Road trip to Indianapolis

I am driving from Washington D.C. to Indianapolis this friday. Any thoughts on good places to stop and eat along 1-70?

Michele

Road trip to Indianapolis

Hope someone can help me here. There is an all u can eat place on 70 almost to the Ohio border. Ate there several years ago but can%26#39;t remember the name. Other than that all I know of is the normal places unless you get off the interstate and travel into a small town.

Road trip to Indianapolis

Actually, we make the drive from Indy to central PA at least once per year, which overlaps with about 60% of your drive. In the vicinity of Greensburg, PA (north of where 70 and 76 split at New Stanton), there is a great italian restaurant called Rizzo%26#39;s Malabar Inn. They are definitely open for dinner, not sure about lunch. To get there, take the New Stanton exit off the PA Turpike, and go north on US 119 through Greensburg and it will be in the next little settlement (Crabtree) on your left.

Also, on I-70 in West Virginia, near Triadelphia, there is another very good Italian restaurant called Figaretti%26#39;s. It is directly off the interstate as you approach Wheeling, I believe it is exit 2B. Open for lunch and dinner - see the Trip Advisor review for this restaurant under Wheeling. Also, River City Aleworks in Wheeling is very good.

Wow. Tough question. I am partial to Skyline Chili anywhere in Ohio for a quick sit-down meal. Don%26#39;t know how common those are east of Indiana and Ohio but it%26#39;s worth a try if you%26#39;ve never had it. There%26#39;s a Big Boy restaurant in Wheeling, WV that I%26#39;ve been to and it was good -- just sandwiches, and okay place to stop and stretch a bit. Of course, if you follow 70 to the PA Turnpike, you will not be able to avoid the Breezewood, PA, which looks like the battleground of a morbid death match between every hotel, gas, convenience, souvenir junk shop, and fast-food chain in existence. You%26#39;ll understand what I mean when you see it.

Well, once you get to Indy, go to the Broad Ripple area. A number of nice establishments there. Though my personal favorite is downtown tapas bar, Barcelona.

Conseco Field......can you help me figure out where to park?

We are bringing a church group up for the Acquire the Fire youth conference on April 4th. I am a small town gal who doesn%26#39;t like to drive in the city. I know coming out of the event will probably take at least an hour, and I don%26#39;t drive well in parking garages anyhow. Where would be a better alternative to park without having to wait in a long line to get out, but would also be safe at 9pm to take two or three teenagers back (and safe enough to leave my car all day without getting it broke into)??? Any other ';must know'; tips about the area???? Thanks!

Conseco Field......can you help me figure out where to park?

In Indianapolis you can park on the street FREE at meters after 6 p.m. on weekdays and at all times on the weekends unless there is a red No Parking bag on the meter. Of course the closer to the Fieldhouse and bigger the event the harder it will be to find a spot. As far as walking in downtown Indy you should be safe especially with a crowd of people leaving from an event. When parking on street just be sure to park on the WEST side of Conseco. Along South Street there are plenty of parking LOTS which are easily accessible. I don%26#39;t know of any other event in town at the time so it shouldn%26#39;t be too crowded. Enjoy Indy!!

Conseco Field......can you help me figure out where to park?

Your best bet to find a lot is off of South Street (between East and Delaware), as Indyob mentioned. Street parking is a little more difficult to find, even on weekends. You%26#39;ll have to drive around a bit and see if you can find an open spot, and you%26#39;ll have to parallel park. If you get a bit closer to the residential areas, you can find parking on Ohio St between East and Alabama. It%26#39;s about a four block walk, but not bad. Yes, it is free on the weekends unless the meter is bagged for traffic control.

I know you mentioned you weren%26#39;t comfortable with garage parking, but there are quite a few garages nearby, including one at Conseco. You could walk a few blocks to the Circle Centre shopping mall garage. The easiest garage to find is the one off Washington St. It%26#39;s on the left side of the street just past Meridian St. (It%26#39;s a ramp down, so be careful not to miss it.) The garage will be open past 9pm.

