In your own backyard…

Flickr Photo by existdifferently

If you are looking for a summer trip and don’t want to travel a far maybe it is time to look around and find an affordable getaway in your own backyard.

Check out the many restaurants, eclectic atmosphere and endless festivals in Bloomington. Go Hoosiers!

Or Boiler Up in West Lafayette and get a feel for the black and gold.

Don’t forget to check out the Fightin’ Irish in South Bend. Take in the history of the school as well as the College Football Hall of Fame.

Here are some other great college towns in the state:

Evansville

Indy

Muncie

Terre Haute

More Concerts coming to Indianapolis

I mentioned some of the great concerts that are coming to White River State Park this summer as part of their Summer Concert Series in a previous post, and even more artists have been announced!

In addition to Indy Jazz Fest that was held at the park this past weekend (which featured Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, and headliner, John Legend) and the Death Cab for Cutie/Rogue Wave concert that was held at the same time on Saturday, here’s a list of some other excellent concerts coming up this summer.

• 7/03 (8 PM) - ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic
• 7/17 (7 PM) - Jason Mraz & Gavin DeGraw with Marié Digby
• 7/18 (7 PM) - Umphrey’s McGee and STS9
• 8/04 (7:30 PM) - Wilco with Bon Iver
• 8/06 (6 PM) - Boys Like Girls & Good Charlotte with Metro Station
• 8/15 (7 PM) - O.A.R. with Ozomatli
• 8/22 (7:30 PM) - Alice Cooper - Tickets on sale soon

Check out the Summer Concert Series at White River State Park for some great concerts and beautiful views of Indiana’s only urban State Park.

Bloomington Hot Spots

Flickr Photo by staylor336

As our senior year came to a close, my friends and I tried to spend as much time together enjoying Bloomington, our home for the last four years. One night, we decided to take a drive in my friend’s car (she has an old convertible that’s great for driving around) and drive to all of our memorable spots in Bloomington. With the top down we set out and drove to the famous Kirkwood St. where we had many late nights together at bars including Kilroys, Nicks, Upstairs, Bears, Blue Bird and our favorite Kilroys Sports Bar. We then drove by the Indiana Memorial Union, the dorms (Foster, Briscoe and McNutt) where we had lived freshmen year, and around all of the Greek houses (Jordan Ave, Jordan Extension and 3^rd Street) where we had spent a lot of our time. Some of us got teary eyed and sad at the thought of leaving a place where we have had so much fun. We soon grew hungry and stopped by Uncle D’s Pizza for a quick snack (we visited Uncle D’s Pizza most late nights). We got it to go and proceeded to Griffy Lake, a nice chill spot for IU students. By this time it was dark out as we drove through the woods to the lake. The lake was pretty in the dark and some fellow students sat there having a campfire and fishing. We sat there with the top down for about an hour talking about life, our great memories, and ideas for the future. It was a special night and a good last memory of Bloomington and all the beauty it offers.

A night on the town in Fort Wayne

Flickr photo by Shane Pequinot, Eye Pix Photography

Looking for some fun things to do in Indiana’s second largest city, Fort Wayne? Well, have no fear, the Indiana College Towns blog is here to help. We’ve got some great ideas for you.

Bloomington isn’t the only place in the state that has a great micro-brewery. Stop by Mad Anthony’s for good pub food, and of course, great beer! Mad Anthony’s (as well as Fort Wayne itself) was named after the Revolutionary War general, “Mad” Anthony Wayne (whoever said you couldn’t learn anything on blogs!). Mad Anthony’s also has locations nearby Auburn and Warsaw and they brew several award-winning beers.

If it’s a nice summer day, you might want to check out the Fort Wayne Wizards, a Single-A farm team for the San Diego Padres. The Wizards have some great Theme Nights coming up including Jimmy Buffet day on June 27th, as well as 70’s night on August 16th and 80’s night on August 23. Just in time for the 2009 season, the Wizards’ brand new park, Harrison Square, will open. Even though they’ll have a new park open next year, make sure you get to see a game in 2008 as the Wizards are in second place in their division right now.

For the shop-a-holic in you, get your fix at Jefferson Pointe, a large outdoor lifestyle center. Jefferson Pointe features anchor tenants such as Von Maur, Rave Motion Pictures, and Vera Bradley and such unique restaurants as DeBrand Fine Chocolates, Flat Top Grill and Eddie Merlot’s.

If you’re ready for some night-life, you can’t come to Fort Wayne without visiting Piere’s - the self-proclaimed “Midwest’s Largest Nightclub”! In addition to drink specials and lots of dancing, Piere’s is also a venue for local and nationally-touring bands like Filter, Ginuwine, David Allan Coe and the Presidents of the United States of America. If you’re interested in more of a laid-back atmosphere, try Columbia Street West. You can even grab dinner at the Bourbon Street Hideaway Restaurant attached to Columbia Street West.

Do you know of any other great things to do in Fort Wayne? If so, let me know!

Devour Downtown

Looking for a great price for an excellent meal at some of Indianapolis’ best restaurants? Look no further than Devour Downtown. This semi-annual event (with winter and summer dates) features some of the best restaurants in Indianapolis, and all of them offer a set menu of meals for just $30 per person! While that may sound a little pricey for someone on a college-sized budget, if you went to St. Elmo’s for dinner one night when Devour Downtown wasn’t going on, you’d pay that much for just two of their world-famous Shrimp Cocktail appetizers!

