Travel – Indianapolis Monthly https://www.indianapolismonthly.com The city’s authoritative general interest magazine Wed, 16 Oct 2024 15:12:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.1 Traveler: Key West https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/traveler-key-west/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 09:00:33 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=333176 Location is key for exploring Florida’s best-known island.

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THOUGH ONLY 4 square miles, Key West is renowned—thanks partly to Jimmy Buffett and his Margaritaville—for its laid-back, carefree escapes. The Gulf-front Hyatt Centric Key West Resort & Spa sits just off the famed Duval Street in Old Town, an ideal spot for touring on foot. The resort rents both bikes and golf carts if you want to venture farther than your trotters can carry you. Perhaps Key West’s best-known establishment, Sloppy Joe’s Bar, is a five-minute walk away at Duval and Greene streets. That intersection has transformed since Ernest Hemingway was among its rakish regulars, but much about the establishment would be familiar to him. The ceiling fans still hum knowingly; the bell at the long, curved bar is still rung at a big tip; and the jalousie doors continue to swing open to a lively, offbeat crowd. About 15 minutes farther is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. The pre–Civil War fort sits alongside a beach popular for swimming and snorkeling. A champagne sunset cruise, jet ski and parasailing tours, and fishing charters leave right from the Hyatt’s dock. Join the latter, and your catch will be prepared at elegant on-site restaurant Four Flamingos. With Richard Blais, the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef: All-Stars, at the helm, the menu is inventive, from crabmeat White Lasagna to the Island Espresso cocktail with a coconut-bubble dome. After dinner, grab a Centric Aperol Spritz at the Blue Mojito Pool Bar & Grill, newly renovated in Mediterranean chic, and sip it on the swing at the end of the pier as the sun sets.

IF YOU GO
POSE The buoy at the southernmost point in the continental U.S. (South and Whitehead streets) sits 90 miles from Cuba. The line moves fast as visitors take each other’s photo in turns.
LEARN Guided tours of the Hemingway Home & Museum include the writing studio of the larger-than-life novelist and the lush grounds, home to dozens of polydactyl cats.
STROLL Marvel at tropical flowers, waterfalls, rosy flamingos, and 50 species of butterflies at The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory.

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Day Trip: Dougherty Orchards https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/day-trip-dougherty-orchards/ Fri, 11 Oct 2024 09:36:53 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=333020 This Cambridge City site will be the apple of your eye.

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FIND YOUR OWN Great Pumpkin at Dougherty Orchards in Cambridge City, family-run since 1883. Besides gourds galore, you can take home treats even Linus didn’t imagine: any of 33 types of apples, as well as pears, honey, and apple cider doughnuts. Consider a stop in their winery for a glass of apple vino.

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Traveler: Call of Nature https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/traveler-call-of-nature/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:01:40 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=331898 Fresh-air autumn adventures await at a nearby national park.

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THERE’S NOTHING quite like fall in a national park. Just south of Cleveland, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is filled with towering oak, maple, and hickory trees that explode with color during fall. Despite nature’s magnificent display, Cuyahoga Valley isn’t exactly wild. In the colonial era, the area became the home of Lenape, Ojibwa, Seneca, and other Indigenous refugees who had been pushed out of the East and were later removed even farther west by Europeans who wanted to convert the valley to farmland. But the park is a testament to how nature can heal some wounds, if allowed to.

Hiking the more than 125 miles of trails to whatever extent stamina allows is the best way to take in the beauty of the park. It’s also how to reach its star attractions, Brandywine Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Both can be accessed via short boardwalks. A loop around Brandywine Falls gives hikers a closer look.

Those who prefer pedaling over walking can thank acclaimed single track designer and Indianapolis resident Alex Stewart for the 8 miles of mountain bike trails inside the park. Cyclists who want to cover even more ground will find roughly 15 more miles of single track just outside the park, or they can stick to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, which traverses 20 miles of old canal remnants through some of Cuyahoga’s most scenic forests and wetlands.

