Free Bird Events in Jackson County, Ind.

Jackson County, Ind will be all about the birds March 6, with avian events at three of its most popular outdoor spots.

The county is home to almost 300 different kinds of birds at different seasons of the year, including bald eagles which nest at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Seymour and near Starve Hollow State Recreation Area in Vallonia.

Migrating Sandhill cranes fly into Jackson County fall through spring, and sometimes 6,000-8,000 birds can be seen in the Ewing Bottoms, on the north side of Brownstown.

March 6 events:

• At Muscatatuck, children can make bird bookmarks and visitors can take home a free Sandhill crane poster. The hiking trails will be open, as well as the Visitor Center from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.

• Starve Hollow’s Birding Day activities will include free gate admission, kid’s “crane” crafts and directions to view an eagle nest. The Visitor Center will be open 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

• At Jackson-Washington State Forest in Brownstown, the property manager will be on hand to answer questions about the birds and the Skyline Drive Scenic Overlook.

For information, call the Jackson County Visitor Center at 888-524-1914.

Magic and Palm Reading at French Lick Resort

French Lick Resort in French Lick, Ind., will be going in for a bit of Mind-Bending Magic this spring. At 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. March 27 and April 17, you can catch magic acts at the resort for $25 per ticket.

Like to have your palm or tarot cards read? Madame Sheri is available before or after each performance for an additional fee. Hotel room packages start at $189 through April 30.

Metamora Decorated for Christmas Walks

Metamora, Ind., will present its Metamora Christmas Walk Dec. 4-6, 11-13 and 18-20. Strolling carolers will sing, and the Metamora Grist Mill will grind corn meal and grits for holiday meals. For more information, email whitewatercanalshs@dnr.in.gov.

Live! Instant Leaf-Peeping Reports

Leaf peepers unite!

Destinations are tracking the turning of every leaf:

Ohio Department of Natural Resources has added a new map on its Fall Foliage website,  and offers 32-pre-mapped routes and even places of solace.

The Indiana Office of Tourism Development sponsors Leaf Cam so travelers can watch current images at five locations: The Fort Golf Course at Fort Harrison State Park in Indianapolis; French Lick Resort in French Lick; Corydon Capitol State Historic Site in Corydon; Hilltop Cabins in Brown County; and Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell.

Gatlinburg, Tenn., posts leaf reports and a fall foliage page. Nearby, Pigeon Forge is running three fall festivals, the Pigeon Forge Rotary Club Crafts Festival through Oct. 30, Dollywood’s National Gospel and Harvest Festival through Oct. 31 and Pigeon Forge’s Harvestfest season through Oct. 31.

Michigan is tracking its Northern color across the state, and Traverse City has its own leaf-peeping patrol.

Eight New Geocaches near Richmond, Ind.

The Richmond/Wayne County Visitor’s Bureau is luring GPS-equipped treasure hunters with a new “Hidden Treasure” Geocache trail. The new trail adds eight caches to the 150 already in the county, and leads explorers to prominent landmarks covering 26 miles. Each participant who finds and records all eight caches will win a pathtag token to commemorate the trek.

Teddy Walks on the Wild Side in Indiana

By Betsa Marsh

The Traveling Teddy’s still catching her breath from ferocious adventures in Indiana–no one told her the state was so wild!

Little did Teddy know during lunch at the Naked Tchopstix that she would need all the luck she could get in Indiana. Betsa Marsh photo

Teddy, who will be adopted and named by the third-grade class of Meredith Schroeder this fall, learned to mold liquid glass into a paperweight at the Indianapolis Art Center. It sure was fun, but man, where those furnaces HOT!! Students as young as Mrs. Schroeder’s can take the class-Teddy gives it paws up.

Teddy is part of the Traveling Teddy geography outreach program of the Society of American Travel Writers.

Then, just when she thought things were cooling off, Teddy jumped back into trouble at Stapp’s Circle S Ranch in Greensburg, Ind.  Jim Stapp was nice enough to show her all the animals,

Boo-Boo reaches out for her little cousin.

from bison and billy goats to wallabies and wolves. But when she got to the den for the American black bear–look out! Kinship only goes so far–Boo-Boo and Yogi, 18-month old bears, were very interested in their little stuffed cousin. Whew! She escaped by the fur on her head and took off for home.

Indy Hotels Offer King Tut Ticket Packages

“Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharoahs” runs through Oct. 25 at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, and five Indy hotels have become King Tut Hotels for the duration. They’re offering packages for two or a family of four from $129-$249 per night, with a breakfast buffet and VIP tickets to jump to the head of the line.