Indy is a safe town. You%26#39;ll be fine walking. There are homeless near Conseco Fieldhouse, especially if you are walking between the mall and the Fieldhouse. But they are fairly harmless and I%26#39;ve not seen them harass anyone, especially women.

There are also street level parking pay lots that are ground level only easy in and easy out that run the same price as garages and are safe.

I would like to find a street level parking lot, as I am not a good parallel parker. We don%26#39;t mind walking a few blocks. We have to be at the event by around 7am, so I assume we might have a better chance of finding parking Saturday at that early in the morning????

I really appreciate all the replies.

You shouldn%26#39;t have any trouble finding parking on an open lot OR on the street when plenty of empty parking meters that early Sat morn. If your%26#39;re lucky you can find a meter open at the end of a street and then be able to pull straight out when you leave

You can find surface lot parking off of South Street between East and Delaware (at the intersection of Alabama.) These lots are owned by Eli Lilly and Wellpoint, but they typically have them open for events. You will see a sign for ';Event Parking'; if that is the case. Both lots are between $2-$6 parking.

The lot on the south side of South Street is Eli Lilly. If you DO NOT see a sign for ';Event Parking';, do not attempt to park there because I know they will tow. They have security 24/7.

As far as other surface lots, there is one other major lot I can think of, and that%26#39;s on Alabama and Market St. It%26#39;s easiest to get to if you go east on Ohio, and turn south on Alabama.

Correction... the lot on Alabama is easiest to get to if you go WEST on Ohio St and south on Alabama. It will be to your left. You can%26#39;t miss it.

Since you are getting in around 7am, you%26#39;ll probably beat the attendants in. That%26#39;s a little risky...not sure of the towing policies on the lots.

At 7am, you may still find parking on the street. Even then on weekends, it%26#39;s still a little difficult near the Fieldhouse, but you might find something on Washington St. east of Alabama. Or on Pennsylvania between Washington and Maryland.

My advice... just drive around a bit and find a spot you are comfortable with. Don%26#39;t forget a lot of streets downtown are one way! It%26#39;s amazing how many people (even those with Indiana plates) forget this.

Good luck! And don%26#39;t sweat it. At 7am you%26#39;ll have the streets to yourself.

Thanks! I%26#39;m a bit nervous as I don%26#39;t like to do city driving. The last time I did, I went down a one way street the wrong way, and boy was my face red when the people started honking, cursing, etc. Hopefully this early in the morning, I will find parking on the street and will be able to avoid parallel parking. We are staying in a hotel, so I am planning on arriving a bit earlier than 7am, so I will plan on looking for something on the street. Thanks again!!!!

lunch downtown?

Going to Indy this weekend and want to get some opinions on a good place to eat lunch downtown on Sunday. Any thoughts?

lunch downtown?

I love Yats on Mass Ave, but don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s open Sunday. Anyone else know? I also like Basbeaux Pizza in the same area. Theres%26#39; some good chains too...Palomino, Rock Bottom,%26amp; others. http://indianapolis.diningguide.com/ might help you.

SB2

lunch downtown?

ens,

In addition to shutterbug%26#39;s recommendations, which are perfect, I would also point you to The Claddagh irish pub, Slippery Noodle, and the Rathskellar. The restaurant at Nordstrom in the mall is a decent place for lunch. I do not know Sunday hours for these places.

Here%26#39;s yet another link to downtown restaurants that has a map. Some of these are a ';near downtown'; rather than right downtown. Even though this list shows every Subway and Chick-Fil-A, it%26#39;s not exhaustive by any means. There are lots of other places.

www.indy.org/files/map/RestaurantMap.pdf

I can%26#39;t argue with the above, but will add these centrally located places:

Capital Grill (chain, in the Conrad) - a bit pricy but excellent food and service

The Weber (also a chain) - I%26#39;ve always thought this a nearly ideal place to have a business lunch - not too noisy, very good food (I like their brisket), and great ambience.