When travelers get pooped or just feel ready for a change of pace, they can hop onto the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. Many vacationers bike the crushed limestone trail one way, then take the train back to their starting point. (Be sure to check the railroad schedule, which changes with the seasons.) The train allows riders to hop on and o  at any station to explore at their leisure. Specialty tours, such as Cocktails on Rails or Breakfast on the Cuyahoga, are always popular.

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Traveler: Minnesota Wins https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/traveler-minnesota-wins/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 16:57:11 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=329579 Find choice chefs, ambitious art, and more in Minneapolis.

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Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s “Spoonbridge
and Cherry” at the Walker Art Center’s Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Photograph by Mike Krivit

WHEN THE 2024 James Beard Awards were announced, the winner for Best Chef: Midwest was Christina Nguyen of Hai Hai. Her Southeast Asian street food eatery isn’t alone in being nationally acclaimed. A parade of restaurants have made Minneapolis/ St. Paul a hotbed for top-tier dining.

Sean Sherman of Indigenous restaurant Owamni by The Sioux Chef and education center Indigenous Food Lab is a past winner of Beard’s Best Book award for The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. Gavin Kaysen of Spoon and Stable is a former Best Chef: Midwest. The area is peppered with Beard award finalists, including the English pub George & The Dragon (ganddpub.com) and the Italian sister restaurants Bar La Grassa and 112 Eatery. What to do in between meals when in the Twin Cities—besides napping? Loads.

Hai Hai is a Southeast Asian street food destination.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art is a first-class yet free museum packed with familiar names (Vincent van Gogh, Joan Miró, and Ai Weiwei, among others) as well as contemporary exhibits to discover. Upcoming is At the Moulin Rouge featuring works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his circle. For an outdoor experience, the Walker Art Center’s Minneapolis Sculpture Garden surrounds you with creativity both bold (like Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s landscape-defining Spoonbridge and Cherry) and refined (like Ta-coumba T. Aiken, Rosemary Soyini Vinelle Guyton, and Seitu Jones’ Shadows at the Crossroads.)

Throw your hat in the air at Nicollet Avenue and 7th Street. You’ll find plenty doing the same near the Mary Tyler Moore statue celebrating her Minneapolis-based sitcom and its iconic opening credits sequence.

The iconic Stone Arch Bridge at Anthony Falls.

Photograph by Lane Pelovsky


If You Go

CHEER Catch the Twins at Target Field, conveniently located near its own public-transit train station.

APPLAUD The Tony award–winning Guthrie Theater opens its season with The Lehman Trilogy. Take a tour of the costume and scene shops.

EXPLORE An aquarium, 500 stores, 50 restaurants, a roller coaster, and mirror maze make up the Mall of America.

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Columbus, IN: A Place In Time https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/arts-and-culture/books-tv-and-radio/columbus-in-a-place-in-time/ Thu, 25 Jul 2024 16:15:14 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=327338 A new book chronicles the historic civic project that built one of the most architecturally important cities in the country—and shows how its working-class citizens fit into the forever-modernist landscape.

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Photography by Iwan Baan

An excerpt from American Modern: Community; Architecture; Columbus, Indiana, written by Matt Shaw and photographed by Iwan Baan

A new book chronicles the historic civic project that built one of the most architecturally important cities in the country—and shows how its working-class citizens fit into the forever-modernist landscape.

IN THE MID-1940s, Columbus industrialist J. Irwin Miller, head of Cummins Engine Company, began an extraordinary side project. In an effort to draw in more white-collar talent, he commissioned a roster of titans in the world of modernist architecture to design a series of crisp, angular, and sometimes brutally stark buildings in his hometown. That campaign brought the work of renowned architects such as Robert Venturi, Harry Weese, and Eliel and Eero Saarinen to Bartholomew County, an almost surreal accomplishment. “The concept of not reaping your field to its border—nor maximizing personal profits but deferring some of your land or harvest to the public realm (your neighbors)—became a foundation for Miller’s humancentric approach to business,” writes author and Columbus native Matt Shaw in the sweeping monograph American Modern: Community; Architecture; Columbus, Indiana, available this month from Monacelli. Shaw’s in-depth history, excerpted here alongside images by the book’s photographer, Iwan Baan, tells how Miller’s world-class vision played out in the everyday structures of a town that remains, as Shaw describes it, “the highest of high Modernism, the best ideas from around the world—absorbed and made more pragmatic, smaller, and more humane in a community where purely top-down solutions would have never worked.”

