A visitor posted on Reddit last week: three weeks in Indiana. What do you do? Most people answering had never tried to fill three weeks. This itinerary has. It runs north to the Lake Michigan dunes, south to the Ohio River wine bluffs, and through the cities and small towns that make the middle part worth the drive.
Days 1-6: Start in Indianapolis
Six days is not too long for Indianapolis. The city has 250 miles of paved trails, the best children's museum in the country (3000 N. Meridian St.), a food scene that punches above its weight, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (4790 W. 16th St.), which alone takes a full day if you want to do it right.
Start your morning in the Fletcher Place neighborhood at Amelia's Bread (653 Virginia Ave) for city-famous sourdough. From there, it's a short hop to the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library (543 Indiana Ave.), which sits two blocks from the downtown canal and is worth at least two hours. At night, head to Broad Ripple for dinner, or stay downtown and try Spoke & Steele (123 S. Illinois St.) if you want something refined and want to book ahead.
The Indianapolis Zoo (1200 W. Washington St.) fills half a day easily, and the Indiana State Museum fills the other half. From there, walk the canal to the war memorials. The monuments and memorials along the canal are something most visitors rush past without stopping. Stop.
On day five, rent a bike and take the Monon Trail north into Carmel. The Arts and Design District at Main and Range Line Road has galleries and coffee worth the ride. Come back on the trail before dark.
If you're visiting in May, the city pivots into