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Indiana [1] is a state in the Midwest region of the USA. The state is bordered by Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Michigan.
[edit] Regions
[edit] Cities
- Ferdinand - A small town located in the hills of southern Indiana
[edit] Other destinations
[edit] National Parks
[edit] State Parks
[edit] Understand
Northern Indiana Farmland
- 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.
- The vast majority of Indiana is on Eastern Time and -- as of 2006 -- does now observe Daylight Savings Time; a few counties near Chicago and around Evansville are on Central Time.
[edit] Get in
Indianapolis International Airport[5] is the major airport in the state with flights to many cities around the country. Fort Wayne, Evansville and South Bend offer flights to nearby hub cities. Air service is also available from nearby airports in 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 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 northwest of Evansville) to New Albany. Interstate 69 runs from northeast Indiana, out of Michigan, through Fort Wayne to Indianapolis, where it ends (there are plans to extend it to Evansville and eventually to Texas). Interstate 275 (the Cincinnati bypass) briefly enters Indiana for about five miles. US 41 extends from Gary to Evansville and is the major north-south route through western Indiana.
[edit] Get around
- Indiana's motto is "The Crossroads of America" and it is deserving. Indiana has more Interstates (14) than any other state, although the original name comes from all the railroad tracks that went through the state.
- Amtrak offers a daily train service from Indianapolis to Chicago and vice versa. The fare is reasonable (about 15-25 dollars each way). The train also passes through Lafayette as well as a few other towns along its way to Chicago. The time of travel is roughly about 4.5 hours as compared to about 3-3.5 hours by car.
[edit] Festivals and Events
- late April Thunder Over Louisville Clarksville and Jeffersonville. [6] 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. [7] 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, eduation, enviromentalism, Hoosier Pride and FOOD!! I go at least 2-3 times within the two week period. They also have live music and concerts. Prairie Home Companion comes every other year.
- Mid-September Lanesville Heritage Weekend Lanesville. [8] A fall festival typical of many in southern Indiana. Is similar to a county fair, but later in the year. Local food and crafts are available, while rides and tractor and truck pulls provide entertainment.
- Early-mid October Harvest Homecoming Festival New Albany. [9] The largest festival in southern Indiana brings participants from miles around. The festivities begin with a Saturday morning parade through the streets of New Albany. THe festival lasts for several weeks, and includes vendor booths downtown and carnival rides.
- Mid October Feast of the Hunters' Moon Lafayette. [10] The Feast re-creates early 18th century life near the site of Fort Ouiatenon, a French trading outpost.
[edit] Sports
- College sports- Indiana is home to many Division I NCAA schools, including: Ball State University (Muncie) Butler University (Indianapolis), IUPUI (Indianapolis), Indiana State University (Terre Haute), Indiana University (Bloomington), Purdue University (West Lafayette), University of Evansville (Evansville) and University of Notre Dame (South Bend).
- Racing- The Indianapolis 500 race is the most attended sporting event in the world. It's common to see many vendors and spectacular displays during the pre-race (most notably the singing of "Back Home Again In Indiana" by Jim Nabors and the overfly of the stealth bomber at the conclusion of the National Anthem). Also don't forget the Allstate 400 (formerly the Brickyard 400) NASCAR race and the F-1 Race held every summer in Indianapolis. IRP (Indianapolis Raceway Park) also holds the grand nationals of drag racing at it's facility. IRP is located about 10 miles west north-west of Indianapolis in Hendricks County
- Racing- Salem Speedway. [11] Home to many small-circuit races throughout the year, Salem is often called the "fastest half mile in the world." With only a chain-link fence separating the pit lane from the infield, Salem offers a more interactive fan experience than many larger tracks.
[edit] Stay safe
Largely rural, Indiana has a fairly low crime rate per capita. In 2003 (the latest year for which data is available) it ranked 30th 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 tornados. You might want to check the Tornado safety page if you are visiting Indiana.
[edit] Get out
Indiana is very centralized and is therefore fairly close to several popular destinations.
Chicago is just across the state line from northwestern Indiana.
Louisville and Cincinnati are both near the state line in southeastern Indiana.
St. Louis, Nashville, Milwaukee and Detroit are all a 2-3 hour drive from the state line.
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