K00L KATZ AND CHILL DAWGS

Spending a lot of time in the place you grew up can make you feel like you've done everything a place has to offer. Eaten every sandwich, taken every walk. But, during this current visit to Bloomington, I'm trying to do some things I haven't done before as well as the things I already know I enjoy. I'm swimming, hanging with buds, staying up late and sometimes going to be early and now PARTYING WITH BIG KATS.

I highly suggest that you make a visit to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center. About an hour west of Bloomington, in scenic Center Point, Indiana, there are 211 big cats hanging out behind some chain link. I cannot believe how these massive beast hang out. I've been around tigers before, but this was a totally different experience. The rescued tigers are unbelievably friendly. It took considerable conscious effort to not touch them as they rubbed against the fence a foot from me making this greeting sound called chuffing. It's like tiger purring mixed with huffing. I can't believe I had never been there before. Even in the 95 degree heat the cats were active -playing in the water, sounding off, leaping, eating.



Melissa and I got the full tour. They offer overnight stays too! We drove back on back roads, passing through Gosport and Stineville, two tiny Hoosier towns I had never been to before. We went a real deal mercantile complete with vintage soda bottle collection, While we were there we checked out some awesome buildings people have been revamping in these crumbling bergs.

 Then we went to the NAUGHTY DAWG -the new hot dog restaurant in Bloomington. There is a whole restaurant of only hot dogs now. It's in the Big Lot's parking lot, near the Dollar General between the Check'N'Go and a tattoo shop (WHAT'S UP INDIANA ONE-STOP SHOP?).



It's cool though because I got VEGAN CHILI DAWGS and Melissa had her first VEGAN CHICAGO STYLE DOG.  I like their giardiniera but will skip the neon green relish. Also the guy that works there really loves the Silver Jews, which is cool because I do too.

TWO THUMBS AND PAWS UP.