A down home, family fun kind of place

When the notice appeared in my e-mail inbox that I had won two tickets to the Osmond Brothers concert at the Bearcreek Farms Country Resort in Bryant, Indiana, it was a no brainer. “Heck, yes, I’m going.”

Never mind that Donny wasn’t going to be there, or that my musical tastes have changed since the day when a frenzied friend pushed past me to get close to the stage in Columbia, South Carolina where Donny crooned “Puppy Love” to a packed arena of swarming girls. Seeing only Jay and his brothers, including Jimmy, this time around would do.

Besides, heading to the concert from Columbus, Ohio was road trip material. I corralled my husband, my then teen-aged daughter and 7 year-old son for the up and back excursion. To her credit, my daughter didn’t roll her eyes when I told her she was to be my concert date. Bearcreek Farms Country Resort became one of those surprise finds to tell folks about.

Bearcreek Farm's lake

Bryant, Indiana is smack dab in the middle of Indiana’s farm country that looks a lot like next door Ohio’s farm country–flat and fertile. After a few hours stop at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum (I highly recommend the place) in Wapokoneta, roughly halfway between Bryant and Columbus, we pulled into the parking lot of the Bearcreek Farms Country Resort in time to browse the resort’s country store before dinner and the concert. 

What started out more than 3o years ago as a small restaurant venue in a barn, complete with a petting zoo, is a rambling establishment that includes the Homestead Restaurant– big enough for 600 diners at one time, retail stores, a theater/concert hall, a chapel and several one room cottages and cabins with private bathrooms. Both cottages and cabins have two double beds. There’s also a 60 site RV park.

Where there's a buffet of country comfort food

The combination of live theater, concerts, heaps of food and lodging is a Midwestern people magnet.

As part of my two free ticket deal, we had to buy two buffet dinners. At $12.50 a pop, it was a screaming deal of comfort fare complete with country favorites like fried chicken, green beans with flecks of ham, and for dessert items like bread pudding, cakes, pies and ice-cream. The meal my daughter and I ate were part of the concert package.

The 2012 concert series begins on March 22 and the Osmonds are returning. Hmmm. Should I head to Bearcreek Resort on July 21? I just might. The 2009 concert was splendid.

The cottages are one lodging option

Bearcreek Farms Country Resort offers several activities reminiscent of simpler times. From the end of April through the summer, bikes, shuffle board, paddle boat rides on the lake and an outdoor pool are part of the entertainment menu.

Contact information:

Bearcreek Farms Country Resort
8339 North 400 East
Bryant, Indiana 47326

Reservations: 260-997-6822

Before you go, check out the website for package deals. The restaurant is also open to those who are just coming for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Photos courtesy of Bearcreek Farms Country Resort

Related Posts: Romantic Hotels in Indiana

Running Bear Cabin from Outside

Portland is cut in half by the Willamette River, and shadowed by Mount Hood, a snow-capped volcano to the east. Mount Hood provides an awesome background for Portlanders as well as skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. What’s more, it’s just a little over an hour by car to get there from downtown.

Many people opt to camp or backpack around Mount Hood, and certainly there are many fabulous sites to explore. Another option if you’re not up for roughing it is booking a cabin at the foot of the mountain and doing day-hikes. I’ve mostly camped around Hood (as is the Oregonian way), but a couple weekends ago a group of girlfriends and I decided to rent a cabin in Welches and have ourselves a little ‘girls getaway’.

Welches is one of the many tiny towns you go through on Hwy 26 heading eastwards up the mountain. It’s easy to get to and has a store, a video/DVD shop, a cafe and a liquor store…what else do you need in the woods, right? There are many cabins for rent in and around Welches, but we went with The Cabins Creekside taking over their larger Running Bear cabin for the weekend.

Running Bear Cabin

At an hour $100.00 a night depending on the season, the small Creekside Cabins would work well for families and couples, while the large Running Bear cabin is the right choice for a party or large group. The Running Bear cabin is more of a house than a cabin, and has two bunk-beds, one queen, and two queen futons. It also has a full kitchen, fireplace, large garden, game room with foos ball and ping-pong and an outdoor hot tub. While we did notice some wear and tear on Running Bear, we were comfortable there and also close to the Salmon River trail head, which makes for a sweet little day hike.

MORE:

http://www.mthoodcabins.com/

25086 E. Welches Road
Welches, OR 97067
We are located just off Hwy 26 in Welches, Oregon at the base of Mount Hood.

Photo and post by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more at : http://www.thespainscoop.com/

Silver Falls

Silver Falls is one pretty park! About two hours south of Portland through wine county, Silver Falls State Park shows up unexpectedly while driving over hilly farmland. Hidden in deep forest are over ten falls, the most dramatic of which is the popular South Falls, which is easy to get to by car.

