Indianapolis, Indiana

To many, the name Indianapolis (Indy for short) conjures up the famous Indy 500 Motor race held each year. Now, I have to confess – right up-front, that I did not go anywhere near the famous circuit!! Indianapolis has, however, other things to offer.

This was a “tag-along” visit for me, for the real purpose of the trip was for my wife, Janet, to attend the ASFSA (American Schools Food Service Association) Convention as a representative of USDA (U. S. Department of Agriculture). Thus our trip began on Sunday to be ready for an early start at the Indianapolis Convention Center on Monday, July 26, 2004.

It was cool when we arrived (and the hotel was downright frigid!) being one of two days when Indy recorded its lowest high temperature for the date of just 22 C. Monday was to be the other day!

The following morning we walked about four blocks from our Hotel to the Convention Center, stopping on the way at a small café for breakfast. Afterwards, I left Janet to go to the Convention Center while I returned to the Hotel and thence began my assault on the City. A map from the hotel proved to be very helpful and I took off in the general direction of Union Station. Sadly, not a station any more but an array of businesses and small shops with, thankfully, a Restroom – it must have been all that coffee!! I was somewhat amused by a small outlet on the lower level dealing with photographs. The Hispanics were arriving by the carload to get photographs for their various, necessary documents! It was a pleasant walk I was further amused by restaurants like “The Slippery Noodle” – more of a bar but with good food and good Blues music, I am told. This was Meridian Street, the east/west divide of the City with the north/south street being Market Street culminating at Monument Circle – as far as I know the only Circle in the City. The Circle is home to a Monument to Soldiers and Sailors of various wars and, along with the fountains, is a memorable piece of architecture. The paving is of brick and there is a pedestrian area all around for those wishing a closer look at the Monument. There are no crosswalks here but the traffic seemed to be fairly sensitive to pedestrians. On my way to the Convention Center I made a brief stop at the State Capitol which, I was told, was a “must see”! We indeed made a return visit later in the week.

I had agreed to visit the Convention Center at around noon but there was question of whether I could get in. So, I went to the Registration Desk and sweet talked a lady into letting me have a pass! So much to Janet’s amazement and amusement I arrived at their booth sporting an ASFSA Exhibitor’s Badge which cost me nothing! We took a break and wandered round the exhibitors extracting as much or as little food samples as we wished for. That was lunch!!! Pizza seemed to be prominent but there was just about everything a kid could possibly want for lunch. To my palate, some of the items were questionable but it is a long time since I was a kid and School Lunches were so, so different then. As I had been warned by the lady who provided me with my entry pass, it was “A Zoo”!!

I continued my wanderings around the City taking in the canal in the north-west of the City and then returning by way of one of the main four diagonal streets – Indiana Avenue. The others being, Kentucky, Virginia and Massachusetts. I visited the Indiana Historical Society – a small Museum devoted more to real history and photographic war exhibits and Indiana’s connection with Cole Porter and Hoagie Carmichael. There was a Cole Porter room set up with a converted Whirlitzer which, at the push of a button, would play one of the original Cole Porter Classics or, if you were so inclined, a modern rendition. On a second visit later in the week we tried one of the latter and it was a big mistake!!!

The canal, in the other direction this time, took me to the Indiana State Museum which is a pretty impressive modern building. I took the opportunity to wander round the “free” bit – just the ground floor – before returning to the Canal and taking in the Steam Clock at the Canal Entrance. It is quite something and it plays the first stanza of “Back Home in Indiana” on the quarters with a slightly longer rendition at the hour plus recording the hour too. Indiana, it seems, has had a “love affair” with steam for a number of years and it is second only to New York in its use of this energy. Even in summer steam can be seen escaping from some underground source or other throughout the city.

Wednesday turned out to be the nicest of weather days with sunshine and warmer temperatures. I took the opportunity to stroll down the canal-side once more but this time to beyond the Museum and on to White River State Park. Crossing the old Washington Street Bridge, which is now pedestrian only and decorated with flags and sculptures, over the White River I ended up at the State’s Zoo at the far end of the park. I have no particular liking for zoos so I did not venture further than the shaded rest area alongside the river. The new Washington Street Bridge is clearly visible as is the railroad which seems to carry only freight traffic. On the way back, I ignored the canal and took Washington Street past the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.

On Thursday we took in the Capitol and were lucky enough to be taken on a short, guided tour around the place. It has an interesting history and we were even able to pay a brief visit to the Governor’s Office which was really quite impressive. Local Government here is much the same as in most States of the Union and is modeled on the Federal Government in Washington, D.C. – the two sides being the House of Representatives and the Senate. We saw both as neither was in session. Afterwards we again walked along the Canal so that Janet could see White River State Park. Taking the roadway from the Canal we went on to visit the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. A very different Museum with the emphasis on the American Indians. The Museum is in the process of taking on a large extension so we were accompanied by the sound of banging and pneumatic drills for much of our trip. However, they were nice enough to give us two free tickets for a return visit any time of our choosing!!! I wonder when that will be?

Our last day, Friday, we returned to the Indiana State Museum and spent a good hour visiting the various exhibits. It seems there is a little bit of everything there but they have tried hard to encompass the ancient with the modern with a good measure of success, I think. A walk on the other side of the canal by return brought us to the Medal of Honor Memorial which, although very modern, is really quite something with the names of those on the Honor Roll being etched into green glass. Next was the Indianapolis History Center where we had lunch and then took a short tour of the museum. Although there are other floors of State History and Genealogy we elected to do the ground floor and just the exhibit dedicated to Cole Porter – and Indiana son. Our last stop was at the Adams Mark Hotel where there was an exhibition of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The collection they had put together was mostly from private collectors but it was pretty comprehensive. The idea was to show how the Bible came to America as well as displaying how writing developed from pictures to word form. It was interesting (especially as we got a senior discount!) and there were a lot of things that I did not know. I knew of the King James Bible but I did not know of the Bible which Elizabeth I had commissioned. By the time we emerged from the exhibition it was raining and we got a little damp making it back to our hotel. We were to get even wetter on our trip home from dinner that evening!

Indianapolis is very much a “Then and Now” City. The old lies alongside the modern and seems to be acceptable. I bought a book mostly of photographs which clearly show the “Then and Now”. Some things have hardly changed at all while others have received radical alteration or have disappeared altogether. It is a pity that much has been lost and the City seems to have suffered from a depression at some stage but, as prosperity grew once more, much of the old was discarded. Wisdom seems to have prevailed and what is left is preserved even if it is in the middle of a modern complex. The City has a large public transport system (buses) where you can ride anywhere for $1. Earlier last Century, tram cars criss-crossed the City. Generally it is a
 clean place but some of the roads in the City center could do with some serious repair work!

Generally, I liked Indianapolis. I found the place clean, friendly, welcoming and, for the pedestrian, it was easy to get around. If we ever return, I think we’ll drive the eight hours or so from Fairfax. Getting to and from airports, especially via O’Hare in Chicago, was not much fun!

Cliff Wallington
July 2004