Plenty for Everyone at Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

 

I had planned to go to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis a few times over the years and something always came up at the last minute. I was determined to visit this place I had heard nothing but good things about and I finally made it happen.

 

Kimberly Harms Robinson, the museum’s Director of PR and Media Relations, and I kept in touch, and she helped me plan the day with my friend, Mary, and her granddaughters, Thea and Rowan. We also took my service dog, Teddy, along to his first museum.

 

The Children’s Museum is really two attractions in one. It’s floors of indoor exhibits and experiences, and an outdoor sports complex like nothing I’ve ever seen before.

Kimberly met us at the entrance, and we decided we were all hungry and we’d start with lunch. Instead of the usual cafeteria, this museum has a food court with choices for the whole family, from pizza to sandwiches to coffee drinks and ice cream.

 

After lunch, we headed to Dinosphere. Here you can learn everything you could want to know about dinosaurs. The kids were enthralled, and they found plenty of hands-on experiences. That is a theme throughout. There is no chance to get bored with all the opportunities.

What makes Dinosphere so appealing is its based-on reality. The staff includes paleontologists who have worked with fossils on digs. They are available to answer questions and kids can go into the lab and see real fossils. The museum also partners with universities and centers around the world to make this exhibition as real as possible.

 

Other exhibits to check out include Spaceship Earth, where you can see what astronauts do while they are in space; All Aboard, a 19th-century steam engine you can ride and pretend to operate; and ScienceWorks, a place where everyone has the chance to see how scientists work and ask questions along the way.

 

The Indiana museum also has Playscape, which is set up for those five and under to enjoy. It’s not just a playground as there are learning opportunities here too.

From May until October, The Riley Sports Complex is open outside at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. I was with younger kids who were more interested in the play inside, but I ventured outside and was impressed with the setup.

 

Throughout the complex you will see tributes to many of the state’s most famous athletes, such as basketball’s Oscar Robertson, hockey’s Wayne Gretsky, football's Reggy Wayne, and tennis player Barbara Wynne. These sports stars all have bronze statues.

Just like the indoors, the sports complex is filled with experiences guests can partake in. In this case it’s the actual sports. Among the dozen options you will find baseball, football, and soccer fields; basketball and tennis courts; a hockey rink, and a racing track. As you can imagine, older kids can spend hours going from sport to sport.

 

I was in my scooter and tempted to play myself. Had I wanted to, it probably could have been arranged as the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis takes accessibility seriously. I found the entire museum to be wheelchair friendly. They also have accommodations for those with neurodivergent issues, and there are sign language interpreters and hearing devices available.

We didn’t get to the museum until the afternoon so we couldn’t see and do everything we wanted to before closure. I recommend arriving early and spending the entire day there to get to see and do more. I will definitely be back someday.

I received some complimentary experiences on this trip, but opinions are my own.

More Activities on Fair Oaks Farm

We had a good night’s sleep at the Fairfield Inn on Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana. The room was quite spacious for three adults, an 8-year-old, and an 11 lb. yorkie who was a bit excited to have three different beds to chose from.

Breakfast is included at the hotel, and it was a nice buffet. We filled up on eggs, bacon, and waffles, and explored a little before heading outside. It was another cold day, so we dressed warmly.

We went to check out the Igloos, a highlight of the Forest of Lights celebration. They are considered part of the Farmhouse Restaurant and are just outside those doors. They were heated and quite cozy. We were just supposed to go in for hot chocolate, but we were so comfortable we decided to stay a little longer for Mimosas, cheesecake, fries, and smoked brisket chili.

When it was time for us to go to the Pig Adventure (you get times for tours when you purchase your tickets) we went to the bus. There are many different packages available, or you can buy individual tickets to a single activity. The farm also has educational classes throughout the year.

The bus was equipped with a wheelchair lift, so I had no problem getting my scooter on. Teddy was happy on my lap, as one of his tasks is to notify blood sugar and blood pressure drops.

The Pig Adventure includes a tour around the huge building, where pigs are born and raised. We were able to see some newborn piglets.

Fair Oaks Farms is all about sustainability. Their buses actually run on waste from the animals. They are working toward achieving a zero-carbon footprint for all of their vehicles.

Before we headed home, we stopped at the Cowfé for lunch. They have a huge selection of cheeses. We did some tasting and I purchased some of my favorite, Calico.

The deli also had meats and they make fresh sandwiches. We picked up some for the road, while Brittany had more of the smoked brisket chili she had loved at the restaurant.

In addition to the Festival of Lights,  Fair Oaks Farms has events throughout the year. They include Easter Egg Hunts in the spring, a Sunflower Field in the summer, and Harvest events for apples and pumpkins in the fall. In the warmer months there is also often outdoor music.

