Be a Tourist in Your Own City!

Last Saturday we were hanging out with several other couples.  The guys were playing poker, the kids were playing outside, and the women were chatting and drinking wine…not an atypical weekend evening!

Somewhere in our casual conversation, two of my friends admitted they have hardly ever spent any time in downtown Indianapolis.  My mind was blown.  I had to ask them to repeat themselves.

“You mean you have never just gone downtown and spent the day or evening checking out some of the cool attractions in Indy?!”

They nodded in agreement.

Mind blown.

Let me put this in perspective for you.  We all live in Brownsburg, Indiana.  Downtown Indianapolis is just under 20 miles away, just a 25 minute drive when traffic is light.  I’ve been to Indianapolis hundreds of time.  To be fair, I used to work right in the heart of downtown, so I know the city fairly well. And I love Indianapolis!

Once I picked my jaw up off the floor after my friends’ revelation, I realized this might be a more common occurrence than I first thought.  Even though these same friends have traveled long distances with us, including trips to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (future blog posts about those trips coming soon!), maybe we need to spend some time just checking out our own city.

When last did you act like a tourist in YOUR city??

Some of the benefits of taking “trips” in your own city:

·         the drive time is really short
·         it can be done relatively inexpensively, and
·         if you have a great experience, you can easily go back frequently!

So the very next day my husband and I spent a few hours checking out a very cool spot in Indianapolis with a tourist’s mentality!

Downtown Indianapolis

It was a gorgeous August day and temps were tolerable in the low 80’s. It was a perfect day for a long walk on the Canal at White River State Park.  We started at the north end of the canal and walked all the way down and across the walking bridge that leads to the Indianapolis Zoo…and then all the way back on the other side.  The full loop was almost 3 ½ miles.  Of course we took our time and enjoyed the scenery along the way.

We admired the canal side homes and apartments and talked about our dream of owning one in our retirement and being able to take this stroll every day. We took in the sights and smells of the lush grass and colorful flowers and marveled at the various murals under the bridges.

We reminisced about the gondola ride we took on this very canal shortly after we started dating, as well as the one we took in Venice two years ago. We smiled at families who floated by on pedal boats and rolled by on 4 person surrey bikes.  Again, we fondly recalled times we made those same memories with our own family.

We stopped to take photos of the Indianapolis skyline and felt proud to call this city our home.

We noticed people of all ages and many races and backgrounds, all enjoying their time in “our” city.  We stepped inside the Indiana State Museum for a bit of air conditioning and a restroom break and remembered just how cool it is to have so many world class museums right in our backyard.  Other must see attractions include the Eiteljorg Museum, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Indiana Historical Society, and Victory Field.

It was a wonderful afternoon spent with my handsome husband, simply enjoying some fresh air and a leisurely stroll.  And aside from a little bit of gas money, it only cost $1.09. (Anyone who knows me knows I had to grab a refreshing Diet Coke at McDonalds…it’s one of my biggest weaknesses!)  Of course, it is possible to blow some serious cash visiting the awesome museums or dining out at one of Indy’s many mouth-watering restaurants.

But budget savvy travelers can have a fabulous time without spending a dime when they explore their own city!

If you live near Indianapolis, I strongly encourage you to come down to the White River Canal and check it out soon.  It will make you proud to be a Hoosier!  And if you don’t live near Indianapolis and have never been…put our city on your vacation bucket list and see what Hoosier Hospitality is all about.  You can thank me later!

No matter what your zip code is, grant yourself a vacation day and simply enjoy being a tourist in your own city!

Comment below to tell me what you love about Indianapolis…or whatever city you call home.

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

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