Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Is there anything going on / worth visiting in Indiana / Indianapolis area?
Or is it true that its totally flat and boring and it's best to keep your foot on the gas until you reach the state line.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Flat, boring, and I discovered earlier this week, substantially carpeted with periwinkle. :unsure:

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Many years ago did a campus tour of IU with one of my offspring. I recall the road from Indianpolis to Bloomington and back as rolling countryside.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Flyover states are called flyover states for a reason. At least hat's my understanding.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

You're talking through your hat! :D

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

But surely, there has to be something going on around Indianapolis?

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Visit the speedway. I'd be shocked if they don't give tours similar to the ones at Charlotte Motor Speedway. .... Which is about the only interesting thing to do in Charlotte, NC and that's pretty interesting even if you're not into motorsport. :)

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Plenty of cheap minging strip joints advertising 3 for 2 $5 dances and hotels by the hour bill boards along the way if that floats your boat oh and dont' forget the anti gay and abortion bill boards.

Saying that, Indianapolis is kind of a cool city and the Childrens museum there is very cool.

Dayton has a massive air museum that would be interesting and there's also the speedway if you're into racing as that's quite good, but the tours aren't cheap to get on the track and really quite expensive if you want to do a lap.

Alternatively, it's only a few hours to Chicago...

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Indy is actually not a bad overnight stop. It's not worth traveling from Timbuktu to see it, but if you're passing through the area, then it's a good place to eat, booze it up and recuperate.

Unlike many US cities, it actually has a real downtown, with nightlife and restaurants that don't stop at 5PM. Meridian Street south of Monument Circle (big traffic circle/ war memorial in the center of town) is where you'll find the loud places, and Massachusetts Avenue to the northeast (about a ten minute walk, as I recall) is a bit artsy. If you like blues, then the Slippery Noodle is a good venue on Meridian Avenue, which isn't located quite in the heart of the bar district but is in within walking distance.

Again, I wouldn't make it a regular vacation spot or want to live there, but it beats the hell out of being in South Bend, Evansville, or the northwestern Indiana industrial bits.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Thank you. I like the sound of a proper down town scene, where you can walk between venues. Been missing that.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

I'm sure there are fairly cheap flights out of Indy. Does that count?

That being said, I think there are like two or three universities in the city. For about 8 months of the year at least, that would attract events that are not specifically student oriented/exclusive, plus college sports. Also, I recall one of the "I" states haveing a pretty awesome yearly music festival, but that could also be Idaho, or Iowa for all I can be certain.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

I do hope that I didn't oversell it. The Meridian bar scene fits within a relatively compact area, and that section of Massachusetts Ave. is just a block or two long. There are quite a few other parts of Indianapolis that aren't worth the bother; these are just small portions of the area that are good enough for the occasional stopover.

Seeing that you're in Missouri, I think that you'll find that the situation is about on par with areas such as the Central West End in St. Louis or Westport in Kansas City -- these districts aren't bad, but they're relatively small areas within the sprawl.

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

Depends what interests you.

The Indianapolis Zoo is excellent as are the Indiana State and Eiteljorg museums - the 3 are within walking distance of each other. The NCAA Hall of Champions is in the same location if one is a sports fan. The Childrens Museum is great for young and old alike. The Art Museum is good and is adjacent to the Lily (the drug company founder) mansion and grounds that are open for tours. Connor Praire History Park, in Fishers, on the northeast side of Indianapolis, has villages from various time periods in US history and Symphony on the Prairie concerts in a natural grassy amphitheater on weekend evenings. And, as Pulaski wrote, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a good racing musuem and the Indy Racing Experience Program.

Regards, JEff

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

I used to be a regular at the Slippery Noodle - every Saturday night. Good food and excellent blues, two bands going on weekends. It's at the southern end of the entertainment district, which is only 1/2 mile long. It's 2 very short blocks east of the new Colts stadium and a block west and 2 blocks south of Conseco Fieldhouse where the Pacers play and concerts and other events are performed.

Regards, JEff

Re: Indiana - totally flat and boring?
 

How about the Broad Ripple area, ~7 miles north of Monument Circle in Indy?

Regards, JEff