Harry %26amp; Izzy%26#39;s (locally owned) - sister restaurant to the famous St. Elmo%26#39;s, with a bit better pricing and wider selection. NOT the same kitchen.

But when my wife and I wanted to grab lunch downtown, and could go wherever we wanted, we slid up to Mass Avenue to go to Bazbeaux Pizza - great pizza by the slice, typically with a fast moving line stretching out the door. A local favorite.

Don%26#39;t forget world famous Shapiro%26#39;s Deli! Corned beef on rye with a kosher pickle.

Yes! And Shapiro%26#39;s sandwiches are huge. You could easily share one.

SB2

I recommend Barcelona%26#39;s (www.barcelonatapas.com) a tapas bar and restaurant on the east edge of downtown.

hotels & Bars downtown?

We are going to Victory Field in May, and didn%26#39;t know where today, should we stay near the field or closer to downtown. Where is the happening area, we are in our early 40%26#39;s but like to have a good time. Thanks for your help.

hotels %26amp; Bars downtown?

Sandee: Victory Field is downtown, literally. The Marriott and Westin are probably the two closest major hotels. There are some smaller hotels that are as close or even closer. The Conrad is pretty close, as is the Hyatt and Hilton.

I too am in my early 40s but am a terrible reference for ';happening'; areas. The most happening area has traditionally been Broad Ripple, which is not really near downtown. It%26#39;s about 40 blocks or so north of downtown. There is also Massachusetts Avenue (known as Mass Ave) downtown, but I don%26#39;t know how wild it gets.

hotels %26amp; Bars downtown?

Thanks...not really that wild..lol. Just wanted to make sure there was stuff to do downtown, restaurants etc..

There%26#39;s lots of places to eat, drink %26amp; be merry downtown. Any of the hotels mentioned above will be within walking distance of museums, restaurants, and bars. If you have a car I would recommend going over to Mass Ave. It%26#39;s on the Northeast side of the main downtown area, maybe 5 minutes by car or walkable if you like to stretch your legs. Indy has a small downtown %26amp; you will find it easy to navigate. I%26#39;m sure others will have great ideas. Have fun.

I would stay downtown. A litle more pricey but will save on convenience. The ';Vic'; is right on the edge of the westside of downtown. It%26#39;s an easy walk from Meridian St. which runs right thru the center of downtown. There are plenty of places to stay, eat, and like above be merry. One of the great and oldest places is The Slippery Noodle which has live blues and dancing. Ike and Jonesy%26#39;s is alsoa fun place wih dancing and a DJ. Howl at the Moon I believe is a dueling piano bar. There isalso Jillians that has several forms of entertainment. Of course at the end of May is The Indianapolis 500, if your coming tha last week youe better make reservatons NOW! Keep that in mind also. If you;re going to a night game a drive over to the track might be fun during the day if the cars are running. It%26#39;s an easy 5-6 mile drive to The world famous Speedway.

Yes, I do hope you aren%26#39;t coming to Indy to Victory Field the weekend of May 22-24. That%26#39;s Indy 500 race weekend, and hotels downtown will be harder to come by, at least at a reasonable rate. Also, the first Saturday in May is the 500 Mini-Marathon, which is another weekend where some of the downtown hotels might be a little more crowded than usual - not impossible to find a room, just more crowded. That being said, the other weekends in May would be perfect.

As others suggested, Marriott, Westin, Hyatt, Conrad, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Canterbury, Hilton, Sheraton are all within walking distance to everything downtown. If you are a gambler, you can try Priceline for a reasonable price. I typically get the Hyatt for a decent price for visiting friends/family.

