Love Bloomington. Feels like an all American hometown. Easy shopping and walking. Food and drink…read moreplaces are everywhere and offer a wide variety. Clean, bright and friendly. Downtown is a real gem and you feel good just being there. People are friendly and quick to talk. Ample hotels at various price point ensure you will find something to fit your taste and budget.

I did enjoy my time in Bloomington - great pizza, fabulous coffee, the art museum at IU. I found…read moresome great beers along the way. Soma Coffee House (there are a few of them) is excellent. But wow, it seemed like I caught ever single red light in this city. And it's a big city - the fourth largest outside Indianapolis. Lots of crappy roads here too including one bump that was so hard, it knocked my coffee cup out of the cupholder. Yowza! I should have circled back to take a picture. Bloomington will be the birthplace of Captain Janeway (Star Trek) in a century or two. And for now, it's the home of Indiana University. Lots of crimson all around on the university students. Hoosiers, named after the Native American term for corn. Or so some would believe. Janko's Little Zagreb for a spendy steak. Aver's Pizza (there are at least two locations). The Sinkhole for craft beers. Enjoy yourself and keep an eye on your parking meter. They are everywhere! [Review 20643 overall - 153 in Indiana - 1624 of 2023.]

My afternoon "office" for a few hours, I spent my time here pounding out emails and (quietly)…read moredialed in to a Zoom bridge or two. A comfortable work space in the corner where my laptops and phone plugged in and charged. The library is quite large and spacious. Lots of interesting spaces, tons of stacks of books, I thought the shelf of role playing game kits was a unique offering. You do not need to be a local resident in order to use the library, only to borrow materials. [Review 20560 overall - 98 in Indiana - 1541 of 2023.]

SO I was nervous to go to this location which was so silly in hindsight (to go to the downtown…read morelocation) because I'm spoiled by the Southside location by my house. Extensive water damage has closed the Southern location till at least June 2024 so here I was looking for kids' North Dakota books for a school report. Not only did I find an extensive amount of books for my son, I got him some graphic novels, some launchpads, some free seeds from the seed library and a free subscription to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. I was also intrigued by the library of mysterious things upstairs. The ambience was clean, well thought out, and the staff was superb. I will be back without hesitation. I heard there is a drive-through to drop stuff off for parents with young kids. I have noticed there were a ton of parents and small children there for various groups. Looks promising!

After finishing a trip to the Mathers Museum of World Culture, my wife and I selected a doorway…read morethat leads to the museum portion of the IU Archaeology department. They share the same building and although there is a separate entrance from the outside, we found it easiest to simply go through the doorway. Note that we didn't see anyone monitoring the museum during our visit, so we just browsed on our own. The museum is part of a larger area which includes a research library and even more exhibits in the central lobby area of the upstairs portion. (Note we did not explore the lower floor which looked off limits.) During our visit, we saw a lot of informational window booths with facts and artifacts that have been gathered from our state. There is a strong connection between this facility and the Angel Mounds in Evansville. There are several displays with information about the Angel Mounds and other mounds which were shaped like snakes, or marching bears. There are also windows with info on artwork inspired by animals, stands showing tribal shields with info, and science facts about animals that have lived in our state. The museum is unique in what it offers, but I understand that it won't appeal to everyone. But considering it is free and puts things into understandable relationships, it does offer value to those who may be interested in local history and/or nature. Review #2205

When they call your name and you get to the window they are always on the ball to get the answers…read morethat you want. At least that's how they've always been with me and from what I've seen and heard around the office I believe that they treat everybody else like they do with me.

Not very helpful or friendly. Have to have appointment. Can't recommend. Security guard has…read moreattitude.

we stop in on our way to to Bedford. The postmaster here - Tayloran (I'm spelling thst wrong I'm…read moresure) was very kind and patient. If you're nearby, stop in! 10/10. Would recommend.

I'll admit that I just saw the pin and figured I would check this out but as I do my research to…read morewrite the review, these aren't just pretty gates. The concept of a gateway to mark the entrance to the campus dates back to 1932 but they didn't actually get installed until 1987. And ever since, they are the most iconic spot on campus. IU grads know what I'm talking about. So I'll just respectfully stop here and tell you that if you're visiting or perhaps you're an alumni, get your selfie or portrait right here. Every IU graduate know of here. [Review 20571 overall - 108 in Indiana - 1552 of 2023.]

I don't get down to Bloomington nearly as often as I used to, though when I do I nearly always find…read moremyself near the area of the iconic Sample Gates. Sample Gates mark the entrance to Indiana University in Bloomington, an already beautiful campus. I spent one lovely semester here and I spent quite a bit of time here back in those days because even after I left I continued dating an IU student. The Sample Gates were donated by Edson Sample, who was named director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships while still an IU graduate student back in 1968. He obtained his M.S. in 1971. The gates are named for his parents, Louise Waite Sample and Kimsey Ownbey Sample Sr. Both were present at the dedication ceremony on June 13, 1987. He received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Education in 2017; in 2020, Sample received one of IU's most prestigious honors--the Bicentennial Medal--in recognition of his service and longstanding support of the university. The gates are always open. They are constructed of Indiana Limestone. The two pillars are at the edge of Old Crescent - the historic site of IU's first campus buildings built between1884-1908. If you visit IU, you'll see Sample Gates. Still beautiful. Still iconic. And, I must say, super amazing at night with a light rain in the area.

I learned a lot when I was in Bloomington exploring with my mother-in-law. We came across a lot of…read morecool designs that she told me about growing up in Bloomington. This is a railroad dedication that used to be a railroad going through the city and they decided to turn in to a park and a memorial with statues and a road to walk on and different tidbits and things like that

Excellent underground reverse engineering facility that the US Government operates for the Navy…read more(not to be confused with the similar program at Wright Patterson which operates specifically for the USAF). You'll see some basic facilities and operations on the surface but the majority of this base exists deep underground where the public will never see what they have going on.

This base is located in the hills of southern Indiana and is host to a variety of DoD related…read moreactivities. They have an excellent Combined Bachelor Quarters for transient military and civilian contractors. A decent sized conference center next door provides excellent meals as a supplement to the Base Cafeteria. This base has a nice golf course which is also accessible to the public near the Burns City gate. An Outdoor Rec area provides a campground for trailers and RVs, as well as cabins for rent. The waterfront has a variety of boats available, including canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, fishing boats and pontoon boats. A small NEX (Base Exchange) carries the basics and houses a Subway restaurant. The Base Commissary is located next door and carries items similar to a small grocery store. Also in this complex is the NEX Gas Station. Fuel can be obtained 24 hours with a credit/debit card. The credit union stands ready to assist you in financial affairs. Lots of wildlife on this military installation, including a healthy population of deer and wild turkeys.