Fall/Winter 2009

Early spring is very sweet in Northern Indiana, when maple sap is turned into rich golden syrup. For family fun, hit the road and visit one or more places where demonstrations of tree tapping and syrup making connect us to the past and, even better, give us the chance to taste maple treats.

In the early 1900s, the owners of Chellberg Farm tapped the many sugar maple trees on land now part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, then a small Swedish settlement tucked away in the dunes. Watch rangers illustrate sugaring techniques from those of Native Americans to the settlers of the 1930s during the park’s Maple Sugar Time Festival.

Syrup used to be made by boiling the sap in big open kettles above a roaring open fire. During Maple Syrup Time at the Deep River County Park in Hobart, the old-fashioned ways are still on display. For those who want to become tree tappers themselves, the park offers a workshop. While there, be sure to stop at the gristmill and the visitor center housed in a 1904 church.

Parke County is worth a visit just to see its 31 covered bridges, built between 1856 and 1922. But as winter fades, meander the scenic country roads to tour the maple sugar camps open during the county’s annual Maple Syrup Festival. Free maps show the way to both the bridges and camps.

Maple syrup is also an important part of Wakarusa, a small dot on the map with a historic downtown and businesses that date back to the early 1900s. The town’s annual Maple Syrup Festival features a pancake and sausage breakfast, free popcorn and a maple syrup baking contest.

- State - Illinois

- Type - Family Vacations

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