US ROAD TRIPS
DIVINE
INTERVENTION
Polishmonksbuilt
a seriesof trippy,
fluorescentshrinesto
maketheGrottoof the
BlessedVirginMary
at theCarmelite
monasteryhidingin
suburbanMunster.
Firstcame 250 tonnes
of spongerockthat
thefriarsusedforthe
grotto’sdark,twisting,
three-storeycaverns.
Thencamethe
bright-huedrose
quartz,bluefluorite
andotherminerals
thatglimmerin starry
designsfromthe
walls.Thereal
eye-popper,though,
is theFluorescentAltar.
Flipthelightswitch,
andthestonesaround
Maryjoltto life.tranquiloasisof almost
25 milesof undeveloped
beachmarkedbytrails
andsanddunesupto
200- high.Climbthe
dunesor justspreadout
a blanketandrelaxin
thesand.IndianaDunes
StateParkis nextdoor.
nps.gov/indu/index.htm
ARTS,HISTORY
& CULTURE
) BLOOMINGTON
Homeof Indiana
University,Bloomington
hascharmto sparewith
its funkyshops,ethnic
restaurants,thelarge
TibetanMongolian
BuddhistCulturalCenter
andabundantnearby
natureat locationslike
BrownCountyStatePark
andLakeMonroe(where
singerJohnMellencamp
hasa home).Explore
Bloomington’sB-Line
outdoorurbantrail,and
fora moretraditional
collegeexperience,
a basketballgameat
theuniversity’sAssembly
Hallis a must.
bloomington.in.gov
)COLUMBUS
Thisuniquetownof
44,000,the‘Athenson
thePrairie’,is famousfor
its modernistarchitecture,
publicartandhistoric
landmarksthatappear
almosteverywhereyou
look.Tourmorethan 70
architecturalwonders
aroundtown,including
churches,a courthouse,
sculpturesandprivate
homes.Stopbythe
livelydowntowndistrict
foranarrayof bars
andrestaurants.
columbus.in.us
)FORTWAYNE
MUSEUMOFART
Thismuseumis known
acrossthestateforits
collectionof visualarts
fromthe19thcenturyto
thepresent,specialising
in artistsfromdiverse
backgrounds.It also
hoststheannualChalk
Walkstreetpainting
event,heldin conjunction
withFortWayne’sThree
RiversFestivaleveryJuly.
fwmoa.org
)INDIANAMEDICAL
HISTORYMUSEUM
Whenyouthink‘horror
movieasylum,’this
century-oldstate
psychiatrichospital
is exactlywhatyou
envision.Guidedtours
roamtheformer
pathologylab,fromthe
cold-slabautopsyroom
to theeeriespecimen
roomfilledwithbrains
in jars,andexhibitson
earlypsychiatricmedicalresearch.ClosedSundays
to Tuesdays;imhm.org
)SOLDIERS& SAILORS
MONUMENT
Indianapolishasthemost
USwarmemorials
outsideWashington,DC.
Its mostfamousis the
Soldiers& Sailors
Monument,a cityicon.
LearnabouttheHoosiers
whoservedin wars
throughoutUShistory,
seeartandgeta good
glimpseof Indianapolis
fromthemonument’s
observationlevel.
in.govGETTINGTHERE& AROUND
Indiana,the‘Crossroadsof America,’hasmore
milesof interstatepersquaremilethananyother
USstate.Publictransitis availablein largercities
likeIndianapolis,andrailwaysservemanymidsize
towns,buttravelby caris mostcommon.Indianapolis
InternationalAirportis thestate’smainhub.The Indy 500 race in
Indianapolis