All roads lead to Indy!!!

The beginning of a new chapter is always exciting and even more so when it’s a new flight route from Dublin! I was lucky to be on the inaugural flight from Dublin to Indianapolis operated by Aer Lingus which touched down to a fanfare of shouts and cheers by the many people wearing green eagerly awaiting the arrival at the gate. At just over 8 hours the service puts you into the heart of the Midwest and a short 20 minute drive into downtown Indianapolis or ‘Indy’ as the locals call it!

After an excellent nights sleep in the newly refurbished Omni Severin we made our way to the joining point for the Cultural Trail Bike Tour. Indy is a flat city with a well-developed 8 mile cycle trail which connects the cultural districts of the city. It’s a great way to get your bearings and the route is lined with interesting stops and public pieces of artwork. Standard and electric bicycles are available and you can join a guided tour or explore on your own.

After our exertion we took a relaxing 30 minute drive to Danville, a smalltown with a very famous café called Bread Basket. This mother and daughter owned business provide a hearty menu of home cooked dishes and a fully stocked dessert cabinet but be warned – come hungry as the portion sizes are huge! Danville is a small town with an impressive court house building in the square and walls filled with colourful murals.

Close by is Beasley’s Orchard, a family run farm that has developed into an agri tourism business providing seasonal ‘pick your own’ experiences for families including apple, strawberry and sunflower picking along with making their own cider. The owner Calvin, gave us a tour around the property in the back of a tractor trailer and explained their farm and growing methods and shows us the produce they grow for their onsite farm shop.

The following day we checked out of the Omni Severin and made our way to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum famous for hosting the Indy 500 race. The museum here is a racing enthusiasts dream showcasing the history of the track with many of the winning racing cars on display. There are many interactive exhibits which give you the opportunity to change a tyre, feel the weight of the refuelling pipe or test your response times. We then drove out to the race track and got a feel for the scale of the course and what the atmosphere must be like when the venue is packed with over 300,000 people on race day. Champagne is normally the celebratory drink of choice at racing car events however the tradition of the Indy 500 winners has been to pour milk over their head.

We then drove about 2 hours south to the town of French Lick where our next accommodation, the West Baden Hotel was located. One can only be mesmerised as they walk into the hotel atrium, once affectionately described as the 8th wonder of the world due to the size and scale of the free standing dome. Our meal tonight was in the famous ‘Table One’ restaurant where at the flick of a switch, the glass clears and you find your table in the midst of the kitchen. It’s a very immersive experience, the chef prepares the meals in front of you and serves them to your table, explaining each course.

The following day our group split with some going horse riding or to the spa. We got a tour of the famous Pete Dye golf course at the neighbouring French Lick Resort – which I’m told is not for the faint hearted golfer! The views from the course are spectacular but be advised a golf buggy will be essential to get around the many hills.

We finished off the afternoon at the Wilstem Wildlife Park where we boarded a trailer for a safari drive through the park. You are given a cup of animal feed and you are able to feed the many animals that come up to the trailer as you are driving around. They also host giraffe and elephant encounters where you can get up close and feed the animals.

The following morning we made our way to Patoka Lake for a tour of the marina and a boat ride out on the pristine lake. We visited the nearby winery and brewery before making our way back for our evening flight back to Dublin.

Indiana is known for its homely hospitality and we witnessed this everywhere we visited. It’s a great location to explore if you want to combine a smaller city with a self drive itinerary. With the Aer Lingus network of flights (22 direct flights into North America) you could start in Indianapolis and fly home from one of the many bases they have and make this a trip of a lifetime!