This summer’s Devour Downtown is going on now, from June 2-15, so go ahead and make plans, or you’ll have to wait until January for a deal like this to come around again. While there are 33 different restaurants featured during this summer’s Devour Downtown, here are some of the Highlights:

• The Capital Grille (in the Conrad)
• Harry & Izzy’s
• McCormick & Schmicks
• R Bistro
• SI Restaurant & Lounge
• St. Elmo’s Steak House
• Tavern at the Temple

Have you been at any of these restaurants? Do you have any other recommendations?

Student Perspective

Flickr Photo by stellalunastar15
I just recently graduated from Bloomington in May, and let me just say that I miss it already. The experience I had in the last four years in Bloomington was unforgettable. Reading the blog posts just takes me right back to all of the wonderful memories my friends and I shared there.

One special memory that I will never forget was from the infamous Showalter Fountain. I was a sorority girl, and with the sorority we had many traditions that we would pass on throughout the years, one involving the Showalter Fountain. Every year, around October, the seniors would unexpectedly interrupt the chapter meeting and grab all of the underclassmen without telling them where they were going. We drove them to the Showalter Fountain; everyone held hands and jumped in with all of our clothes on! Being it was October, the water was not necessarily warm, but with all of the excitement and laughter, we never seemed to notice the ice cold water and our sopping wet clothes.

Bloomington was my home for four wonderful years and I can honestly say I had the time of my life. It is a place of unchanged history. My parents went to school there over 30 years ago, and every time they come back, they feel like they never left. There are so many more great things to experience in Bloomington, I will be sure to add some more personal stories to give you a feel of what the experience is really like.

A night on the town in Bloomington

Flickr Photo by jghphoto21

The Bloomington area is home to not only Indiana’s largest micro-brewerey, the Upland Brewing Company, but also the state’s largest and oldest winery, Oliver Winery. While I’m convinced that you could spend an evening at each place, here’s a great idea to spend a Saturday this summer.

Stop by the Scholar’s Inn Bakehouse Cafe for some light lunch and pick up some extra bread to bring home with you. In addition to this location, Scholar’s Inn has an actual Bed & Breakfast in downtown Bloomington, as well as another bakehouse in the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis and an upscale restaurant, SI, in downtown Indy.

Once you’ve finished your lunch, head across State Road 37 to Oliver Winery. Oliver opens at 10 am Mon-Sat and 12 noon on Sunday and you can take free tours of the winery every day! Spend the afternoon at Oliver sampling some wine and take a tour. You can even buy a bottle of wine and some cheese and go sit out by the lake and enjoy a beautiful south central Indiana afternoon.

Now that you’ve had a taste of Scholar’s Inn and Oliver, head further down 37 and into downtown Bloomington. While you’re waiting to get hungry again for dinner, check out some of the great shopping in Bloomington. From Argentum Jewelry to Goods For Cooks; from Relish to the TIS College Bookstore, you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for in Bloomington.

Now that you’ve tired yourself out shopping, rest up at the Upland Brewing Company, you’ve got a long night in front of you! Enjoy one of Upland’s award-winning beers. In addition to their Wheat Ale, IPA, Pale Ale, Amber Ale and Porter, you can also try one of their seasonal beers. They brew eight different seasonal beers throughout the year. While you’re enjoying a great beer, order some food. The menu consists of pretty standard pub fare, but you won’t be disappointed.

The last thing you have to do before turning in for the night is head to one of Bloomington’s bars or music venues. With live music just about every night of the week, the Bluebird Cafe is a great place to go to hear some local and nationally touring bands. For a classic Bloomington experience, check out Nick’s English Hut.

Can anyone who either lived in Bloomington or has visited think of anything else? What would be great things to add to this list to turn your afternoon and evening in Bloomington into a full weekend?

Indianapolis to host Super Bowl in 2012

The votes are in and Indianapolis is officially the host city for the 2012 Super Bowl! Just 5 short years after the Colts’ first Super Bowl win after moving to Indianapolis, the city will host the Super Bowl. This is a bid that has been nearly two years in the making and, after a narrow 17-15 defeat last year, the city can begin preparations to be only the 4th “cold weather” city to host a Super Bowl. Congratulations to Indianapolis and the Super Bowl 2012 committee.

Who knows, by 2012, there could be some Indiana college grads playing in the Super Bowl! What do you think?

A State Divided

You’ve no doubt seen flags or license plates like this throughout the state. Indiana is full of great colleges and college towns and loyalties can be strong.

Where do your loyalties lie? IU, Purdue or Notre Dame? Maybe one of Indiana’s smaller schools? What is your favorite college town in Indiana? Do you know of any great “locals only” restaurants, bars or live music venues in your favorite college town? Let us know!

Amazonia and Evansville’s Mesker Park Zoo

A couple of weeks ago we went down to Evansville for a chance to tour the Mesker Park Zoo and their new exhibit, Amazonia. We took a hard-hat tour since the exhibit is still under construction and is set to open later this summer. You can see from the photo that Amazonia has a misting system set up that helps keep the exhibit at just the right level of humidity to help the plants and animals feel right at home.

In addition to the new Amazonia exhibit, they’re also building a new main entrance and gift shop for the Zoo. The Mesker Park Zoo is located on the west side of Evansville, about half-way between USI and UE, and it’s a great place to go on a warm summer day.

Check out our Amazonia Set on Flickr.