Friday in Fairmount

Feeling pooped? Need something to do this weekend? How about Museum Days in Fairmount, Indiana? The town holds the annual festival around the date of James Dean’s death (9/30/1955), with a car show, look-a-like contest, vendor booths, carnival rides, food, and entertainment.



It really is a fun event in the quaint town where Dean was raised. When I lived in Indiana, you could count on me attending.



Bring extra lipstick if you plan on visiting Dean’s gravesite in nearby Park Cemetery:



See more James Dean and Fairmount photos at my main website.

James Dean and the Rock Lasso

This 1955 photo shows James Dean on location in Marfa, Texas for his last movie, "Giant." Shortly after filming ended, the actor's life ended tragically in an automobile accident. However, in this image, he is fully alive and all smiles as he stands next to his dialogue director/coach Bob Hinkle. I wonder what Pepsi Cola thought about this?



Five years earlier, Dean made his first appearance on television with this Pepsi commercial:



Back to today's topic, which is the rock lasso. Hinkle taught Dean how to twirl it so that he could use it to scene-stealing effect in "Giant." This lobby card shows him holding it in a scene with Rock Hudson. Supposedly Hudson got very annoyed with Dean who drew attention to himself by twirling the lasso.



39 years later, I got to meet Hinkle in Fairmount, Indiana, during their annual James Dean Festival.



Two years later he was back in Fairmount showing contestants how to twirl the lasso for the Annual Rock Lasso Contest. Here's the tall Texan showing off his skills:



Here's one of the contestants, Lance, who also was a winner of the James Dean look-a-like contest. Some guys have it all!



Hinkle was just about the nicest most down to earth man. As he recounted his behind-the-scenes tales of working and hanging out with Dean, tears rolled down his eyes. The sadness over losing his friend and coworker was still fresh even after all this time.

Last image today is one of my Genuine Faux-D© images from 1996, showing the James Dean Porsche replica that was on display at the Fairmount Car Show. This is the vehicle that Dean was in when he died so very young:



See more James Dean photos at my main website.

Fear becomes Fit

Growing up, sports were just not my thing. I always panicked before gym class, knowing I'd be the last one picked, and that once we started the activity, I would be revealed for the uncoordinated goober that I was. And pudgy to boot, which became even more embarrassing when we had to be split into shirts or skins; invariably, I was put on the skins team. When my mom used to get angry about me staying inside all day (drawing, reading, playing music, and making stuff out of construction paper), I'd go outside...and read a book.

I dreaded the annual President's Fitness Test; couldn't do a push-up, couldn't do a pull-up, and running invariably meant I would see the backsides of my classmates as I struggled to keep up with them, let alone finish. I loved swimming, but unfortunately that was not part of gym.

By the time I got to college, I decided it was time to change. The collegiate years are a great time to reinvent yourself. I discovered the HPER (Health, Physical Education, and Recreation) Building, which had a crowded weightroom down in the basement area.



Determined to change my body (and my health), I went religiously, voraciously reading fitness books by Bob Paris (pictured below), Tom Platz, and (of course) Arnold to help me build a better physique. Although I didn't look like any of those guys, at least I could now do push-ups, pull-ups, and my new favorite...dips!



Besides the outside of my body, I also became interested in maintaining the inside. Thinking more about the foods that I ate combined with a previously non-existent cardio regime helped give me more energy and made me feel better about myself. By June of 2003, I completed my first race, the infamous Camp Pendleton Mud Run. My shirt started out white, but by the end of the race, it had permanently been stained brown. It was a great experience, but I had no desire to do that one again!



That was my last race for a while; I dropped out of running for the most part until I discovered Disney Running, which had events that ran through both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Of course I had to do both.



Even though I have done it for years, I still can't say I really enjoy the act of running. The pounding of the pavement, the soreness afterwards, the sweat from the heat...not really a lot of fun. However, the opportunity to run early in the morning, clear my head, and plan out my day while taking a look at my surroundings (no headphones or music for me) can be exhilarating. The races are also intoxicating for my competitive nature, while giving a great excuse to visit cities outside of the one I live in. Besides, who doesn't like the bling that goes along with it?



The last few years, I have found that the marriage of photography and athletic events can be a fun and lucrative way to combine two hobbies. From Mud Runs:



to CrossFit:



Athletics aren't just about the physicality of what you are doing; they also include the emotion of a personal achievement:



or two people working together to achieve a common goal, like these two sisters:



While you are reading this today, I will be running the San Diego Half Marathon, hoping for a Personal Record. With the varying elements of how my body feels, the temperatures, and so many other factors, it can often be difficult to know what my final time will be. Naturally, this adds to the excitement. Once I am done, I'll be racing over to the CrossFit619 facility to do a photo shoot there.



As the saying goes, no rest for the weary!



See more Daveland photography on my main website.

Back Home Again In Indiana: Paoli and French Lick

After Bloomington, I headed further south towards my destination of the West Baden Springs Hotel. The two cities are about an hour apart, and in between are a number of quaint little towns that still have their Main Streets and Town Squares. Paoli, Indiana is probably one of my favorites.



Although many of the buildings on the square no longer operate in the same capacity of their original purpose, I love the fact that adaptive reuse has allowed the historic architecture to survive.





Vintage signage!



West Baden's neighboring town is called French Lick Springs. Before checking into my hotel, I took a detour to the American Legion Building in French Lick. I became good friends with one of the locals, Norma Brock, when I was a tour guide at the WBS Hotel back in the 90's. She had taken me inside the Legion, which was formerly the Elite Club Casino back in the roaring 20's.



Entering today, you see a smoke-filled bar with a few patrons chatting it up, but at the back of the building (which was the original entrance), there are still vestiges of The Elite Club, as can be seen in this tile floor detail. The bartender was gracious enough to take me into this entryway so that I could take photos.



Norma had also pointed out the button in the entryway that was pressed by an employee when the cops were arriving to let patrons in the back know that it was time to scram. Norma's father, Clifton Marshall, had worked at The Elite, and she had many fond memories of the Club from its heyday. In addition, she had also taken me to another (former) Casino that her father had worked at in French Lick called The Gorge. At that time it was a nursing home. On that particular visit about 16 years ago, it was night and my crappy camera didn't get very many decent photos. I had heard that The Gorge was in bad shape and actually up for sale. I decided to trek up to it again and take some photos before it deteriorated anymore or (heaven forbid) met the wrecking ball.



The stone entry arch is very imposing, even though its surroundings are overgrown.



The vestiges of a fountain:



The original building doesn't look like much today; in its heyday, it resembled a quaint Arts & Crafts style lodge.







I'm sure the grounds were lovely back in the day.





Trains were once a vital transportation link to larger cities, such as Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. By now, most of the rails to those cities have been removed, and the Train Station in French Lick serves as a museum and ticket office for local train tours to Cusco Corners.





Pluto water was all the rage back in the early 20th Century; its tagline, "When Nature won't, Pluto will" was a semi tactful way of saying it helped constipation!



The Pluto Spring is still located behind the French Lick Springs Hotel, where the foul sulfur odor still permeates the air.





The Hotel was recently restored; although it looks fantastic, it does not begin to compare to the unique architectural genius of its neighboring competition, The West Baden Springs Hotel.



On the steamy July day that I visited, the fans and rocking chairs on the shaded porch were a welcome site.



The lobby area is quite ornate, with lots of gilding and hand-painted artistic touches.







Still, I prefer its next door neighbor, which we will visit on my next post.

See more vintage and current French Lick photos on my French Lick, Indiana web page.

Back Home Again In Indiana: Bloomington

Besides being home to Indiana University, Bloomington is a cool little town all on its own. The best pizza can be found at Mother Bear's on Third Street.

Nick's English Hut has been a local tradition for years, where both locals and University-affiliated folk hang out.





The Bluebird is one of the most popular nightclubs, featuring fantastic live music.



One of my very favorite dinner spots is the Uptown Cafe. It sure was good to dine here again.



I strayed a bit from my training diet for this one.



Farm Restaurant was a new one for me, as it was there when I lived in Bloomington. It was a tasty addition to the many other choices in town.



Interesting decor:



With a way cool nightclub in the basement:



Delicious breakfasts can be ordered at The Village Deli; I highly recommend Paxton's Potatoes! Unless you have a cholesterol issue...



Locally owned and operated The Scholar's Inn Bakehouse is another great little eatery, located on the square in Downtown Bloomington.



Also on the square is The Courthouse:



with its quirky weathervane:



The University isn't the only place in Bloomington with cool limestone buildings, statues, and detailing:











Inside of the Courthouse beautiful stained glass and hand painted historic murals can be admired:







The Von Lee theater is no more, but the current tenant has kept the façade of the building the same as well as the original neon sign:



The Indiana Theater was a little more fortunate, as the city rallied to restore it to its former glory and make it a live venue. Apparently, it's still doing well.



These odd little statues have always fascinated me, located in a park as you first enter Bloomington:



For you "Breaking Away" fans, here's the house used as the residence of the Stoller family:



In this vintage shot, Director Peter Yates stands in front of the same house with actors Dennis Christopher and Paul Dooley.



That wraps up my nostalgic tour of my alma mater and the town where it resides. One more stop on my Indiana tour to go!

See more vintage and current Indiana University photos on my Bloomington, Indiana web page.