Falls

Silver Falls is a huge draw for visitors and Oregonians, and makes for an effortless day-trip or a very choice camping weekend away. The park offers a lot of facilities for overnight guests. They’ve got a traditional campground with tent sites and RV hook-ups plus small cabins at low rates. The campground sits under large Douglas firs and is well maintained. The inexpensive cabins are popular and usually booked up on the weekends in the summer, though you might find something mid-week.

If you have more cash on hand then book at the super secluded conference center (that is, if there’s not a retreat going on). The conference center has some deluxe cabins with bathrooms, hot water, separate bedrooms, and tranquil locations sequestered away in the forest. There’s also a swimming pool and cruiser cycles for riding around the grounds or even down to the falls.

Deluxe Cabin

The conference center is also an excellent place to have a family reunion, and we saw one going on while we were there. For and extra $30.oo the conference center will make you dinner, breakfast and lunch, served cafeteria style in their dining lodge which looks out over a grass field. Very nice, though far from gourmet.

Hikers will want to do the Trail of 10 Falls, which takes about 4 to 5 hours, depending on how fit you are, and how many times you stop to smell the flowers, or in my case snap a photo.

MORE:

WEB- http://www.silverfallsconference.com/cabins

$60 and up at conference center, less at camping

Post and photos by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her work at : http://www.thespainscoop.com/

Get ready camping and music lovers. On September 17, Michigan’s MI Fest is where to enjoy both.  For the first year ever,  Michigan’s International Speedway (MIS)–a campground/ NASCAR race track combo is hosting a brand new, family-friendly outdoor concert extravaganza.

At MIS, Michigan’s largest campground, the nearly 9000 campsites mean a busy place with much to do. Hiking, fishing ponds, a kids’ play area and volleyball are among the choices. Plus, new bathhouses have been added.

Whether you want to pitch a tent at a rustic camping site ($35 for the weekend), a site with electricity ($50) or rent an RV (from $400 to $650), you’ll find your spot for R&R and music.

Tent camping at a Northwoods campsite is one MIS option

For MI Fest’s first year, the line-up is filled with music to suit a wide range of tastes. The Raconteurs, featuring Detroit natives Jack White and Brendan Benson, along with Sheryl Crow, are the festival’s headliner. Jeff Daniels, Alto Reed’s AllStars, Bear Lake, Hot Club of Detroit, Jill Jack, Mark Farner (formerly of Grand Funk Railroad), Marnée, Mitch Ryder, The Ben Daniels Band, The Howling Diablos, The Juliets, The Rockets, The Romantics, Ty Stone & The Truth, Whitey Morgan & The 78s will perform on one of two concert stages.

Music isn’t all MI Fest offers. Michigan restaurants will be selling food. Here’s your opportunity to chow down on grub from American Coney Island, Jacques’ Tacos, Chicken Man, Dago Joe’s, and Kona Shaved Ice, among others, and drink Badass Beer.

Graves Farm Campground is close to the park's main entrance

To add to your festival experience, buy a T-shirt being sold by Creem, Detroit’s rock magazine that’s experiencing a comeback, or pick up an artsy item at the Art Gallery. Works by Mark Arminski, Gary Grimshaw, Carl Lungren, Stanley Mouse, Sue Rynski, Leni Sinclair, Johnny Bee and Tom Weschler are part of the bounty.

Although MI Fest is a one day event, arrive Friday, the night before and stay over until Sunday to make the camping part a weekend.

Tickets to MIFest are $79 (Kids 12 and under are free when they are paired with a paying, accompanying  adult). Once you have a ticket, you can come and go. If you want to up your concert experience, pay $109. These VIP tickets will give you: a chance to mingle with the performers, gain convenient seating, a separate concession area, special parking and shelter.

Other important things to know if you go: The concert starts at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, but the gates open at noon. The last show will finish at 11 p.m.

For important information, check the “TICKETS” page of the MI Fest website.  I recommend reading the rules about what you can and can not bring into the festival so you don’t haul along gear that you’ll have to abandon never to see again. Read about this under the “Gate Policy” section.

To purchase general sale festival tickets, click here or call 800-354-1010. Kids will need tickets, even if a kid is with a paying adult. Use the same number.

MIS Camping
12696 U.S. 12
Brooklyn, MI 49230

For camping reservations, call 1.734.740.4444

To email festival with questions, use Info@MI-FEST.com

Photos courtesty of Michigan International Speedway

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• Going to the Beach in Michigan
• A Guide to Group Camping