50 States Challenge: Indiana

Monday, June 6, 2016

October 12-14, 2012; January 11-13, 2013
Greensburg/Indianapolis

I'm combining two Indiana trips into one post because in my first trip, I had the pleasure of adventuring through rural Indiana while my second trip centered around the city life that is  Indianapolis.
My first trip took place one fall weekend in October.  Ashley's family was driving up for a visit and I tagged along with the game plan that I would surprise Ashley.  We left Friday after work and when we arrived after our 5 hour trek, I followed the family into Ashley's grandmother's house in Greensburg, IN.  Ashley (in traditional Ashley fashion) looked as if she'd never met me before in her life.  Her younger sister shouted, "It's Jen!"  to which Ashley finally snapped out of it and recognized me.

Ashley was moving into her brand new apartment, so the next day we loaded up the cars and I played with the kids while Ashley and her parents started to set up the apartment.
It was corn fields as far as the eye could see.  Mischief night apparently was near, and some teenagers had toilet papered various houses along the way.  How they found these houses settled in teh middle of miles of nothing, in the dark, astounded me.

When we finished setting up major furniture, Ashley drove me around downtown Greensburg where the famous tree growing in a courthouse resides.  Yes, the Decatur Country Courthouse has a 150 years old tree growing out the top of it.
The rest of the weekend was spent at her grandmother's beautiful house.  We played tennis with her family and

In January of 2013, I took a solo drive to visit Ashley.  This time, she expected me.  Driving up on a Friday and timing it for when she got out of work, we ate pizza and drove around Greensburg.  Ashley showed me the sights, consisting of a Wal-Mart and a car wash, a popular Friday night hang out for the town's teenagers.

The next morning, we hit the road and made our way to Indianapolis.  Ashley's friend Ellen lived within the city limits and we played with her pet bunny before they decided to take the tourist to downtown Indy.
We drove past Lucas Oil Stadium, the monument dedicated to the War with Mexico, and City Hall.  Downtown was small and compact, mixed with older architecture and new buildings.  While most streets were paved with tar, a few still maintained their original brick layout.  The city seemed to go by so fast.  Instead of crowded apartment complexes piled on top of one another, the city unfolded quickly into a suburban-like sprawl with decent sized homes and backyards.
It started to pour, and after a quick bite to eat the group headed out to "Drake's House" where we danced and chatted with strangers who loved Indiana through and through.  Only one person identified me as a New Yorker (plus!).
It was the end of the evening that will forever live in infamy: the first time someone identified me as looking like Kendall Jenner.  It was the beginning of the end.

The next day, I drove back to PA but definitely ready to explore more of what Indiana had to offer.

2 comments

  1. Your 50 States Challenge is such a great idea, and so lovely to read. I look forward to reading your next state adventure :) xx

    www.englishgirlinnewyork.org

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I like to try anything that pushes me out of my comfort zone and sort of remind me how small my little world is.

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