of our ramblings and reemerged into civilization near the town of Delphi. Then we discovered a need to find a place where we could eat a decent meal.
The Brick and Mortar Pub ended up being the only place open in town besides a fast food joint out on the highway. Brick walls surrounded the patio area. There were plants and shade provided by the umbrellas attached to the tables. The food was excellent and the atmosphere was pleasant. The experience drew us back to the restaurant a second time.
Rooster in the window
Our return visit was as enjoyable as the first. We sat at a table in front of the window facing the street and ate a delicious salad while slow-moving traffic passed by on the street in front of the restaurant. However, we didn’t sit on the patio this time because the pub wasn’t crowded, and the temperatures were climbing. The restaurant was very clean. The service was fantastic. Rooster didn’t crow when the waitress handed him the bill, so I assume the price was reasonable. I have a sneaking suspicion the Brick and Mortar Pub will be one of our favorite stops when we are in the Delphi area.
Adam’s Mill covered bridge
It was a lazy summer Sunday afternoon. We noticed a few folks moving around on the sidewalks while we were leaving town. Rooster pointed the motorcycle toward home, and we had a pleasant cruise through the rural Indiana countryside. He decided to take the road that would pass through the Adam’s Mill Covered Bridge.
It was a little out of our way, but we had nowhere we needed to be. John Adams built the red gristmill in 1845. He located the oxbow bend on the Wildcat Creek near Cutler, Indiana and thought it would be the perfect location for his mill. The covered bridge was built across the creek in 1871.
End of the road
The tree-lined road leading up to the bridge is one of our favorite roads to take when we are in this area. Rooster and I had the motorcycle back in the garage before dark. Thus concluded our perfect afternoon ramble. I can’t wait until we have the opportunity to take one of these spontaneous journeys again.
Who is Molly Shea?
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana, who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures click here.
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