James Dean is an Indiana legend who captured hearts and was taken too young. This small memorial…read morecommemorates the site of an apartment (now gone) in which he was born in Marion, Indiana. I happened upon the memorial while looking for a place to eat. There is a large sign pointing to the memorial and a historical marker at the memorial. A large granite monument with impressions of Dean is surrounded by benches to sit. Dean died in an automobile accident at the age of 24. He is bury in Fairmont, Indiana, where he grew up. He had made three movies depicting life in the early 1950's. While he died before I was born, I remember watching reruns of his movies with my mother. I think of her as I see the memorial. There is limited street parking near the memorial and no amenities.

What a nice tribute to James Dean! I was so excited to see that Marion, IN, gave quite the upgrade…read moreto their memorial in honor of Dean's birthplace. This is a small but nice park with a gorgeous memorial. Lots of free parking right next to it.

I spent about two hours here in a corner of the parking lot where there was a free Level 1 charger…read moreand waited out a pretty strong rainstorm. Beulah Park is quite large and includes public restrooms, more than one huge picnic pavilion, sporting fields and a playground. The pool is open in the summer, there is a horseshoe pit, basketball (Of course! This is Indiana!) and tennis courts. [Review 1312 of 2024 - 188 in Indiana - 22335 overall]

As part of the county fairgrounds, Beulah Park has an aquatic park, playground, and tennis courts…read more Particularly during non-fair times, there is plenty of parking. The playground has a variety of pieces and has a secure area for smaller kids. There is also an area for horse shoe competition. The park has a lot of shade trees but could use more benches/tables for adults to sit on while the kids are running around. Review #1163

When you think of Indiana's trails, you most likely think of the bigger trails like the Cardinal…read moreGreenway, Nickel Plate, Central Indiana's Monon Trail, or even the Pumpkinvine. You don't likely think about the Sweetser Switch Trail. You should. This is a delightful trail, a connector to the nearby Cardinal Greenway that runs the full-length of the small town of Sweetser, Indiana. The trail is a three-mile long rail-trail. This means it runs along a railway for pretty much its entire length. It's fully paved and a mostly gentle trail. As a wheelchair user myself, I can fully attest to its accessibility. There's ample parking at nearly every crossing road and, trust me, Sweetser loves its little but memorable trail. The trail allows for biking, walking, running, use by wheelchairs, roller blading, and horseback riding. Sweetser is located in Grant County - so, it's definitely worth of a day trip with a stop in Sweetser then possibly five more miles over to Marion. This trail is part of the American Discovery Trail and despite being only three miles in length you'll see two covered bridges (over Pipe Creek) and you'll even see some train equipment. You'll even see a statue of Garfield commemorating Hoosier and Garfield creator Jim Davis who grew up nearby. Grant County has about 13.5 miles of paved trail these days. Thus, you could easily give yourself a decent half-marathon run and stay in Grant County. Just east of downtown Sweetser the trail is even lit so that you could do an evening run. During the better weather seasons, you'll definitely see bird boxes, picnic shelters, and an old-fashioned water pump. Quite honestly, this is a beautiful little trail that is well maintained. Since it really stays within Sweetser, there's a pretty good chance you're going to actually encounter people along the route. As a couple of fun facts, the first mile of the trail was funded entirely by donations AND the entire trail was developed from start-to-finish in one year. For trails, that's pretty amazing. You can even take your dogs to nearby Pawadise Park - Grant County's first dog park. Whenever I'm wheeling in this part of the state, I make it a point to add the Sweetser Switch Trail to my route because it makes for a few miles of beautiful wheeling and practically guarantees I'll run into some friendly people along the way. I give it a wholehearted thumbs up.

This is our first time visiting the area. I didn't even know there was a Sweetser, Indiana. Given…read morehow rural this area is, I was extremely impressed with the flat, paved trail. There are lots of parking spaces (at multiple locations) where you can park and then ride or walk. The path is great for biking, strollers, dog walking, and other fun outdoor activities. It was nice that a lot of the trail had shade or partial shade. I think the trail alone justifies a road trip to Sweetser!

In downtown Upland, there is a well kept park that is filled with historical information and…read moreobjects from the days when the railroads made and broke towns. Upland was believed to be the highest point between Chicago and Columbus so a depot was erected here. The park has a curved wall that has plaques with information about Upland. There is also a gazebo on the west end, a caboose in the middle, and a wooden play train large enough for smaller kids to play in. Unfortunately, the depot and caboose don't allow visitors to go inside. That would be cool if they could be restored and allow tours at certain times. Review #2550

This memorial is located at a beautiful location that spans the area over the White River between…read moredowntown Muncie and the wooded Minnetrista. Although the span is lengthy, the walking/bicycling portion of the bridge has great views for visitors as well as periodically spaced enlarged areas where memorial granite pieces have the names of former police and firefighters who have passed in the line of duty. At the time of my visit, the memorials were limited to the southern end of the bridge and hopefully, not need to expand beyond that. From the west side of the bridge you can see the mini dam that breaks the water, creating a small waterfall effect across the river. Review #937

Great trails! Definitely one of my favorites. Not too crowded. There's a good variety of trail…read moreoptions. The trails are well kept. It was very cool to see the mounds and read about the history.

If you haven't been here the mounds are an archeological site, and that this site and was noticed…read moreby outsiders/settlers and survived is also amazing. The nature center has a great mural of the mounds, their preservation, and Mounds before it became Mounds State Park. The obligatory bird/wildlife viewing room, like Turkey Run and Brown County State Park, is here, when you finally peel yourself away from that peaceful space, visit the Bronnenberg House next door to the nature center. You can only go in to the Bronnenberg home on the weekends, but no one bugged us for peeking in the windows of the closed building. There is sadly no more pool, and hasn't been for a couple decades, but you can get your feet wet in the shallows of the White River. We poked around for mussel shells and man-made fossils, river-erroded glass, tiles, and brick bits. Plenty of hiking trails and bike-able spots in the park, a minimal bike trail in the from Bronnenberg house the group of mounds, but the roads are pretty flat around the park if you need a good ride. Friendly enough staff at the gate and campground gate, and one ranger took the time to say hi to us after noticing our way out of state plates. Fellow campers were quiet enough, making this a good getaway.

Tucked away on the south side of Jonesboro is the community park that serves as the place for…read morerecreation and Old Settler's Day events. There is a cabin from 1834 that belonged to Obadiah Jones, whom the town was named after. The park also has basketball, shelters, two playgrounds, disc golf, and some baseball fields on the southern end. There is a gravel parking lot on the north end of the park along with one of the shelters close by. But neither are in the best shape. Some TLC would help the park return to a better appearance, and of course, funding would help a lot. Still, lots of space and a variety of things to do here. Review #2235

A really decent campground run by the county. Clean showers and restrooms were remarkably clean…read more Campsites were all concrete pads and level. Nice walking area across the historic bridge and close to town for dining if desired. A definite must-return when in the area.

White River RV Park in Cicero, Indiana, gets two thumbs up and a marshmallow on a stick from us!…read more The lots are large (not Texas-sized, but plenty roomy for comfort) and the whole park is set in such a beautiful area, it feels like a postcard. The weather? Absolutely perfect. Pretty sure someone pulled a few strings upstairs, because it was the kind of weather that makes you suspicious. ("Okay, who ordered the deluxe sunshine package?" ) Cheeky perks: * So peaceful you can actually hear yourself think... which is slightly terrifying if you travel with teenagers. * The views are so pretty you'll forget all about your Netflix queue. * Campfires taste 37% better here -- don't ask us why, it's science. We'll definitely be back -- unless the weather fairy calls in sick.