What makes Dale sights so special is the quiet way, with the story here at every street corner – and that, although I have hardly ever found a guide over this tiny corner in Indiana. Dale is located in the heart of Carter Township, Spencer County, and was founded in 1850 as a small railway hub to bring the agricultural products of the surrounding fields to the markets of Evansville. I have to admit, the whole “Pionier-Charme” sounds romantic until you realize that the only remaining buildings are a rusted railway station building and a tiny cemetery, both of which tell more about transience than about splendour.
If you drive over the I‐64 by car, take the exit to Spencer and follow the County Road 250 – this is the fastest route to reach the village without sacrificing in endless field paths. A short stop in the local diner, which has more coffee than customers, gives you a real taste of the hospitality that arises here more from necessity than from marketing. And yes, I don’t quite understand the hype about “rustic” photospots, but the surrounding meadows and the occasional mumbling, which cuddles over the field border, are an invaluable bonus for me. So if you're looking for a place that takes you out of the noise of the big cities and gives you the feeling that you have almost too much time, then the Dale sights are just right – at least for a short but intense trip.
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The first stop of my little Odyssey was Lincoln State Park, a piece of Indiana that houses more trees than people – and that's exactly what I'm looking for a week in the big city jungle. The park is just half an hour south of Dale, and parking is almost always a Klack, as long as you don't arrive at the weekend with a horde families that spread their picnic blankets like a field full of colorful flags. I rented an old, crunchy wooden boat there, and I swept over the Patoka River; the water was so gloomy that I almost thought I had landed in an old black and white film. The trail that leads to the Lincoln Boyhood Home is lined with information boards that tell more about the young Abraham than I ever thought necessary – but hey, who doesn't want to sneak a bit of history while plucking over moss-covered stones?
A short trip after Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial was almost a mandatory program because I wonder why I didn’t want to shoot a bit of “Homerun” in history at the first visit to Indiana. The monument is only 15 minutes away from the park, and the visitor center is so small that you almost feel you are in an oversized classroom. I saw an old photo of a young Lincoln that was so fuzzy that I almost thought it was a modern Instagram filter. Nevertheless, the terrain itself – with the original preserved hut remains and the quiet field, which was once its home – has something calming that reminds me that even the greatest personalities come from simple conditions.
Continue Rockportwhere the Spencer County Historical Museum residing in a renovated bank building. I have to admit, I was skeptical if a small museum in a small town has anything to offer, but the exhibition about the local railway and the old agricultural machinery has completely tied me up. The curator, an older gentleman with a mustache, told me that the museum was once hidden in a cellar under a pub – a detail that a pussy caught me because I immediately remembered the “secret” backrooms of my own childhood. Practical: The museum is free, and parking is right outside the door, so no stress when you arrive by car.
A bit further south, on the banks of the Ohio River, this is Cannelton Locks and Dam. I spent a few hours there because I thought a little water could refresh my soul – and that did it too. The locks are a technical miracle that you don't see every day, and the visitor center offers a panoramic view that is almost as impressive as the water itself, which passes here in a leisurely stream. I even met a few anglers who told me that the area is a hotspot for cash – a good reason to come back with the fishing if you want a little “Catch and Release”.
If you want a little more nature, Patoka Lake the next address. The lake is located about 30 minutes east of Dale and is a paradise for water sports enthusiasts, anglers and all who just sit on the shore and want to enjoy the water's plough. I rented a kayak there and I paddled over the quiet bays, while a swarm duck moved over me loudly – an image that I will not forget so quickly. Parking at the main entrance is usually problem-free, but on the hot summer days it can quickly be filled here, so better early there if you want to secure the best place.
A short trip after Santa Claus – yes, this is really a place, not just an advertising slogan – offers a bit cheesy Christmas mood all year round. The city is famous for the “Santa’s Candy Castle” and the “Christmas Store”, where you can buy all year round fir branches and bells. I found some handmade wooden ornaments there that I immediately took home because they were just too good to leave them in the store. Parking is a bit chaotic here, because the streets are narrow, but that is part of the charm when you lose yourself in a city that is permanently in fixed-day mode.
Whether you're looking for history, nature, or a little shrill Christmas mood – the surroundings of Dale, Carter Township, Spencer, Indiana have something to offer for everyone. The mixture of historical sites, picturesque waters and self-contained small towns makes the region an underestimated jewel in the Middle West. So the next time he thinks where to pack his suitcases, the Dale Attractions do not forget – they are a real secret tip that has more to offer than one would suspect at first glance.
At first glance at the old barn museum at the corner of Main‐ and Oak Street it becomes clear why I come back here again and again – the creeping wood that recalls a time when Dale had even more tractor smell than WLAN signal. The museum, which is housed in a rebuilt barn from the 1920s, houses a collection of tools that I personally only know from old family photos. I found a rusty plough there that was allegedly used by my great-grandfather; no joke, the part of the Dale Attractions is that you don't miss if you want to taste the real country life.
A short walk further leads to Main Street, where the “Dale Diner” – a neon-lit classic from the 50s – still serves the best breakfast outside Indianapolis. I have to admit, I don't understand the hype about avocado toast, but here a pancake with maple syrup is almost a sacrament. The service knows every visitor by name, and this is exactly what I love in small cities: no anonymous checkout, but a short chat about the weather, which is just too hot for field work.
If you're looking for a place where you can take a short walk without fleeing to the next city, the Dale Public Library is your destination. The building is an inconspicuous brick box, but inside there is a cozy reading chair, a small reading room with local newspapers and a shelf full of historical city chronicles. I found an old town plan there that shows how the village was once traversed by a single gravel road – a real treasure for history freaks.
The Dale Community Park is what I would call “the heartbeat leisure centre”. A small lake, a playground, a baseball field and enough green space to arrange a picnic without a selfie stick tourist standing in the way. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, as it becomes a real problem, because then the local football team has a game and the parents touch with barbecue equipment. I started a spontaneous campfire there with some locals – that was really great if you don't like the smell of burned corn too much.
A short detour to St. Mary’s Catholic Church reveals a piece of architecture that is rarely found in this area: a neo-gothic tower that protrudes beyond the shallow Indiana country. The church is not only a place for worship, but also a popular place for weddings, because the organ game is almost hypnotic there. I once participated in a wedding where the pastor made a joke about the “big harvest” – the audience laughed because they knew that the harvest was particularly good this year.
The Dale Town Hall, a red brick building from the early 20. Century, is the official center of the city administration. Here you will find the weekly City Hall Meeting, where citizens discuss everything, from road damage to the latest Tratsch stories to the local baker. I have once received a heated debate on the colour of the new Parkbank – a real insight into the democratic processes of a small town.
A walk to Dale Cemetery may sound for some macaber, but for me it is a quiet place where the history of the families that built the village becomes tangible. The tombstones tell of pioneers in the 19th century. The century came here, and of veterans who served in the Second World War. I found the tomb of my distant cousin who died in Spanish flu in 1918 – a short but impressive moment that reminds me of how small life is.
Finally, a note to the annual Dale Fall Festival, which takes place every year in October. There are carousels, local crafts stands and a competition for the best pumpkin cakes. I tried the pumpkin cake of my neighbor there last year – honestly, he was better than anything I ever had in the big cities. So if you want to experience the real, slightly cynical flair of Dale, grab your bag and get ready for a few unexpected highlights that you would only find in travel guides.
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