Cleo Rogers Memorial Library 1969, I.M. Pei

The Cleo Rogers Memorial Library represented the moment when it all came together for Columbus in a magnificent public space that Architectural Forum called “a physical center in the best architectural tradition … an urbane statement of the town’s civic aspirations in brick, concrete and bronze.”

Lincoln Center Ice Rink (Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena) 1958, Harry Weese

Two outdoor rinks were flanked by a Weese-designed building that was conceived as a chalet, or a “Black Forest stage setting for exhilarating winter evenings under the stars.” The domestic interior is arranged around a fireplace, with a gabled roof with interior wood beams sitting on massive granite walls. According to Weese, “the permanent natural materials, the opaqueness, and the symmetry all [conspired] towards a civic, if informal character.”

Photography by Iwan Baan

First Baptist Church 1965, Harry Weese

Weese originally wanted First Baptist to be made of concrete … but the congregation insisted on brick walls and a slate roof. This could be considered a common thread through most of the design in Columbus. It was not the whims of one person supporting the architects’ intellectual projects, but rather real people employing architects and deploying architectural thinking as a means to improve their surroundings and meet their purpose.

Southside Elementary 1969, Eliot Noyes

Southside is the only building in Columbus designed in the High Brutalist style, with bold concrete forms that recall the public housing and postwar city centers around Britain, mainland Europe, and the Soviet Union.

Photography by Iwan Baan

Miller House and Garden 1957, Eero Saarinen

The Saarinen-designed Miller House served a dual purpose as the family home as well as a piece of social infrastructure that allowed [owners J. Irwin and Xenia Miller] to entertain out-of-town guests, including politicians, artists, musicians, business associates, and a host of other social contacts.

Pence Place Housing 1984, Charles Gwathmey

The destruction of low-income housing [contributed] to a housing shortage in the downtown area that has never truly been solved, although Charles Gwathmey of New York’s Gwathmey Siegel & Associates (GSA) completed two housing projects toward that goal: Sycamore Place, senior housing just blocks east of downtown in 1982, and Pence Place, HUD-subsidized housing in East Columbus in 1984.

Photography by Iwan Baan

Par 3 Golf Course Clubhouse 1972, Bruce Adams

Par 3 Golf Course’s clubhouse … has cedar siding with a shake roof reminiscent of the wood siding and supergraphics of Northern California’s Sea Ranch.

Photography by Iwan Baan

Fire Station No. 4 1968, Robert Venturi

Fire Station No. 4 continues to be one of the most visited buildings by tourists, but also one of the most misunderstood. In 1976, Venturi wrote a letter to the Visitors Center upon hearing that tour guides were refusing to show it and claiming that “the building is a joke” and “the architect was making fun of Columbus.”

St. Peter’s Lutheran Church 1988, Gunnar Birkerts

Comparing Lincoln Elementary and its neighbor across the street, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, both by Gunnar Birkerts, one can see the changes in American architecture from 1967 to 1988.

L. Francis Smith Elementary 1969, John Johnson

Smith Elementary is laid out in three concrete wings connected by prefabricated, corrugated metal tubes painted orange, yellow, green, and purple. As students move through the network of tubes and around the transparent courtyard, the choreography of the school day activates the courtyard and overlooking hallways.

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The Best Drinking And Dining At Indianapolis International Airport https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/food-and-drinks/best-restaurants-bars-airport-indianapolis/ Tue, 23 Jul 2024 16:00:33 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=326984 Catch a meal from some of Indy’s favorite restaurants before or after your flight.

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Credit: Dave Pluimer

Airplane food doesn’t have the best rep, but dining options at the Indianapolis International Airport are a whole other story. Here’s where to find some tasty local meals on the fly.

Main plaza (open to all)

Circle City Beer Garden

Thirsty? This Indiana-centric watering hole pulls craft pints from regional breweries and pours wine and cocktails accompanied by a selection of sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and breakfast all day. 11 a.m.–10 p.m.

