White River State Park is one of the most popular parks in the city, and for good reason! The…read morenickname for it is Indy's backyard. With riverfront and canal-front trails, a pedestrian bridge to the zoo, proximity to the city, and the amphitheater, so much goes on down here. Over the years, my favorite special events have been the food truck festival and the solar eclipse festival. The area is kept to be pedestrian friendly, with parking being underground to the park and wide walking and biking lanes. During warmer weather, I often see a hotdog vendor for a nice and easy lunch. There's lots of sculptures around the park too, which helps to keep things scenic. There's also a huge lawn space for running around.

Beautiful greenspace on the outskirts of downtown all along the White River, as the name implies,…read moreand the canal. Lots to see and do, or just relax, enjoy a little nature, walk or run along the water, enjoy all sorts of trails, enjoy some of the public art hidden here and there, have a little picnic, whatever you feel like. There is an outdoors concert venue, a souvenir shop, the zoo, various museums, such as the Eiteljorg, the Indiana State Museum and such. You can rent multi-seat bikes or a segway and cover more ground. Go and discover.

It's been a while since I've been to the Canal, but when I saw they were having a Full Moon Yoga…read moreParty, I knew I wanted to check it out and I'm so glad I did! The yoga was provided by The Hot Room Yoga, and I believe the event was in partnership with Indy Cultural Trail. There was also a local artist, Lily Groot, who was there creating free prints for at least 450 attendees. I got print 13. Honestly, it was such a great event! You could purchase items from Black vegan cafe food truck, while we hung out and watched the sunset. Then around 8:30 PM, we turned on the glow lights they provided and got ready to do yoga under the full moon. The yoga session was about an hour. It was definitely challenging as you really just had to listen on what to do, but it felt so good for my body, mind, and soul. There was something really special about doing yoga outside, surrounded by the Canal, with the sunset fading and the full moon coming out. It was a vibe. I'm really glad I got to experience this! There's another one coming up in September, so if you've never been, you should definitely give it a try, it was free! Such a fun and unique Indy experience!

Goodness, have I walked the canal about 50 times now?!…read more It's such a unique experience for Indy to have some water space in the middle of the city. This 3 mile loop will take you from 11th Street down to White River State Park to access the green space and extra trails down there. The canal water itself is not super cute, where there can be litter, and the water is rather opaque. They do drain the canal every so often to keep it from getting too uncute. The sidewalks are kept nicer, though a few spots in front of apartment buildings could use some TLC. There are also a few spots where the sidewalk is not level, so take caution if that is an issue. It's mostly stair access to the canal, but I *think* I've seen an elevator around the Ohio street basin. The canal has a few businesses along it for your merriment. Notably, there is Fresco on the Canal (I have a separate review for this) which is open March-October. Eiteljorg museum cafe is open daily around the lunch hours (11-3) and can be accessed through their patio gate. Entertainment wise, there is more going on. I've done the swan boat rentals, where you can pedal around on the canal. This is quite a workout! Rental of swan boats and kayaks is near the Ohio Street basin. There is also the gondolas, where your gondolier can sing, and they've always sounded marvelous. There's also a few stations for the Pacers Bikeshare around the canal, which is free for Marion County residents. Any time the weather is right, you can find me getting my steps in!

Free parking, air conditioning, restrooms, free water, interesting art, and a huuuuge gift shop…read more But more importantly, the two tours we took were excellent. The walking tour starts at the Visitor's center and is an easy neighborhood stroll that includes an explanation of how Columbus became a center of modern architecture and includes entrance to the church that started the ball rolling. The tour of the Miller house also starts at the Visitor's Center, takes you to the Miller house in a van, and shows you this outstanding example of midcentury modern architecture, left just as it was by the family that built it and lived there. The Miller house is otherwise inaccessible - you can't even see it from the street. Both tours were lead by excellent guides and both tours were well worth the ticket price. You don't need a background in architecture to appreciate these tours. Plan ahead and book your tours early.

The visitors Center is an extraordinary resource for anyone interested in learning about Columbus…read moreand it's incredible architecture and history. I only stopped by to get a map, but instead spent several hours watching films about Irwin Miller, his home and the architecture of Columbus. The building itself is lovely with modern artistic areas and a fabulous Chihuly glass sculpture. The staff is super friendly, helpful and knowledgable. One staff member played a film for us (alone) to learn about the local architecture. They offer guided tours of the city and the Miller house. Reservations are required for the tours, which fill up quickly. They have information on their website about the tours so you can book in advance. Their gift shop is filled with art and books about architecture. There is plenty of parking in their private lot. Restrooms are available.

