Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Greenwood, IN
Posts: 125

Indiana doesn't have the spectacular attractions like some other states do, but there are a lot of nice places to visit.

If you end up in the northern third of the state:
1. Shipshewana in Lagrange County has a neat sort of artsy/craftsy downtown and a LOT of Amish. If you are coming from Ohio that may not be anything new though. Amish food is out of this world.
2. In South Bend, you can stop off at Notre Dame and look at some of the architecture. I just moved from SB after living there for four years and it is a nice place -- go to Bruno's pizza on the south side of town if you get a chance.
3. One of the most interesting outdoor places in Indiana is Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, up in the northwest corner of the state. As the name suggests -- the shore of Lake Michigan is lined with 50-100 foot high sand dunes that are a real challenge to hike up. Great place to hike, and there's camping there too.

In the middle third:
1. There are two great parks in central Indiana -- Turkey Run State Park (on the west side of the state) and Brown County State Park (south central). There are actually fairly challenging hiking trails there. Brown County and Nashville are pretty well known for their crafts communities, and if you like bluegrass this is where Bill Monroe grew up and there is practially a bluegrass festival every week in Bean Blossom.
2. Indianapolis is a pretty cool city. Not terribly cosmopolitan but friendly and lots of neat things to do.

In the southern third:
1. My wife and I vacationed in Madison (right on the Ohio river, halfway between Louisville and Cincinnatti) recently and really enjoyed it. Beautiful architecture, lots of history (it's the oldest city in Indiana, I think), good shops, and excellent wineries.

For outdoors purposes -- the further south you go in Indiana, the better the hiking/mountain biking gets. Contrary to popular belief, it's not all flat here.

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BertBert
Mark 12:28-31

Registered: Dec 2000
Location:
Posts: 175

quote:

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Originally posted by snippet
- the Salt Lick! It's in Dripping Springs just south of Austin, and it is worth the trip. And there are some great campgrounds in the hill country around there - Guadalupe State Park, Inks Lake (my fav), Perdanales Falls, McKinney Falls (its in Austin)...

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Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Texas
Posts: 47

quote:

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Originally posted by Anomaly


Oh man, did you bring back some college memories. Use to go to Inks Lake and Pedernales Falls all the time. Ah, and the Salt Lick ...

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and so it goes ...

Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 58

quote:

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Originally posted by sowens
And on the western end of NY:

Historically, the Rochester area was host to a number of people from Fredrick Douglas

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Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony are both buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, which was one of the first victorian cemeteries in the country. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, who's probably best known for Central Park in New York City. It's a very beautiful place, and although it may sound strange some of my fondest memories of the four years I spent in Rochester are from walks through Mount Hope; it's a peaceful, meditative place (and gorgeous in the spring!).

quote:

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The area has it's share of museums. Probably the most famous is the Corning Glass Museum, but the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the Memorial Art Gallery are good as well. Of course, there's the George Eastman house, too.

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The Strong museum is interesting too. And right near the Eastman House is the furthest east of Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie-style homes, the E.E. Boynton house. It's privately owned, but quite visible from the street and well worth a look. If you enjoy good architecture you should also be sure to check out the Corn Hill district, which is a designated historical area with lots of beautiful 19th century homes in the Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Second Empire, and Italian Villa styles.

I didn't spend much time in Buffalo, but Niagara falls is definitely worth seeing. There are also a couple of Frank Lloyd Wright houses there, and Elmwood ave is a neat street with lots of galleries and offbeat shops.

If you're going to make it to the east coast and all the way up to Maine, check out Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth, not too far from Portland. Watching the tide come in against the rocks is amazing, and exploring the tidal pools when the tide goes out is fun too. Winslow Homer's studio in Prout's Neck is just a mile or two up the coast, and the park looks like many of the rocky shores that appear in his paintings. If you do make it out there, be sure also to get some salt water taffy at Len Libby

Phew! I miss the northeast

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Registered: Mar 2001
Location: Out of my skull, back in five minutes
Posts: 1435

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Originally posted by usonian2001
If you're going to make it to the east coast and all the way up to Maine

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There's also the Marginal Way in Ogunquit (about 1 hr into Maine from Portsmouth NH), assuming it's still there; it's a narrow pathway along a cliffside overlooking the ocean.
And if you go to Freeport you can shop your butt off at LL Bean and could always (plug, plug) visit the Annie's Book Stop just south of town for fresh new and used books; the new owner is my brother

Since I didn't mention museums before, there's the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, VT slightly to the south of Rutland -- I think I butchered the name of it though -- and within Rutland itself is one of two Norman Rockwell Museums that I know of (the other is in the Berkshires someplace).

There is a Cartoon Museum in Hague, NY, near to Ticonderoga. It's only open on wekends in the summer tho,and closed now that it's after Columbus Day. I think it'll be open agan around Memorial Day (there will still be skiing in the area by then!)

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Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Petersburg, AK
Posts: 131

While on things to do in the Rochester (NY) area-

I'd suggest a dayhike up one of the gorges formed from one of the streams flowing into one of the Finger Lakes. Watkins Glen is beautiful (I was married nearby) but I'd go with a smaller less developed hike. If anyone is interesed in a few "secret" spots just let me know. Zurick Bog (sp?) is a cool spot because you can see pitcher plants and a few other oddities. Hit Darien Lake if you like amusement parks - oh wait - I guess you're going in the winter huh?

Actually unlike "usonian2001" I can't say I have all that many great memories of activities from that area. But I grew up there so I certainly didn't appreciate it.

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 708

A really nice place to visit is The Biltmore Estate. It is in Asheville, NC about 04Hours from Atlanta.

As for Georgia, you could always visit Stone Mountain. If you make it to downtown Atlanta and need a great hotel, the Georgian Terrace is unbelievable. It is also across the street from the Fox Theatre, another interesting attraction. If you are looking for outdoors, head North on I575 for BlueRidge.

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In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. JOHN 14:2

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 24

Arizona is more than Grand Canyon

My husband and I are Ohio transplants - we've lived in Phoenix since 1978 and have probably seen more of Arizona than we ever did of Ohio.

Arizona is gorgeous - we never tire of it.

Top of my list are Lake Powell (you have got to see Rainbow Bridge), Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon - gorgeous red rocks and canyons; Jerome - a small, isolated former mining town that is now artsy crafty; the Painted Desert (a moonscape on earth and, in my opinion, the prettiest place in the state); Canyon de Chelly (da shay) - imagine the being down in the Grand Canyon, in a truck/jeep, looking up - you can Spider Woman Rock and ancient cliff dwellings as well (arrange tours through Justin's Thunderbird Lodge, in Chinle'). Then, there's Sunset Crater (Flagstaff) and the Saguaro National Forest (Tucson) and the San Xavier del Bac Mission, south of Tucson (recently restored).

And, of course - Phoenix - to see Camelback Mountain and, maybe "the BOB" - just to see the home of the current World Series champs.

I could go on and on, but, these are sites you "must see" if you visit AZ.

Have a safe trip.

Lynne