As I edited this issue, I saw a theme of exploration taking shape. That’s what we aim to do with each issue of Evansville Living and its sister publication, the annual City View — encourage readers to explore their city.
Numerous studies show us creative people are observers — they are aware of and soak up their surroundings as they seek experiences each day. Creativity isn’t only for the “creative types” you see profiled in this magazine. It’s a powerful tool to help the parent run a household, the mayor run the city, the small business person looking for a new direction, or the writer tasked with knocking out 1,200 (or 300) words.
If the extended winter has kept you homebound, spring is a great time to spark your passion for experience. You’ll find plenty of ideas to explore in this issue.
Evansville Living has been the title sponsor of the Newburgh Wine, Art & Jazz Festival since it began nine years ago (you can experience it May 16 and May 17); naturally, we have an interest in wine. Never before have we covered the burgeoning wine industry — including Southern Indiana’s — in such a large fashion. Wine industry experts agree the U.S. is the largest wine market in the world, with 20 years of consecutive growth. More than 100 million Americans call themselves wine drinkers, of our population of 313 million. Twitter claims 40 percent of their users tweet about wine. Some days it seems every other post in my Facebook news feed is wine related. (My friends count among the 100 million.)
Curating the content for the feature, “For the Love of Wine” (page 40), we called on a half-dozen wine experts and writers in the region who you’ll meet on page 16. These talented writers and sippers, along with our own creative staff (count us among the 100 million, too), take us to wineries and tasting rooms throughout the area, introduce us to the winemakers, trace the Ohio Valley’s grape growing history, and teach us about pairing wine and food. A natural pairing, wine and tourism offers travelers the opportunity to visit unique homegrown destinations, and we cover that, too.
I hope you are encouraged to explore the wineries of our area. Plan a drive, take a picnic lunch, buy local cheese at the winery, and enjoy the wine terroir of Southern Indiana.
If nine or 18 holes define your idea of exploration, consider writer Brick Briscoe’s suggestion: Take a quick drive up Interstate 69 to hidden gem golf courses located in Petersburg, Ind., and Oakland City, Ind. (page 26).
Staff writer Emily Patton found inspiration in a local couple exploring a different — and completely authentic — way of living: They purchased a house in an area of the city that has yet to see much redevelopment or preservation. Yet, the 1899 house with the cool retro vibe fits Paul and Kristen Gubbins and their two children perfectly. (See page 64.)
Get out and explore — be open to what is revealed. You’ll be better informed about your city, enjoy it more, and will likely find yourself brainstorming new ideas.
As always, I look forward to hearing from you.
Kristen K. Tucker
Publisher & Editor
Read “300 Words,” the editor’s blog, at www.evansvilleliving.com/blog, each week.
