Indiana, IA Road Trips

Indiana is mostly rural with high population concentrations in a few major cities/towns. The majority of Indiana is open farmland, though this is changing with expansion. Most of Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone (same as New York City and Washington, D.C.). However, far northwestern Indiana is the Central Time Zone, so it has the same time as nearby Chicago. Likewise, for southwestern Indiana, which includes Evansville. Both zones observe daylight savings from early March to early November. While English is the common language, there are regions of Indiana where the Amish live who also speak Pennsylvania Dutch, which is related to German. In Northwest Indiana, particularly East Chicago, Spanish is widely spoken. Visit Indiana website

Your traditional sightseeing in Indiana belongs in Indianapolis, which is flush with big museums, an inordinate quantity of giant monuments and memorials, and a very nice canal walk with paddleboats and public art. Outside the cities, and outside of the seemingly endless farmland in the plains, are a host of parks and outdoor recreation areas worth visiting. Without a doubt, the one to see, if you must choose, is Indiana Dunes National Park (and Indiana Dunes State Park). The dunes are enormous, the water crystal clear, the swampy forests beautiful, and the far-off industrial views intriguing.

Brown County State Park Chain O' Lakes State Park Charlestown State Park Clifty Falls State Park Prophetstown State Park Turkey Run State Park Late April Thunder Over Louisville Clarksville and Jeffersonville. The opening ceremonies to Louisville, Kentucky's Kentucky Derby Festival. Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual fireworks show in the country, and the best viewing is along the Indiana shore of the Ohio River. If you plan to get a good seat, prepare to come the day before and camp. In the afternoon, private and military aircraft provide a magnificent airshow. After sunset, the fireworks begin and last nearly half an hour. Early-Mid August Indiana State Fair State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis. The biggest summer event in the state. A trip to Indiana isn't complete without a trip to the fair. Animals, crafts, art, rides, dancing, education, environmentalism, Hoosier Pride and food. They also have live music and concerts. Prairie Home Companion comes every other year. Early September Valparaiso Popcorn Festival Downtown Valparaiso, Valparaiso. Named the "Best Festival of the Region" by The Times readers for 15 years, the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival continues to offer family-fun activities for all ages. Over 200 arts & crafts booths, 30 food booths, kids' games, the 5 miles (8.0 km) Popcorn Panic, and the nation's First Popcorn Parade are only the beginning of the excitement of this incredible festival. Mid-September Lanesville Heritage Weekend Lanesville. A fall festival typical of many in southern Indiana.

Cuisine throughout much of the state is typical Midwestern, with the occasional odd dish like Corn Casserole. Outside of the main cities most of the restaurants are diners or family-style, while in the bigger cities you can find all sorts of varied cuisine. Indianapolis, in particular, has a very cosmopolitan selection of ethnic restaurants from around the world, as do major campus towns (Bloomington, West Lafayette). Lake County, as in most everything, diverges from the norm in Indiana, and is a better place to find Chicago-style food like hot dogs and pizza.

Hoosiers know how to drink! Wherever you are, you would be hard pressed to not find a bar. The trendiest part of the state for a drink is probably Broad Ripple in Indianapolis, but you will find streets packed with bars and pubs throughout the cities of the state, especially near major universities in Bloomington, West Lafayette, and South Bend. Micro-breweries are present in all the major cities, Upland from Bloomington is especially popular and available throughout the state. Drink prices can be very low in Indiana—especially out of the Nine-County Region. It's not uncommon to find domestic bottled beer for $1 during the week, with other varying specials. For dancing and nightlife, the main options are in and around Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, as well as by the major universities. Liquor stores are open on Sundays throughout the state. Hours are noon to 8PM. Bars and restaurants are allowed to serve beer, wine, and liquor seven days a week, between the hours of 7AM and 3AM (the following morning), local time. Hours for bars can vary by population density and owner preference, but the vast majority of full-service "chain" restaurants with alcohol sales will not remain open beyond 11PM or midnight. In most localities however, one can always find a neighborhood bar or nightclub that will serve drinks right up to 3AM. In all substantial cities, almost all bars will remain open until this time. There have been many rumors about a liquor law in Indiana that prohibits the "take home" sale of cold beer. This is partially true.

Indianapolis International Airport (IND IATA) is the major airport in the state with flights to many cities around the country. Direct international service to IND is limited, and includes a daily Air Canada flight to Toronto and service by Southwest and American to Cancún. Small airports in Fort Wayne, Evansville and South Bend offer flights to nearby hub cities. Air service is also available from airports in neighboring states, such as Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville. Numerous interstate highways enter and leave the state. Interstates 80 and 90 form the Indiana Toll Road in northern Indiana, linking Chicago, Hammond, Gary, South Bend, and Ohio. Interstate 94 hugs most of Lake Michigan from Illinois to Michigan. Interstate 65 is the major north-south route from Gary south to Indianapolis then entering Kentucky at Louisville. Interstate 70 is the busiest east-west route linking Illinois (at Terre Haute) with Ohio (at Richmond), passing through Indianapolis midway. Interstate 74 does the same thing, except it enters near Danville, Illinois and leaves near Cincinnati. Interstate 64 crosses southern Indiana from Illinois (25 miles (40 km) northwest of Evansville) to New Albany. Interstate 69 runs from northeast Indiana, out of Michigan, through Fort Wayne and Indianapolis to Evansville, with a gap between Indianapolis and Martinsville that is under construction. Interstate 275 (the Cincinnati bypass) briefly enters Indiana for about 5 miles (8.0 km). US 41 extends from Gary to Evansville and is the major north-south route through western Indiana.

Indiana's motto is "The Crossroads of America" and it is deserving. Indiana has more Interstates (14) than any other state its size, although the original name comes from all the railroad tracks that went through the state. Amtrak offers a thrice weekly train service from Chicago to Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, and more. South Shore Line links Northern Indiana to Chicago, stopping at Hammond, East Chicago, Gary, Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shore, Michigan City, Hudson Lake and South Bend. It terminates at Chicago's Millennium Station. The overall travel time from South Bend to Chicago (and vice versa) 2½ hours. The line utilizes a zone-based fare system, with prices rising based on the distance, and the prices drop slightly on the weekends. The prices range from $3.80–10.75 on weekdays and $3.00–9.00 on weekends. Besides Greyhound, Miller Trailways (aka Hoosier Ride) operates intercity bus service throughout Indiana. Several shuttle bus companies connect Indianapolis Airport with other cities in central Indiana (Terre Haute, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Muncie), making the airport a hub of ground transportation of sorts as well; some of them also have occasional bus service on non-airport routes (to Chicago, shopping malls, etc). GoExpress also runs regular shuttle service between Bloomington and downtown Indianapolis/IUPUI (Campus Commute). Information on transit can be found here. Hitchhiking is legal in Indiana, except on the interstate freeways.

Largely rural, Indiana has a fairly low crime rate per capita. In 2006 (the latest year for which data is available) it ranked 29th in crimes per 100,000 population. Large urban areas are exceptions like the former steel town Gary and the outlying Chicago area in the Northwest and certain segments of Indianapolis. While outside of Tornado Alley, Indiana has a fairly high occurrence of tornadoes. You might want to check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Indiana.