Indiana Pacers Courtside Club

Root for the home team with a Boomer Burger named to honor the Pacers’ mascot. Even if there’s not a game to watch, you can admire the hoops-themed decor and memorabilia on display. 8 a.m.–7 p.m.

Nature’s Table

Fuel up—and feel good—for your flight with veggie-leaning choices such as wraps, filling protein bowls, fruity smoothies, soulful soups, and early morning–appropriate fare. 6 a.m.–8 p.m.

Concourse A (ticketed passengers only)

Bento Sushi

Counter service quickly satisfies cravings for California rolls, spicy tuna, and salmon sashimi with grab-and-go packaged options. P.S. There’s also ramen, gyoza, udon, and poke bowls. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., gate A11

Credit: Tony Valainis/Indianapolis Monthly

Bub’s Burgers

When your stomach wants something familiar, it’s hard to go wrong with a flame-kissed cheeseburger, crinkle-cut fries, and a hand-dipped milkshake. Upgrade your appetite if you’re planning to tackle the one-pound Big Ugly. 6 a.m.–8 p.m., gate A11

Harry & Izzy’s

Nothing says welcome home to Indy like clearing out your stuffy sinuses after a long flight with a St. Elmo’s classic spicy shrimp cocktail. 6 a.m.–9 p.m., gate A6

Tinker Coffee Cafe

Get an early-morning (caffeine) buzz with a latte, nitro cold brew, or cuppa breakfast blend from this popular Indy-based coffee roaster. 4 a.m.–9 p.m., gate A20

Concourse B (ticketed passengers only)

Ben’s Soft Pretzels

Keep those restless kids occupied for a few minutes with a giant soft Amish pretzel. Or buy them the cinnamon and sugar-dusted variation . 5 a.m.–6 p.m., gate B7

Just Pop In!

Bags of the fun-loving brand’s signature caramel-cheddar Indy Style popcorn—or any of the salty, sweet, and spicy alternatives—make the perfect snack to carry on. 7 a.m.–8 p.m., gate B6

Shapiro’s Delicatessen

You’ll probably sleep through your entire flight after polishing off a Reuben, corned beef, or pastrami on rye stacked sky high (with extra pickles on the side, natch). 5 a.m.–8 p.m., gate B14

Sun King Tap Room

Flight delayed? Cool your jets and kill some time with a sandwich, a game on TV, and a friendly pint of Sunlight Cream Ale or Pachanga Mexican Lager. 7 a.m.–9 p.m., gate B13

This article appeared in the July, 2024 issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine. Subscribe today.

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Day Trip: Exotic Feline Rescue Center https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/day-trip-exotic-feline-rescue-center/ Fri, 12 Jul 2024 15:23:33 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=326759 The Exotic Feline Rescue Center provides homes for and education about the dozens of species of large and small felines under the care of a dedicated team of staff and volunteers.

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STROLL ON THE wild side at the EXOTIC FELINE RESCUE CENTER in Center Point, Indiana. It’s home to 100-plus big cats (and a skulk of foxes) saved from bad situations, including a serval found walking the Las Vegas strip. The Summer Safari on July 20 features kids’ activities, local craft vendors, food trucks, and special tours.

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Traveler: Lake Life https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/traveler-lake-life/ Thu, 11 Jul 2024 17:02:22 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=326534 Splashy fun awaits boaters, nature lovers, and relaxation seekers in Missouri.

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Photo courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB

LAKE OF THE OZARKS may have gained notoriety from the Jason Bateman Netflix show Ozark, but you don’t need to worry about running into foul-mouthed, drug-running blondes. The real Lake of the Ozarks is more like a perpetual Jimmy Buffett song, only set in rural Missouri.

Here, life revolves around the massive lake. (How massive? More than 90 miles long, with more than 1,000 miles of shoreline.) If you’re not towing your own 22-foot pleasure craft, don’t fret; you can rent a pontoon or bass boat from the Alhonna Resort & Marina.