The visitors center right off the square in Franklin is one of the best! It has a Photo Booth, a…read moremini replica water slide, mini theater, and a mini dj booth that you can practice DJ'ing. Now for the nations 250th birthday they have a really cool light up flag and you can sign the huge Declaration of Independence as well as have your picture taken in the statue of liberty. They have a mini gift shop with neat shirts, bags, posters things like that. They have a great selection of brochures for all around. Franklin has a GREAT farmers market that will be starting up soon as well as a great splash pad area amphitheater as well as home to the 104 year old Artcraft Theater!!!! Great town just south of Indy!

I was in downtown Franklin for a friend's birthday party. I'd arrived early in order to grab lunch…read moreand visit the nearby Artcraft, but I also had some extra time and decided I would check out some other Franklin establishments. Of course, a stop at the "Festival Country Indiana Visitor Center" was a must as it was about a block of the town square and serves as the area's visitor's center. I will admit that I hadn't heard of the "Festival Country" campaign, a campaign that encompasses Johnson County communities including Franklin, Greenwood, Edinburgh, Bargersville, Whiteland, New Whiteland, Trafalgar, and Princes Lakes. The Visitor's Center is located in a brightly decorated building on Water Street. It's level to the ground and wheelchair accessible, though it is in an older building and the front door is a touch heavy. It's a relatively small location. You enter - to the left immediately is an area for retail purchase of t-shirts, posters, etc. I will admit I was really tempted by an Artcraft poster. You, of course, also have a large rack of flyers and brochures related to things to do in Johnson County. There is a staffed counter on one side, a couple of photo op exhibits toward the back, and a video that plays in an area set up to look like a mini-Artcraft auditorium. The theme here is obviously emphasizing the area's many festivals. It has to be a little difficult right now, however, considering so much is impacted by the pandemic. You were expected to wear a mask when entering and to respect social distancing. The volunteer (I'm assuming) working the counter actually wasn't wearing a mask when I entered, but quickly realized it and put theirs on. This spot also offers free wifi. The photo opportunity was fun, though not particularly wheelchair friendly. However, it's a cute idea that plays off the fact that there's a place you can do paragliding and skydiving in Franklin. The website has a ton of information about area attractions, restaurants, lodgings, etc. There are also some special deals. To be honest, I spent only a few minutes in this actual location. I watched their film. I checked out their sales items. I read through some information about local breweries. I also picked up some brochures. If you're in downtown Franklin and wondering what to do - this is a great place to stop, get information, and ask questions. While there's not much "to do" here, it's a central location to get all the needed info and directions before moving on to enjoy your Johnson County day. It always feels like Franklin, in particular, is farther away but it truly is just one county south and it's a fun little college town. It's an easy day trip with some great spots to visit.

The first thing I'm always struck by when I visit new Fields in Indianapolis is the level of…read moreprofessionalism and warmth of the staff. Everyone from the person at the information desk to the people who check your bags at the little security checkpoint our consummate professionals, warm, and will get you where you need to be. Another thing for out of towners to know is that New Fields is the Indianapolis Museum of Art. For some reason, the name throws people off. New Fields also includes the Lilly house, Garden, and Fairbanks Nature Center. Personally, I would start the garden. Walk into the main entrance, and walk to the right from the ticket desk. Follow the signs and you'll end up in the garden. You could spend a day or two out there. Just enjoying it. Oh, and don't forget that they are members of NARM and AHS, so many reciprocal museum memberships will get you free entrance into New Fields.

This was the cleanest place I ever seen! The tea ceremony experience was amazing. Another was the…read morebutterfly screen. I saw my butterfly! Cereal cinema was the only one. I saw The Sandlot and it was so good! Definitely recommend for a Saturday morning. I' m delighted with this place!

It's old and run down. It's not at all what the pictures show…read more We had to request a fridge and microwave. The TV channel selection was awful and hard to navigate.