Photos by Marcia Frost and Brittany Lambright

I was hosted on this trip for most of the activities, food, and accommodations, but views are my own.

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Fun on Fair Oaks Farm

 

I had never heard of Fair Oaks Farms when I fellow travel writer suggested it to me. When I found out it was a complete destination just an hour and a half away from Champaign, I quickly made arrangements to take some friends, a willing to play eight year old, and my dog, Teddy 

The name may be familiar to you if you drink Fairlife milk or protein shakes. This is much more than a farm, though, it’s a full destination, and we took advantage of anything it has to offer.

The first thing we did when arriving was check into the hotel. There is a Fairfield Inn on the property so once we parked, we didn’t have to get into the car again until it was time to go home. The building was even set up to look like a barn, but on the inside it was all about a modern hotel.

Our suite was large, with two beds and a pullout couch. Aubree took the couch. Teddy tried his best to join her. We had a microwave and refrigerator in the room, and an indoor pool downstairs.

After we got our things settled, we headed to the Dairy Adventure first. It was a short walk away and the path was clear for me to take my scooter. The building was filled with hands-on activities and selfie spots for kids and adults. It was also about learning about doing things on the farm, such as milking a cow. 

From there we got on the bus to tour the milking production building. Pets are welcome in the hotel and main areas, but not where there are farm animals. Since Teddy is a service dog and never left my lap, he was welcome.

When the bus returned us to the main complex we were pretty hungry and ready to taste some milk products. Ice cream was our choice and the Cowfé was the perfect place to have it. There are about a half dozen flavors. All we had were delicious.

We took a walk after the ice cream to see some of the mom cows with their calves and then went on to the rope course.  Teddy and I stayed on the scooter and observed, but Aubree, her mom Jessica, and Brittany enjoyed the climbing.

The next building we headed to was the Crop Adventure. It also contained plenty of learning experiences. Aubree had fun “shopping” in a grocery store and learning where products come from. I learned a lot about the farm as the boards explained how Fair Oaks has fed seven billion people, and how far modern production has come over the years.

We rested in the room for a little while before heading to the Farmhouse Restaurant. It was getting cold out and we were glad we could get there from the hotel without going outside. The restaurant was decorated for the holidays, with a few cow statues here and there.

The menu has something for everyone and contains a lot of items from the farm, including the popular cheese curds, which we agreed were delicious. I loved the Pig Adventure sandwich. It is a hickory smoked pork on a brioche roll with their house made barbecue sauce. Brittany had a tender steak.

 

The kids menu has quite a few items, including mac n cheese, pizza, and grilled cheese made with at the Fair Oaks dairy.

After dinner, we went to explore their holiday season event, Forest of Lights. It consists of a long trail, lit with beautiful lights, many shaped as farm animals and equipment. When you get to the halfway point, there is a place to stop by firepits. We had bought s’mores in The Market to toast before then.

It was too cold that night for us to do the sledding hill or ice skating. It was fine because we had a day filled with fun and all of us were ready to go to the hotel and get in our warm beds.

*This was my experience at the Forest of Lights in 2022. Check the website to find out the current offerings.

 

Photos by Marcia Frost and Brittany Lambright

I was hosted on this trip for most of the activities, food, and accommodations, but views are my own.

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Christkindlmarket and Dog Friendly Carmel

It was a busy and exciting day before as I took my service dog (then still in training) Teddy to Carmel, Indiana. My friend Jaimee stayed over with us at the Home2 Suites by Hilton. It was a bit of a tough night getting the little guy to sleep on his first overnight in a hotel.

 

We had requested a corner room, so no one seemed to be disturbed, but we were ready to get out of the hotel suite and let him run around outside.

After breakfast, which is included at all the Home2 Suites, we decided to check out one of the pet friendly city’s dog parks. I had asked around and Clay Terrace was mentioned as a good one by a few people. Teddy definitely agreed and it gave him a chance to burn some energy before he was back on my lap on the scooter “working.”

 

We were on our way next to the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. This was my second trip there and I was happy to be back as it was my favorite in the U.S. The market, which does not have an entry fee, is a yearly event filled with food, gifts, performances, and an ice-skating rink.

 

I had to sample the Glühwein, a spiced, warmed wine that I had enjoyed when I visited Christmas markets in Europe. I can also never resist a warm Bavarian pretzel when I go to one of these markets.

I purchased a few things from holiday booths (they have Christmas and Hannukah), and we walked around for a while, but it was an extremely cold day, so we headed to the car after about an hour.

 

Before leaving Carmel, we stopped at a chain famous in this area, Jack’s Donuts. I got a peanut butter roll to take go and even found some doggy bakery items for a treat for Teddy.