Anglers will want to plan a visit for September, April, or May, when the crowds are thin and largemouth bass—16-inch whoppers are not uncommon—and crappie are biting. If you’re a serious angler visiting for the first time, hiring an experienced guide for the first day can pay off nicely. Local fisherman John Neporadny, author of The Lake of the Ozarks Fishing Guide, is one of the most in-demand. Just don’t forget to buy your out-of-state fishing license.

Photo courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB

During the Memorial Day to Labor Day high season, recreational boaters rule, zipping around and leaving huge wakes, pop-country anthems echoing throughout the coves. Dog Days is a popular spot to dock and grab a bite. The lakefront bar and grill with live music and two pools, one with a swim-up bar—and the site of the annual Canine Cannonball competition—can be a bit boisterous on weekends, but if you’re out for a good time, it’s hard to beat. When you’re ready to get away from the water for a bit, Lake of the Ozarks and Ha Ha Tonka state parks offer scenic hiking trails for all skill levels.

Photo courtesy Lake of the Ozarks CVB

IF YOU GO

CAMP Lake of the Ozarks State Park has an RV-friendly campground with sites on the water. Boat rentals are available.

EAT Ozark fans should seek out the Alhonna Resort’s Blue Cat Lounge (the sign is a prop from the show) for its house favorite Italian Beef Roll and show-themed cocktails, such as Darlene’s Killer Lemonade.

LEARN MORE lakeoftheozarks.com

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Day Trip: Dollie’s Farm https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/day-trip-dollies-farm/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:03:41 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=326033 Let fields of lavish lavender wow you at this perfect picnic spot.

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Who needs Provence? The lavender fields at DOLLIE’S FARM in Franklin are in full, fragrant bloom this month. Further enticements include prancing peacocks and u-pick sunflowers (in 10 colors) and mint (in six flavors). Bring a picnic and your dog; both are encouraged.

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Traveler: Joy Rides https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/lifestyle/travel/traveler-joy-rides/ Thu, 27 Jun 2024 14:56:16 +0000 https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/?p=326009 Saddle up two ways in Kentucky’s horse country.

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Photo courtesy Rail Explorers

IN LEXINGTON, Kentucky, horse country, hopping in the saddle usually means one thing. But Rail Explorers (175 Beasley Rd., Versailles, 877-833-8588) has introduced a fresh adventure that fits the bill. Its cherry-red rail bikes are custom-designed to cruise along railroad tracks, clankety-clanking through bluegrass pastures in Versailles, halfway between Louisville and Lexington. Choose between a two-person or four-person iron horse and pedal to activate the motor, which does most of the work as the carriage whooshes along the tracks for 10 miles round-trip. It goes fast enough on subtle slopes to put wind in the hair. Booze and snacks are allowed on board, as are dogs and babies. The latter tend to fall asleep from the gentle rhythmic rocking. You might see thoroughbreds in the fields en route to the turnaround point, where you’ll stretch your legs over a section of the Kentucky River gorge spanned by a rare S-shaped bridge and a historic trestle bridge. The low-intensity tour takes two hours, about half of which is spent on the move. In addition to daytime rides, Rail Explorers offers lantern-lit cruising at dusk when fireflies twinkle.

Photo courtesy Kentucky Tourism

To trade the rails for trails, look for a riding stable, not to be confused with the 450 working horse farms in the area that cater to jockeys and prize stallions. Big Red Stables (1605 Jackson Pike, Harrodsburg, 502-330-8798) offers guided tours on gentle Tennessee Walking Horses across its lush, hilly fields, and you can add on a meditative grooming session to bond with your steed.

Soothe any saddle-soreness at The Kentucky Castle (230 Pisgah Pike, Versailles, 859-256-0322), a landmark hotel with medieval-esque ramparts and turrets. The luxurious destination has a spa, as well as a working farm where you can shear a sheep.

Photo courtesy Castle & Key Distillery

IF YOU GO

VISIT You might meet Triple Crown winner American Pharoah on a farm tour at Coolmore America, one of the most famous breeders in the area.

HANG OUT Feel daring? A cliff house is built into the rocks at Red River Gorge, accessed by a suspension bridge.

MORE INFO Stroll around the 113 acres of Castle & Key Distillery, home to a botanical garden, tasting room, and grand, restored buildings dating back to 1887.

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