Ride & Run in Southwestern Indiana
Jasper, IN (PRWEB) July 25, 2013 -- To say, Dubois County is becoming a sports mecca may be a bit of a stretch, but if you haven’t been there yet, it’s high time to check out its charming communities situated in the beautiful, rolling hills of southern Indiana. Between several half marathon and cycling events in the next few months, there is plenty of competition for serious athletes as well as those who consider themselves to be “weekend warriors.”
Nearly every community has an annual celebration, and the Jasper Strassenfest is considered one of the best street festivals in Indiana, taking place the first weekend of August. Among the many competitions scheduled during this four-day, German heritage event, several hundred runners and walkers will take to the streets for the Wettlauf 5K Road Race & Fitness Walk on Saturday, August 3. Cyclists will have their turn on the roadways on Sunday, August 4 during the Strassenfest Bicycle Ride with 20-, 50-, and 62-mile bicycling treks throughout scenic Dubois County.
Celebrate Labor Day weekend by running in the second annual Heartland Half Marathon & 5K on Sunday, September 1. This race begins along the banks of the Patoka River in the shadow of the Jasper Train Depot and finishes within watermelon seed-spitting distance in the shade of the same river. While in Jasper, be sure to check out the “Spirit of Jasper” train, which has been named by Midwest Living Magazine as #3 in the “Top Ten Best Places to Eat, Play & Stay!”, as well as the Jasper City Mill, featuring a water-powered wheel and grindstone making it a working grist mill.
The inaugural Ferdinand Folk Fest Fondo on September 21 & 22 is a bicycling experience designed to entertain and challenge all levels of cyclists. Route options take riders from the magnificent Monastery Immaculate Conception (“Castle on the Hill”) in Ferdinand to Huntingburg’s League Stadium, home field of the Rockford Peaches in the movie, “A League of Their Own.” Saturday’s long route also takes cyclists through Jasper and St. Anthony. Sunday’s route heads to the spectacular St. Meinrad Archabbey, Hoffman Mill Covered Bridge, and Santa Claus, where the award-winning Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari is located. Route itineraries include a great mix of well-paved, flat roads along with some real leg-burning hills in Dubois, Spencer, and Perry counties. After spending a few hours in the saddle, the Ferdinand Folk Festival is the place to be on Saturday for a free, family-friendly festival featuring nationally-acclaimed musicians as well as exceptional local and regional acts on stage. Local artists and artisans, gardeners and farmers will display and sell their specialties in open-air booths.
Ferdinand State Forest is the site of the new TRI-CAP Mud Slinger Trail Run on Sunday, November 3, which includes a half marathon and 5K run primarily along the trails in this pretty park. Warm food and hot chocolate will delight runners following the race. The forest was established in 1934 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, where CCC workers built roads, service buildings, and one of the most beautiful forest lakes in the Indiana.
After all this calorie-burning fun, restore your energy at the Schnitzelbank, one of the top ten independent restaurants in Indiana that has developed an international reputation for its authentic German and American cuisine. Enjoy dishes commonly found in southern Germany including Beef Rolladen, Sauerbraten, Kraut Balls and the Wurst Platter, or have the “Bratzel,” which was voted the #1 sandwich during a recent state-wide Super Bowl competition.
While in Dubois County, be sure to check out the interesting displays and dioramas at the Dubois County Museum–47,000 square feet of history and German culture–in Jasper, and visit Huntingburg’s Historic 4th Street shopping district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
For more information about these events, activities and lodging, please log onto http://www.visitduboiscounty.com or contact Dubois County Visitors Center & Tourism Commission at 800/968-4578 or info(at)visitduboiscounty(dot)com.
Kevin Manley, Dubois County Visitor Center, http://www.visitduboiscounty.com/, 800-968-4578, [email protected]
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