The Visitors Center in Nashville has a ton of information about Brown County, Nashville and other…read moretowns in Brown County. I stopped by yesterday to pick up a map and get directions to a gallery. The maps were laid out on the counter when I walked through the door! The clerks are friendly and helpful and walked me through the symbols on the map. I asked about a restaurant for lunch and was told to try her favorite (and I did). I gathered information about recreational things to do that I didn't know about. There are places that offer horseback riding and zip-lining that were new to me. The Center has a small gift shop with logo apparel, water bottles and stickers. There is also a slideshow running that highlights some of the things to do in the area. A small play area with nature related toys is available for the little ones while parents browse. There is street parking close to the building or a public lot behind the building. The Center is worth a visit and will help you make the most of your day.

If you want to find something (practically anything) about Bloomington, then I highly recommend…read morestopping by the Visitors Center on North Walnut. It is easy to find if you are approaching from the north and use the business bypass to reach Walnut. Otherwise, you can head north on Walnut passed the SR45/SR46 intersection. The building has its own parking and is much larger inside than it appears from the street. Inside the first set of doors are rows of brochures (free) that you can help yourself to. I grabbed a Visitors guide and a Nature Preserve Guide for my use, but saw maps and festival pamphlets too. Inside the second set of doors, there is a central desk with someone to help you. Surrounding that area are numerous display shelves and racks for picking up merchandise that is for sale. 2018 was the Bicentennial year of the city, so there were celebratory items for reaching that goal like t-shirts. There are also posters, local artisan products like Dillman Farms jellies and salsa, and local popcorn. I found the information available to be quite useful and the person at the information desk very pleasant to talk with. She was quite knowledgeable of the area and was able to direct me to some points of interest that I had not visited before. If you like to explore, or simply to learn more about the area, make a point to stop by here. Review #1977

This is the place for visitors to the Bloomington area to begin a wonderful visit. Friendly faces,…read morelots of great information on area attractions, things to do and restaurants, a fun little gift shop and more! Information specialists are on hand Monday through Saturday to provide you with expert local advice, customized recommendations and driving directions, should you need them. Information vestibule is open 24 hours a day, stocked with area visitors guides, maps and other helpful information.

Indy is truly so lucky to be able to have as much outdoor space as we do through Fort Harrison…read moreState Park. There are trails galore, and that's mainly why I go, so I'll focus on that. There are a lot of different trailheads that have different difficulty, but I'd say they're mostly moderate on average. Each trailhead has its own parking lot. There is also a $7 entry fee per car. The trails aren't too busy most of the time but it's not uncommon to pass by others. The trails are also very clean and kept under good shade covered. There's nice views here with all the trees and the historical sites from when Fort Harrison was, well, a fort. I'm mostly a hiker by way of my outdoor adventures, so I'd love to check out some of the other resources at the park sometime!

Back at Fort Harrison with my best fur-iend Bentley. There are lots of trails here, but when this…read morelittle guy is with me we stick to the paved paths. He's got a huge adventure spirit, just little legs, so we switch things up with chauffeur service, aka me pushing his stroller :D This is one of our favorite easy outings together.

Very disappointed with Geoex. Being much more expensive than other high end travel groups I…read moreexpected an elevated experience. Either in accommodations, food or the leaders. We did not experience this at all on the ancient Japan trip. It was actually below the less expensive experiences we had with other groups such as backroads , Nat geo and my sobeck. Very disappointing

We recently had the opportunity to return to Africa and hit up some of the countries we missed the…read moreprevious trip. Our first week, in South Africa, was covered...so I wanted to go with a solid company to hit up Botswana and Zambia. We'd used Kensington Tours before, but had a rather sour taste in our mouth from the experience. The FIRST thing we discovered is that Wilderness Safaris (and Wilderness Air) pretty much locked down Botswana - everyone uses them, so it made choices a bit easier. After a month or so of interviews, we ended up going with GeoEx. They gave us reasonable pricing, and were VERY prompt at addressing specific questions. After signing with them, they promptly sent us specific info about our trip, including a complete (but prelim) itinerary. Bonus - a month before we left, we got a care package from them. It included two HEAVY duty canvas rucksacks, a nice guide book on Botswana and Zambia, and reading material for the plane (of course, the plot was centered in Botswana). It also included our final itinerary. And finally, it included a nice touch - a "free" emergency insurance plan, in case "something" happened with in the bush. We completed the trip - no issues, no hassles, everything was spot on. After our return, Starla (our agent) reached out to us to check on the trip - nice touch!). DEFINITELY would use them again, and absolutely recommend them with no reservations.