One of my favorite parts about traveling is stumbling across unexpected fun things and seeing what is down the side roads.  We headed about 3.5 hours up the road this past weekend to a friend’s wedding in Columbus, IN - a town I had never visited and knew nothing about.  Saturday morning we woke up and did a Google search for “Best Brunch near Columbus, IN” (as one does in a new town). Several options popped up and the first on the list that seemed to meet our location & non-chain criteria was called Blackerby’s Hangar 5.  We thought we were heading to a downtown storefront with an industrial vibe and aviation-themed decor.  However, as we drove through cornfields and over cute bridges it became obvious that our predictions were wayyyyyy off, but what was waiting for us was much more fun than what we had pictured.

​The GPS took us straight to the parking lot of the Columbus, IN Municipal Airport - a tiny building that seemed to cater only to private planes and possibly small charter flights or regional airlines.  A polite teenager clad in a “Flying Fords” tee-shirt flagged us down as we pulled in - they were having a free airshow that weekend; we could park in the field, the restaurant was straight ahead in the main building.  Blackerby’s itself is actually inside the airport itself - through the front door and to the left.  It has a fantastic retro-diner vibe and while the airshow had obviously brought a  few extra customers with it, we were immediately seated at an empty booth with a great view of the runway and all the airplanes on display.  The “Flying Ford” it turns out was the headliner of the weekend - an 1928 Ford Tri-Motor plane nicknamed the “Tin Goose.”  200 of these planes were originally built and only 5 are still in flying condition.  Festival attendees could take a 20 minute ride on the antique aircraft for $77 per person and although we didn’t have time to take flight, we loved watching it take off and land while we ate.

Our niece was in town this week so we decided to day trip up to Kentucky and re-visit Mammoth Cave which has always been a favorite of ours.  We were super excited to find that they had made some upgrades since we'd last been there including improvements to their welcome center as well as the walkways and handrails in the actual cave itself.

​We have done the Historic Tour four times now just because we love the overview of the cave, the history and some of the fun parts like Fat Man's Misery, but plan on taking a different route next time to see other parts of the cave as well.  You can view all the available tours HERE. 

​You'll need a car to get to this attraction, and its about 1 hour and 30-45 minutes one way.  From the Carriage House, head north on I-65 (in the direction of Louisville, Kentucky) and you'll turn off a little bit after you travel through Bowling Green.

MAMMOUTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK

1 Mammoth Cave Parkway ~ Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
(270) 758-2180

​Distance: 99 miles ~ 1 hour, 36 minutes 
Admission:​ Tours range from $3 - $60 per person.
What’s Going On: Go underground and check out the sights and history on one of many amazing tours that range from quick and easy for everyone all the way up to more technical spelunking adventures.
Tips: Tours sell out quickly and CANNOT BE BOOKED DAY-OF, so we encourage you to plan early and book your tour online.  Our personal favorite is the historic tour (and yes! there are restrooms halfway through the cave!)