Circle Centre mall is in the heart of downtown, many museums at White River State Park. You can even walk to Mass Ave (just north and east of Monument Circle) and check out some of the shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Anyone at the hotels will be able to tell you how to walk (or drive) there.

There are a couple ';shouldn%26#39;t miss'; places IMHO. The Rathskeller Biergarten (http://www.rathskeller.com/) is a great place to hang out on a nice evening. It%26#39;s located downtown just about 4-5 blocks from the Circle. You%26#39;ll find all ages there - from early 20s to late 60s. And for breakfast, you must go to Patachou on the Park at the Simon Building on Capitol and Washington (within a stones throw from the Westin and Hyatt).

I%26#39;m sure if you have any other questions, we%26#39;re willing to help! Have fun!

blackheads

Tips for May in Indy

Hi Everyone,

I thought it might be helpful if some of us locals %26amp; veterans of the 500 share some of our favorite tips for others going to the track. Here%26#39;s a few of mine %26amp; I%26#39;m sure you all have better ones.

Leave home early.

Be patient..there will be lines everywhere.

Be ready for weather..hats, sunscreen, rain gear. It can make or break a long day.

Follow cooler guidelines (15';?';) %26amp; no glass! Bring as much as you can comfortably carry %26amp; consume.

Designate a driver.

If you can, especially in the infield, move around to get different vantage points.

A radio can help with info. Also binoculars, camera, other electronics to share %26amp; record the day.

Guess that%26#39;s all for now.

SB2

Tips for May in Indy

I discovered this one for myself yesterday - don%26#39;t bother waiting in long lines of traffic to get into one of the track parking lots. If you see someone offering parking in their front yard for $5, take it and just walk. It%26#39;s soooo much easier! :-)

english premier soccer - Manchester United

Anyone know a location where we can see the Manchester United soccer game on 10th May?

english premier soccer - Manchester United

If it is available in our area, I imagine it would probably be on one of the smaller tv%26#39;s at most sports bars. I did a google search and came up with

Chatham Tap Soccer Pub, 719 Massachusetts Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46202. Probably would have it there.

english premier soccer - Manchester United

Thanks for response. Unfortunately they were not opening that early today. Watched the game over the internet though.

IU Graduation Weekend May 8-9, 2009

We are trying to find a hotel for the weekend of May 8th and 9th for IU%26#39;s 2009 graduation. I realize that we are just plain out of luck for anything in the immediate area - even waiting lists require full advance payment over $300 per night for rooms. Can anyone recommend a place within 20-30 minutes of Bloomington where we might find a decent place to stay? THANK YOU!

IU Graduation Weekend May 8-9, 2009

The bad news is that everyone else wanting to go to the graduation is in the same boat, so you may find the close options also full/expensive.

Here%26#39;s a few towns that are roughly a half-hour drive of Bloomington (give or take a little):

Martinsville - a little north;

Nashville - a little east - it%26#39;s a rustic/artist touristy area - in addition to a few hotels/motels, you might be able to find a tourist home (like a B%26amp;B only without the breakfast) as an option;

Bedford - a little south;

Bloomfield - a little southwest;

Spencer - a little northwest.

There are some other towns within this 1/2 hour circle which might have a motel/hotel, but these are the main ones. Also, there are likely a few ';standalone'; hotels/motels scattered among the various highways (but would expect most of these to be listed under either Bloomington or one of the above towns).

Good luck with these - if you don%26#39;t have any luck with them you%26#39;ll have to widen your search.

When you expand your ';time circle'; to a hour or so you get to add Indianapolis, Columbus and a fair number of other towns. Not sure you%26#39;ll be able to find something in the 1/2 hour range, but can%26#39;t imagine you wouldn%26#39;t be able to find something in the 1 hour range.

Hope this is helpful,

IU Graduation Weekend May 8-9, 2009

You might want to google for hotels around Franklin, Indiana (on I-65, it%26#39;s south of Indianapolis and wouldn%26#39;t be too bad a drive for you.

