Roger here... Prophetstown State Park, just outside Lafayette, IN, has, without a doubt, the best campground of any state park in Indiana - beautiful and extremely well-managed.
The fact that it is only five years old may be a factor here. We are currently in a full-hookup site (including sewer, rare in an Indiana State Park). The site (#151) is spacious, landscaped, and very private, even though we are in one of the few open areas. The unbelievable landscaping creates extreme privacy even in the pull-through sites.
We picked this particular spot because we were sure that it would provide a southern sky for our satellite connection. Little did we know that we would have spectacular views of the tall-grass prairie (from the sitting area), as well as the blue spruce landscaping from the front
windshield.
We have stayed here before on fall weekends so that I could attend a few Purdue football games. On the last visit a few years ago, I went to the game with Kaia, who got her picture taken with a couple of Purdue
cheerleaders (GO BOILERS!). She had a great time watching the band, and the traditions, until the game started. I bribed her with food treats, but we left at half time. It was an August game, WAY TOO HOT, and she wanted to get back to the friends that
she had made at Prophetstown's state-of-the-art playground, that includes a cool zip-line.
The main reason for this particular visit is to spend some time with Dianne's cousins, who live nearby - big cookout tomorrow night.
Dianne mentioned that the Lafayette Journal Courier stopped by our site to do an article about this state park's fifth anniversary (very funny about the make-up, I am still smiling). The newspaper reporter indicated that there are many updates scheduled regarding this fledgling park, including a lodge, swimming pool, more land, and additional trails. It is exciting that this, already outstanding state park, is only going to get better. (Dianne here: They didn't quote us in the newspaper story, but here's a link to the photo they took, even though they spelled my name wrong. [I'm used to that]. The photo is on page 2 of the article. The article is interesting and includes future plans for the park.
Dianne also indicated the joys of trail one, just behind our site. After she left today to reunite with her high school classmates, I took the boys (Jasper and Chaplin) on a two-mile hike on the trail. The trails here are very different than most Indiana State Park trails. In most Indiana state parks, the trails are in deeply-forested oak-hickory or maple-beech areas. There are certainly forests at Prophetstown, but the beauty here is in the wildflower-filled, tall-grass prairies and marshland.
Another intriguing feature of Prophetstown (named after Tecumseh's brother, the Prophet), is the authentic 1920's farmhouse, barn, garden, livestock animals, Indian village, and concession stand that sells pork, lamb, beef, that has been raised on the state park farm, as well as farm-fresh eggs. The farm is run as it would have been in the 1920's - very authentic and very cool. Dianne purchased hamburgers for our cookout with her Robison cousins. We are planning to buy some pork burgers and brats before we leave here to share with our friends, the Gemmers, when we see them at Turkey Run State Park in a few days. (Dianne here: I also purchased an old-fashioned apron that they sell in the gift shop, made from authentic patterns by the "apron ladies" who sew them for the gift shop. Since I don't have a dishwasher in the motor home and must wash dishes by hand, the old-fashioned "full coverage"
type apron is fun and practical.)
Last night I took some pictures of the
sunset, probably too late for a great picture, but beautiful, nonetheless. The very, very dark picture with the colored lights shows the "festive" lights
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