2020 IGS Post-Meeting Field Days Itinerary “Limestone and More” Saturday, April 25 – Sunday, April 26, 2020
Overview: Limestone quarrying is a major industry in the Bedford/Bloomington, Indiana region. We will explore the area and view creations made with this versatile building and ornamental stone. The second day of the two-day trip will center around the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and its tenets and philosophy. The tour is self-pay for all meals, lodging, gas, parking fees, tolls, donations, and admissions. Stay for the entire trip or feel free to just stay an hour or two. Trip is rain or shine.
Meeting Point: Meet at Super 8 Motel parking lot, 1751 N. Stonelake Drive, Bloomington, IN at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Tour cost: Self-pay.
Transportation: Most of this field day experience will be conducted through car caravan with moderate walking. You will be responsible for your own gasoline costs, parking fees, and tolls.
Lodging: You are free to find accommodations of your own choosing. The tour leader(s) will be overnighting at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in a yurt on the property. More information follows below.
Itinerary
Saturday, April 25
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Meet at Super 8 Motel (1751 N. Stonelake Dr.). This is located on the north side of the IN 45/46 Bypass. If coming via I-69 from the south, take exit 120A, and then first left on to Stonelake Dr. We will meet Brian D. Keith (Quaternary Geologist) and Todd Thompson (Director, Indiana Geological and Water Survey) in a Survey truck in front of the Super 8. The back entrance to Reed Quarry is behind the motel. This is an active Salem (Bedford or Indiana Limestone to the stone industry) Limestone quarry that uses an interesting mix of older and newer technology. Walking will be over some rough ground so sturdy shoes or hiking boots recommended. Hardhats will be supplied to the group. Brian Keith and Todd Thompson will also provide an overview of the history of the limestone and the industry at this stop.
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Leave Reed Quarry and drive to the Sample Gates entrance to the IU campus located at the intersection of Kirkwood and Indiana Avenues just east of downtown Bloomington.
3:45 – 5:30 p.m. Take walking tour guided by Brian Keith of the main and oldest (but with a few newer buildings) part of campus. Brian will provide printed booklets (“Follow the Limestone: A Walking Tour of Indiana University”) that list the buildings with brief descriptions. Brian will cover the history of the campus as related to the buildings in addition to the architectural elements of the buildings and the use of Salem limestone on the buildings and how that has changed through time.
5:30 – 6:45 p.m. Join us for supper (On Your Own) at Samira Restaurant, 100 West 6th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404, 812-331-3761, https://locu.com/places/samiras-restaurant-bloomington-us/, an Afghan restaurant specializing in a variety of kebabs and vegetarian entrees.
6:45 – 8:00 p.m. Before we retire for the evening, you are in for a special treat. We will be visiting the art studio of artist, stone cutter, and sculptor Amy Brier. Amy’s studio is at 7757 South Strain Ridge Road, Bloomington, IN 47401, 812-824-8845, https://amybrier.com/ . Amy will speak to us about her love of limestone and its versatility as well as how she creates incredible works of art using this local stone.
Overnight at Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center, 3655 South Snoddy Road, Bloomington, IN 47401, 812-336-6807, https://www.tmbcc.org/. The tour leader is overnighting here in a yurt which is $100 per night with only limited availability. If you are interested in staying at the Cultural Center, I recommend that you reserve promptly. Other accommodations also are available on the property as well as locally. (It is up to you to make your own overnight reservation if you are planning on staying for the rest of the field trip!)
Sunday, April 26
8:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Interested individuals could meet (On Your Own) at Bloomington Bagel Company, 913 South College Mall Road, Bloomington, IN, 812-339-4653, http://bbcbagel.com/ for early morning noshing and conversation. The cuisine here is bagels, of course.
10:00- 11:00 a.m. Return to the Cultural Center for Sunday Lecture and Reflections at the Temple
11:00- 12:00 p.m. Tour of Cultural Center grounds
12:00 p.m. - ? Before departing the Bloomington area to make our ways home, we will stop and have lunch at Café Bali, 210 S. Grant Street, Suite #1, Bloomington, IN, 47408, 812-287-8251, https://www.cafebaliusa.com/ (On Your Own), an Indonesian, Chinese, Japanese restaurant.
Reservations and contacts for Additional Information:
Joe Kubal
630-983-6159 (Home)
Keith Yearman
312-532-7645 (Cell)
Reservations need to be made by Sunday, April 5, 2020
Itinerary Subject to Change