Franklin (and lots of others) certainly would be an option. I will however, point out that it is farther than the 20-30 minute circle you mentioned and, because much of the (shortest) drive to Bloomington is 2 lane state highway and not anything close to direct, the driving time is longer than you might imagine based on ';as the crow flies distance.';

Driving from Franklin I%26#39;d allocate at least an hour, probably longer because there will be traffic. In fact from Franklin, it might as quick to take the longer route and drive north (on I-65) to Indianapolis, go west (I-465) and then drop down on SR 37 as this is 4 lane all the way (a good portion restricted access interstate).

If you%26#39;re going to consider Franklin (which isn%26#39;t necessarily a bad idea), I think there are a bunch of other towns you should consider as well (many of which are less/similar driving times than/to Franklin). A few that come to mind are Columbus, (southern) Indianapolis, Greenwood, Mooresville, Edinburgh and Seymour.

Lastly, it%26#39;s a probably a longer drive than you want, but you might look at French Lick/West Baden Springs. If you%26#39;re wanting something special (read fancy and depending on what you%26#39;re used to real expensive). Each town (really 1 twin town, they%26#39;re that close) has a very nicely renovated resort hotel (major resorts ~75 to 100+ years ago, before the depression and cheaper travel (car/air)).

One of them (West Baden Springs Hotel, built circa 1900) has a dome which was the largest enclosed free span space in the US until the building of the Houston Astrodome in the 1960s. Bottom line if you%26#39;re inclined to spend an extra day or two, want something memorable (beyond the graduation) and money isn%26#39;t a major concern, I%26#39;d suggest you consider these as an option.

My guess on driving time from the French Lick area would be ~1 hour to ~1.5 hours.

Again, hope this is helpful and if you want more information on any of these options go ahead and ask.

Just wondering what you ended up doing?

Posting your experience, decisions, etc will be helpful to others in the future in general as well as allowing those of us who are local to have better information.

Hope you reply . . . .

We decided to stay in Indy for the graduation weekend. I had Hilton points and was able to reserve a room for 2 nights at no cost, and the 1+ hour drive isn%26#39;t that different from some of the ';closer'; towns. Thanks for all the advice!

Thanks for the reply. Certainly can%26#39;t argue with your logic - think you made an excellent decision.

I%26#39;ll just add that you should allocate plenty of time for the drive from Indy to Bloomington as there will be very likely be heavier than normal traffic that day (doing the same thing you are) and there can be delays (particularly as you approach Bloomington and in town).

we are planning to go to seymour in june hope so i do believe that is the town mellencamp is from what would bew the closest motels to stay at what townsa thank you connie

Connie,

First it would probably have been a good idea to have made your question a new posting. If I hadn%26#39;t been set up to have e-mail alerts on responses it might have been awhile before I noticed it and it%26#39;s really not related to the original topic.

Yes, Seymour is the town where John grew up, although he lives in (outside) Bloomington now.

While not certain, I imagine Seymour is large enough that you will find a selection of hotels/motels available, particulary since it is on an interstate highway.

If you don%26#39;t find anything available or to your liking in Seymour, Columbus is probably the next place to try. It%26#39;s ~15minutes/mile north on the interstate amd I know it%26#39;s got a cluster or two of hotels/motels located at it%26#39;s exit(s).

Hope this is helpful,

Chris

Connie,

I suggest you post on the Seymour Indiana forum (just checked there is one). It has even less traffic than the Bloomington forum, so I%26#39;m not sure you%26#39;ll get a response there and/or it may take awhile. Thus, I%26#39;d tell you to post ASAP.

Also, looked at what TA had for Seymour hotels and they list 10 of them. Didn%26#39;t look at the reviews or anything, but did notice the (2?) forum postings for Seymour were related to hotels.

I%26#39;d check out the TA reviews and then see what%26#39;s available based on your timeframe/budget.

Good luck,

hlo