DESTINATION
Indianapolis, Indiana I’ve lived in Indianapolis for nearly half my life, so I know the city and its greenways well. If I’m not travel- ing, you’ll probably find me pedaling one of the many trails that wind their way through the city and into the surrounding suburbs. The most heavily trafficked trail is the 27-mile Monon Trail (rtc.li/monon-trail) connecting Indianapolis with Sheridan to the north. Starting at the popular Mass Ave Cultural Arts District (massaveindy.org) downtown, it heads north through former industrial sites and residential areas, past several pocket parks, through another popular artsy neighborhood called Broad Ripple (broadrippleindy.org), and into affluent Carmel and other northern suburbs. Along the way, it connects to the 10.5-mile Indianapolis Cultural Trail (rtc.li/indianapolis-cultural- trail) weaving through downtown coincide with music; the light shows are offered during the fall and winter, when there are fewer hours of daylight. The Oak Leaf and Hank Aaron trails are part of the developing 700-mile Route of the Badger (railstotrails.org/badger) traversing Southeast Wisconsin. It’s well worth spending a few days exploring the various towns and parks along the route. If you love beer, you’ll definitely love Milwaukee (with a designated driver, of course). Throughout the city you’ll find many laid-back spots where locals hang out to watch a Green Bay Packers or Milwaukee Bucks game, enjoy some tasty (and relatively inexpensive) bar food, and have a good time. Wisco Dive Bar (wiscodivebars.com) offers a great list of potential drinking holes.
and multiple other greenways throughout Indianapolis and Hamilton County, including the Fall Creek Trail (rtc.li/fall-creek- trail), which provides, as TrailLink puts it, a “slice of scenic beauty in an urban setting.” The trail runs through Fort Harrison State Park alongside its namesake waterway, connecting to the Monon Trail near the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Local governments are working to expand the trail north to neighborhoods near Geist Reservoir. Named after our 23rd president and affectionately nicknamed “Fort Ben” by locals like me, the 1,700-acre Fort Harrison State Park offers dozens of trails, both paved and single-track, covered by a canopy of oak and walnut trees. On a gorgeous day, I’ll bring a fishing rod and cast in the park’s lake and along Fall Creek. Once leaving Fort Ben, you can ride unencumbered by traffic until you reach the state fair - grounds, just under 10 miles away. The 10-mile Nickle Plate Trail (a different Nickle Plate Trail can be found farther north in Indiana), built on another former railway connecting the northern suburbs to the state fairgrounds, remains under construction, with a spring 2025 completion eyed (rtc.li/nickel-plate- indy). Connecting to the Midland Trace Trail in the north, this trail network will give Central Indiana residents a 42-mile loop to explore and enjoy. There is no shortage of spots where you can park and hop onto the trail. Indianapolis boasts lots of options for family fun. Take the Cultural Trail to the urban but sprawling White River State Park (whiteriverstatepark.org) downtown, where you can take in a baseball game at Victory Field or hit up the Indiana State Museum (indianamuseum.org) or Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and
Western Art (eiteljorg.org). Taking the 6-mile Central Canal Towpath (rtc.li/ central-canal-towpath) will lead you to Newfields, home to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (rtc.li/indianapolis- museum-art). Located off the trail, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (childrensmuseum.org) is packed with both fun and thought- provoking exhibits. If riding the trails isn’t enough to wear out your kids, an afternoon spent at the museum’s outdoor Riley Hospital Sports Experience surely will. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan Whenever I’m heading north into Michigan, I make it a point to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (nps.gov/slbe). It has gorgeous scenery but isn’t as crowded as a typical national park. (I’d still book your campsite or lodging early, though.) You can read more in my 2020 Destination article on the TrailBlog : rtc.li/sleeping- bear-destination. On a typical weekend trip, I split my time evenly between land and water. One day I’ll pedal the 22-mile Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail (rtc.li/sleeping-bear-trail), and on the second, I’ll kayak the shoreline of the dunes. If you don’t
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