A road trip always means getting up early and this one was no exception. Shortly before 8am we left Spring House Inn and Indiana Dunes and made our way east. The plan for the day was to visit the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Kalamazoo and get breakfast somewhere along the way. After that we had Detroit and the MoTown Museum in mind, but my navigational skills were having none of that.
To spice up the journey, we detoured to the Heritage Trail in Northern Indiana. This 90 mile circular trail goes around Elkhart, Goshen, Nappanee, Middlebury, Bristol, and Wakarusa. It sounded like the perfect addition on the way to the museum. We imagined rolling into Elkhart or Middlebury and being instantly swept off our feet by historic storefronts and peaceful countryside. A little bit of a scene route and charming towns before staying indoors the next couple of hours.
Instead, we hit Elkhart and… nothing really clicked. Maybe we entered from the wrong side of town, or maybe the magic takes time to reveal itself. But whatever the reason, our hoped-for charming detour was a bit of a letdown. The trail may be rich with history and beauty, but it didn’t unfold the way we thought it would.
we were on the right trail @Elkhart
Hoping for a better impression, we continued to Bristol, the only other town along the route in our direction. There were some lovely historic homes, sure, but the overall vibe didn’t quite match the pictures I saw online. It became clear that the Heritage Trail isn’t meant for quick sampling. It’s best appreciated as a full loop, taken at a leisurely pace. Our hit-and-run approach just didn’t do it justice.
By the time we finally stopped to eat—well past breakfast and edging into lunch—we were ready to get back on track. Soon after, we arrived at the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum, where the day’s detours faded into the background.
The museum offered a compelling journey through the history of flight. While the Montgolfier brothers’ balloon made only a mural appearance, many early aircraft were on display, including the beautifully preserved Le Rhône 9C rotary engine from around 1912. Each exhibit brought to life the daring, often fragile beginnings of aviation, from open-cockpit biplanes to wartime innovations.
Le Rhône 9C @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
A bit older was the Tin Goose, the Ford Trimotor, from 1925.
the Tin Goose @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
We also saw World War II bombers, like a B-25 Mitchell that had a colorful eagle painted on the front. I imagine it looked pretty intimidating from the air.
B-25 Mitchell bomber @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
Besides learning about Bernoulli’s principle, you could also try a full-motion flight simulator. Our teenagers got the full experience, I heard the girl screaming and the guy laughing. It must have been a wild ride.
full-motion flight simulator @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
Tom Cruise’s plane was also on display. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is one even I recognized, after watching Top Gun more times than I can count when I was younger. (And yes, I still think the first one is better!)
Grumman F-14 Tomcat @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
The Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center also displayed a Blackbird, the ultimate spy plane from the Cold War. It’s so big that I had to step back quite a bit just to fit it all into one photo.
Blackbird aka spy plane @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
I loved how you could walk right up to the planes, almost touching them, or sit down somewhere and just admire all these amazing aircraft to your heart’s content.
just sit and look @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
Another part of the exhibition focused on space exploration, and there were also sections called ‘Women in Air and Space’ and ‘Black Wings.’ In a way, I love that the museum made room for everyone. On the other hand, it’s sad that history made that necessary. Shouldn’t the story of air and space be a story of all humanity?
Bessie Coleman, a woman and POC @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
The space section included not only a Gemini El Kabong I (some kind of test program), but also a replica of a Mars probe and other items I might have seen on the news before.
Viking Lander for Mars @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
But what made me happiest were R2-D2 and BB-8. Seeing those two side by side really pleased my inner Star Wars nerd. The only one missing was C-3PO.
BB-8 and R2-D2 together @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
The Flight Discovery Center, just a few hundred meters away, was a bit more hands-on.
Flight Discovery Center @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
Not only is the repair center housed here, but several plane and capsules could be climbed into and of course, I had to try them out.
finally something to climb in @Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center
All the planes were really amazing, and we ended up spending much more time at the museum than we had planned. But why rush when you’re having fun? The museum’s shop had a great selection of interesting books, and I couldn’t leave without buying one.
I’m glad we had plenty of time at the museum because the rest of the day was pretty uneventful, except for one coffee stop and refueling at a fast food restaurant. Even though we were supposed to be driving east, we ended up passing Elkhart again. We even noticed it, took a picture, and laughed about it. So much for being the perfect co-driver.
passing Elkhart again @Indiana
I’ll always remember Indiana for crossing it three times—and hats off to the best and most relaxed driver! Eventually, we made it to Lake Erie in Ohio as planned, and just before midnight, we checked into SolStay, our lodging for the night. We brought along the wine from the night before, sat on the deck, and enjoyed a glass by the warmth of the gas fire.
enjoying a glass of wine @SolStay
Without the teenager, we wouldn’t have known how to start the fire or how to get back inside after we accidentally locked ourselves out on the deck. That included climbing over the deck railing and making quite a long jump down. But thankfully, even that day came to an end. With Indiana finally behind us, I was ready for new adventures in Ohio. Yours, Pollybert
