INDIANA: “HOOSIER STATE”
BY CLAY
LARROY
Across the America many couples are having
wonderful wedding after months of planning. The bride and groom will need a
honeymoon to rest and recuperate. Vacations are so
important, as it gives us a way to connect with each other in a stress free
relaxed environment. Couples that take vacations together build memories that
will last a lifetime. Couples vacations and travel can be a most rewarding
experience. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
Indiana accelerates to the max during its annual motor-racing
extravaganza, but beyond the speedway, this is a gentle state of sprawling
fields, pretty countryside and all-American small towns.
Adjoining Lake Michigan to the north, Indiana features deep
valleys, cornfields that extend from horizon to horizon, foothills and vast
farmlands. The state is home to peaceful Amish communities, covered bridges,
Indian mounds and the famous Indy 500 motor-racing legend.
The Indianapolis 500 is more than a car race however. It's a
gigantic festival, with camping, glamping and two weeks of qualifying races
before the main event. Pick-up trucks pull up at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway, pop open their boots, and unload beer and barbecues for pre-race
tailgating. Scantily clad fans party hard with live DJs and performers in the
Snake Pit. And a massive parade of kaleidoscopic floats, giant balloons and
marching bands takes place downtown on the eve of the final race.
At the opposite end of the speed spectrum, Amish horse-drawn
buggies rattle along rural lanes in Northern Indiana, where life takes a
distinctly slower pace. A Heritage Trail weaves through thriving historic towns
crammed with antiques stores, flea markets and turn-of-the-century buildings.
For two weeks in August, half the state seems to land in
Indianapolis once again for the Indiana State Fair, a massive agricultural
spectacle blending animal shows with live concerts and fairground rides (no,
that doesn't mean cows on the teacups).
Thrill-seekers are also well catered for in Indiana's great
outdoors. Hikers, bikers and mountain climbers make a beeline for the forested
hills of Brown County State Park, which lay claim to some of the most exquisite
autumn scenery in North America.
Things
to see and do in Indiana
Amish country
Visit northern Indiana's
Amish country (www.amishcountry.org) to discover the region's rich
heritage and friendly Amish communities, who still travel by horse and buggy.
Sample Amish food, buy locally made quilts and handicrafts, and enjoy
home-cooked meals.
Bloomington Street Festival
Look for bargains at
Bloomington's Street Festival of the Arts & Crafts in August, or treasures
from the past at the Bloomington Antique Mall.
Children's
Museum of Indianapolis
Families, make a beeline
for the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (www.childrensmuseum.org),
with an amazing collection of interactive exhibits, programs and planetarium.
Football Hall of Fame
Test your football skills
in the Practice Field of the South Bend College Football Hall of Fame (www.collegefootball.org),
then take a fascinating tour of college football history.
Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore
Visit the Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore (www.nps.gov/indu) alongside Lake Michigan. In the
east of the state tour Fort Wayne, Indiana's second-largest city and the scene
of many bloody battles. Fort Wayne is home to the Lincoln Museum (www.thelincolnmuseum.org),
which depicts the life story of the USA's 16th president.
Indianapolis 500
Thrill to the roaring
action of the Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500) (www.indy500.com),
held in May on Memorial Weekend, the largest single-day sporting event in the
world. The motor speedway also hosts the United States Grand Prix in June and
the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in August.
Indianapolis
Visit the state capital,
Indianapolis. Tour the downtown Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and
Western Art (www.eiteljorg.org) and the Indianapolis Zoo,
renowned for its large collection of dolphins and whales.
Squire Boone Caverns
Gaze in awe at dazzling
underground waterfalls, rivers and cave formations in the Squire Boone Caverns (www.squireboonecaverns.com)
in southern Indiana, west of Louisville, Kentucky.
Wolf Park
Spot wolves at Wolf Park (www.wolfpark.org),
an hour northwest of Indianapolis near Lafayette. The creatures wander freely
and, even when they cannot be seen, their piercing howls announce their
presence.
REFERENCE SITES:
I grew up in a small town in
northeastern Indiana. I had an all-American childhood. And I grew up as an
optimist.
Mary Meeker
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