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Travel Tip: A Great Place To Be Sick
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Travel Tip: A Great Place To Be Sick
As I was leaving Indianapolis, I realized that I was getting sick. It started in my throat. I was planning on camping on Lake Michigan. It was cold. After about an hour of driving, I faced the fact that camping probably wasn't such a good idea. I began praying.
My first prayer was for the sore throat to go away. God gently let me know that I was going to be sick. Since my policy is to accept the things I cannot change, I moved to my second prayer. My second prayer was for a great place to be sick. God said yes to that prayer.
I suspected that this illness was going to last more than a day. I thought about what "a great place to be sick" would look like. I wanted a place that was inexpensive and near the water. It needed to be clean and safe. It had to have a refrigerator and a microwave would be a bonus.
I started calling around the area where I had planned to camp. Everywhere was more money than I wanted to spend. Besides, I was getting sicker and needed to stop very soon.
I prayed again. By this time, I also knew that I was running fever. I passed a couple of low budget properties but they had no waterfront and no refrigerator. I almost caved in and took one of them.
"You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Matt 8:26 NIV
I passed through Monticello, Indiana. It is called the city of twin lakes because it has Lake Schafer and Lake Freeman. I was excited. I saw an older sign that pointed to the Sportsman Inn. The last sign I had followed that looked like that lead me to a place that was out of business. I almost ignored it but investigated anyway. I tried to follow the sign and couldn't find it. I pulled over and called. They had a room and gave great directions.
When I arrived, I was charmed. The Sportsman Inn was built in 1929. It was originally a Golf and Country Club. It has rooms decorated in antiques and newly remodeled. Each room has a microwave and a refrigerator. Did I mention that it was on the water and under my budget? The antique 4-poster bed was perfect for being sick.
The manager, Rose, and her sister, Katherine were great. I asked if it was safe. Catherine quipped that if it weren't safe, she wouldn't be there. I enjoy people with a sense of humor. Now that I think about it, the question was silly. If it weren't safe, who would admit it? Katherine and Rose are both Christians and I enjoyed discussing their churches with them. They have families that they love and they enjoy being together. They were very kind to me when I wasn't feeling well.
I had heard God correctly. I did indeed get sicker. I've always said that I like to be left alone when I'm sick. I want to officially revise that. I keep getting lessons on how spoiled I really am.
What I really mean by being "left alone" is that I want someone to bring me my food and medicine and not talk to me.
How comforting it was when one of my girlfriends offered to come there and take care of me. The fact that she was many miles away made that impractical. I appreciated the offer.
Katherine also worked at the Wal-Mart Supercenter. As you may already know, I love the Wall-Mart Supercenter. I drug myself to the local Wall-Mart Supercenter and got everything I needed.
I spent a quiet 3 nights recovering. It was actually a very spiritual time. I wrote stories, prayed, and thanked God for my beautiful spot to be sick. The fever has broken but I suspect I'll sound sick for a few more days.
On the last day, I felt good enough to go to Indiana Beach. What a terrific place. It has an amusement park right on Lake Schafer. I didn't feel good enough to ride roller coasters (that will be a shock to anyone that knows me) but they had a great one. For $2, you can walk around and not ride anything. I've never been a spectator at an amusement park before but it was just what I needed on that day. I met interesting people that you will read about in other stories.
You can see a picture of the Sportsman Inn and Indiana Beach on the website. In addition to it being a great place to be sick, the business community uses Sportsman Inn for business retreats. They also have a great restaurant and a lakeside deck. The phone number for The Sportsman Inn is 219-583-5133.
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