Happy Birthday, McCormick's Creek State Park | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Happy Birthday, McCormick's Creek State Park

Thanks for all the magic.

 Beth Allard Yoder
Oct 31, 2016
Influencers of Indiana
48
Happy Birthday, McCormick's Creek State Park
Google Images

Down a rural highway, nestled between expansive cornfields and sleepy little towns, is a park. It was Indiana's favorite 100th birthday present, and now the Hoosier State's oldest state park gets to celebrate her own 100th birthday. For my family, McCormick's Creek is so much more than a park: it's home.

My dear park:

As I sit here in your cozy Inn, I am reflecting on all of the life I have lived in this little piece of happiness. Of your one-hundred years, I have shared twenty-four of them. Stacks of pictures in my parent's house illustrate the memories and growing up that happened here. The tiny coats and little footed pajamas slowly gave way to wedding dresses and an extra "kid" as my husband was lovingly added to the mix, but there are several things that have never changed:

The peace of coming through the gate, and dropping the world at the door. The excitement of getting our room key.The giggling and shushing as we try not to be loud in the hallways. The giant wood chairs around the tables. The pinball machine in the "coffee room." The riddle of navigating the creek bed without ruining your shoes.Taking pictures of the Falls. Driving with the windows down. Staying up too late playing card games. The trees. The river. The family picture in front of the Inn.

On and on the memories go, stitched together into something as comforting and homey as my favorite quilt.

Everyone should have a place . A place that the world stops for a few days. A place that is home no matter how long you've been gone, or how much has changed. McCormick's Creek State Park is our place.

Thank you for all of the memories. Thank you for giving my family a place to hide away from the world, to come together over snacks, stars, and dominoes, and spend a few magical days talking, laughing, and exploring the best of Creation in your beautiful woods. Thank you for some of my favorite childhood moments. Thank you for my wedding day (even if the Indiana weather didn't cooperate) and the perfect backdrop to the beginning of our own story. Thank you for preserving some of Indiana's finest natural treasures, and giving us all a chance to cherish them.

Here's to the next one-hundred years, and all of the memories that we have yet to make. I can't wait to see all the pictures.




Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

AI music threatens creativity

The Soul of Sound: How AI Challenges Human Expression in Music

297944
Humans and robots face off in a rock band battle with guitars and drums, under dynamic lighting.
StableDiffusion

In an age where artificial intelligence can mimic the voice of Freddie Mercury or reimagine pop hits as synthwave ballads, a new frontier has emerged — one that blurs the line between innovation and erosion. While AI offers undeniable benefits in technical domains, its intrusion into creative arts, especially music, raises urgent questions. Not just about copyright, but about culture, education, and the very soul of artistic expression.


Keep Reading... Show less
ai generated music
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

Miami University
631903
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading... Show less
music
Entertainment

Why Your Astrological Sign May Not Match Your Personality

We are all more than just one sign.

SUNY Plattsburgh
546553
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading... Show less
astrology
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

UNC Greensboro
525639
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading... Show less
spring
Relationships

The Importance Of Being A Good Person

An open letter to the good-hearted people.

Sacred Heart University
801826
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading... Show less
good person

Trending Topics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments