On a trip, have you ever come across something so totally unexpected that it seems a bit like a mirage? I felt that way when we came upon Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana. We were driving along through the standard Midwestern landscape of woodlands and farms, and then suddenly–poof! There’s a spectacular church that looks like it could have been magically transported from Europe. I was on the lookout for Saint Meinrad at the suggestion of a friend who’s taken... Read more
The urge to retreat from the larger world and build an ideal society in the wilderness is a perennial human impulse. From the Pilgrims to the Hippies, American history has periodically produced groups that try to create these utopian communities. Their efforts almost always end in disarray and conflict, but often very interesting things happen along the way. So it was in New Harmony, Indiana, which Bob and I visited on our way to Louisville in May. This charming little... Read more
I’ve written thousands of words on this website, but to the best of my knowledge spirits—as in ghosts—have never made an appearance on Spiritual Travels. Today that long drought ends as I tell you about one of the most haunted places in America: Waverly Hills. This post may stretch the definition of “spiritual travels” a bit, but my experiences there were intriguing to me and you may find them of interest too. Some of you might already be familiar with... Read more
Today’s post is by guest blogger Bob Sessions: Before Lori and I saw the Dalai Lama, we had the privilege of attending part of Louisville’s 18th annual Festival of Faiths (because we were also attending a meeting of the Midwest Travel Writers Association, we dubbed the week our Bourbon and Buddhism Tour). While I enjoyed many parts of the week, to me the highlight was the chance to hear the brilliant, spiritually advanced speakers at the Festival of Faiths. This... Read more
What’s it like to see the Dalai Lama in person? After enjoying that privilege last week in Louisville, Kentucky, I’m still trying to sort out my thoughts and impressions. In one sense, seeing His Holiness (that’s his official title) has a lot in common with attending a basketball game or rock concert. There were 15,000 of us packed into an arena in downtown Louisville, a crowd that buzzed with excitement and anticipation. Just outside the main hall were food and... Read more
I’ve been a-rovering again, doing research for Spiritual Travels and other publications while attending a meeting of the Midwest Travel Writers Association (MTWA) as well as Louisville’s Festival of Faiths. This trip may have set my personal record for widest range of experiences on a single trip: it included horse-racing, bourbon distilleries, a ghost tour of one of the most haunted places in America, Benedictine and Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, and seeing the Dalai Lama in person. But before telling you about those... Read more
Today’s post–the final in this series–is meant for people who hope to visit northern Indiana in person and not just via The Holy Rover blog. Here are some suggestions to help you plan a trip to this rural area where Amish-Mennonite traditions remain strong: In Shipshewana, visit the Menno-Hof to get an orientation to the area and a background on Anabaptist traditions (see Among the Amish for more information). Menno-Hof was built in part because of the thousands of visitors who... Read more
Not long ago a friend told me about a neighbor who was unexpectedly generous in helping her with a volunteer project, even recruiting her husband to assist. “They’re Mennonite—maybe that has something to do with it,” my friend said. After visiting the Amish-Mennonite communities in northern Indiana, I think it likely that their religious affiliation has everything to do with it. While the Amish get most of the attention (those buggies and bonnets tend to draw the eye), the Mennonites... Read more
Part Two of Among the Amish in Indiana: I live near a sizable Amish community near Kalona, Iowa, so I thought I knew quite a bit about Amish life. In Indiana, however, I learned that Amish culture is much more diverse than I realized. “The communities here are sometimes called the ‘Fancy Amish,'” my guide said. “They tend to be a bit more liberal in how they relate to the outside world, in part because many of them have jobs... Read more
Last week I had a somewhat surreal writing schedule. In the midst of the news of the bombings in Boston and the hunt for the perpetrators, I was writing about the Amish-Mennonite country of northern Indiana. I’d scan the on-line news for the latest information, and then I’d return to writing about buggies, farms and quilts. To give you an idea of the contrast, here are some news items from The Budget, a publication I picked up on my trip... Read more
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