WANDER INDIANA
"Wander Indiana"-What a catchy state motto, huh? Like no one would actually PLAN
a vacation here, but if the rear axle on the Fairlane busted as you blazed across the
state to get from the Illinois Salute to Corn the ever-cool Ohio Lint Museum (and
you thought the armchair vid tour of the Kansas House O' Starch was bitchen), you
might deign to stumble around the state in a haze..
Where is John Mellencamp now that I need that little bastard? Speaking of little
bastards, James Dean is
buried here. Fairmount, Indiana, to be specific. Just a dog
leg turn off Route 69 near Gas City. James Dean DEAD
is more fun than most of the dates I've had lately. Fairmount,
Indiana, is actually home to TWO cool cats: J.D. and Gar-
field the Cat. A Local spawn salute takes place each
September with the Siamese
James Dean/Garfield Fest:
the James Dean look-alike contest, the Garfield twin deal, a hot rod parade and
a pet parade ("...an' here's little Taters with his perky pet Rhode Island Red
chickens: John Wayne Gacey and Zodiac. He eats their big brown eggs over
easy every rise an' shine morning"). There's even a
low-tech superhero, Beltman, an ole dude in rump-
sprung Doc Dentons harnessed with a seatbelt.
ounds like I'm just an-
other big city smart-ass
takin' a piss at yokel revelry,
but let me mention that the
flamin' hot rods are way
cool, and so is the James
Dean Gallery. There's also
by Tanya Indiana
a carnival treat called.
"elephant ears" that is at
sublime combo of grease.
starch and sugar-a real
midwestern trinity if ever
there was one.
Hit
Route 69 north
out of Fairmount and you end up in the
Wayne-Fort Wayne-stompin' ground for
general Mad Ant Wayne. There were numerous
Red Indian encampments, too (Indiana-duh),
Gaty Sodia
Hammond
Fort Wayne
Loganspo
Marion
Lafayette
Muncie
INDANA
Indianapolis
Terre Haute
Vincennes
Evansvie
though the only vestige of
this culture is a silly send-
up to the "redskins": a
planned community of tract houses dubbed Indian Village, with a
couple of cement teepees squatting in the middle of the street. I've
met exactly one Indian: David Sears, a young Hopi silversmith whose
work embellishes the Scorpions.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Indigenous Indianans, Clockwise from Below: Swinney
Park swinger Dave Roberts licks the lip. Shape of the
Hoosier state can you find Fort Wayne? A multi-media
museum for a man among men. Skoter/snake charmer
Shawn Delong gets cozy with his scaly companion.
Three st
e stote exclusives-Harley Davidson cigarettes, Mr.
James Dean, and your favorite obnoxious feline, Gor
field. Fun lovin' festival goers pay tribute to their
hometown heros. A burly bike truck
ort Wayne has a new skatepark, thanks to an anonymous donation. The donor s referred to as "she"
by local skate rats, though no one actually seems to know who "she" is. Shawn DeLong, local dude with
the best 'tude, a partner in local skate shop Get Wet, suggests that it might be "some woman who got
sick of havin' skaters on the sidewalk" or "someone whose kids like to skate." The skate scene is mostly