 

I dropped Jaimee at her Indiana home.  It was just under two hours west to Champaign and I was driving with the sun as it set. It was a beautiful way to end the day, and what would be the first of many trips with Teddy. 

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Carmel, Indiana: Teddy’s First Trip

This trip was very different from any other, even though I had been to Carmel, Indiana, before. This was my very first trip with Teddy.

Although Teddy was born and came to me during the pandemic, he was definitely not a puppy I got because of COVID isolation. I had planned for two years to get a yorkie.  

I had grown up with a dog and realized soon after we got him I was allergic. I had to avoid dogs for years. Then, a friend came to stay with me for a few weeks and I realized that I didn’t have a problem with the hair (and no dander) of the breed. I prepared financially to get and support a full bred Yorkie. He came home with me in August, 2020.

Teddy is more than a companion. I’ve also trained him as a service dog. He can bring me things, such as pills, glasses, and my inhaler. He also senses drops in my blood sugar and blood pressure. Last, but certainly not least, he comes to comfort me when I’m upset or having breathing issues.

The pandemic definitely slowed down one of the most important parts of his training – taking him to public places. He had been to Rural King and a few local restaurants, and I was ready to take him on my trip to Carmel.

I picked up my friend, Jaimee, along the way. She lives in nearby Indianapolis. There was a travel showcase there for journalists to check out all the places to go in Indiana. I was on my scooter with Teddy on my lap.

 

Teddy wasn’t used to all the crowds at first, but Jaimee took him outside a few times so he wouldn’t disturb anyone. We made it through, and I collected information on places I’m still working on getting to. Indiana is filled with towns, large and small, that are hidden treasures.

From there we headed to Carmel, about a half hour away. One of the reasons we chose to stay there is because it’s very pet friendly. Service dogs are allowed everywhere, but since this was Teddy’s first getaway, I felt that he wasn’t trained enough to go into places that aren’t pet friendly.

 

We stayed at Home2 Suites near downtown. It was my first experience in one of these properties even though I have stayed at Hilton’s other brands a lot. It was a good choice. The room was extremely large and had a very well-equipped kitchen. There was also a couch for Teddy to get comfortable on.

After we got our things settled in and I had a chance to put my feet up for a while, we went to Carmel’s Peace Water Winery. This is an unusual place for a few reasons. First, they consider themselves “Indiana’s Napa Valley Winery.” All the grapes come from California for the Peace Water wines.

The second thing that makes this place so special really impressed me. They donate 50% of their net profits to charities, some local, and some worldwide. You can see exactly where on their charity wall, located at the winery. They have three different locations. All are in the Indianapolis area.

We sampled some wine, and I settled on Wishful White, a blend, as my favorite. Teddy was comfortable in this dog-friendly atmosphere, and we decided to do as we saw others and order some food from Muldoon’s down the street to go with the wine.  

The selection on the menu was pretty big and I settled on the New York Reuben with sweet potato fries, while Jaimee had a burger. There was a fudge covered cheesecake for dessert. Teddy had a few fries to go with his dog food. Like me, he prefers the sweet potato ones.

We headed back to Home2 Suites down the road. It was time to rest up for day two of Teddy’s first trip, which included a dog park and the Christkindlmarkt. We were hoping he was tired enough to sleep through the night in a strange place.

 

I was hosted on this trip, but opinions are my own. 

 

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Art and Food in Lafayette, Indiana

My friend Jaimee and I had arrived in Lafayette, Indiana, the previous day for a quick getaway.

It had been a few years since I was here and I had no idea how much there was to see – and eat.

We woke up in our spacious two-bedroom accommodation at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Lafayette .

Although the hotel offers a big complimentary breakfast, we already had plans for brunch at Town & Gown Bistro.

Town & Gown is much bigger than it looks on the outside. It has two floors and they were both full of patrons.

Matt O’Neill, former innkeeper and chef at Walden Inn, and author of “Seasons at the Walden Inn,” has made a name for himself in this city.

It was easy to figure out why after we finished eating. 

Chef O’Neill uses fresh and local ingredients and puts his touch on common brunch items. 

Jaimee raved about her eggs benedict, and I thought the house-made corned beef hash was fantastic, as were my latte and eggs.

After we finished eating, we headed downtown for our art-filled day.

The first stop was at L.E. Originals, where Linda Elmore gave us a demonstration on how she makes her beautiful beads.

It was very interesting and I enjoyed looking at all her designs in the shop. 

Among them are the beads she creates from photographs, something she is awaiting a patent on.

Linda gave us each a bracelet with one of her beads before we headed down the block to Artists’ Own.

Artists’ Own is a cooperative for Indiana artists. 

Within the large space, they sell everything from stained glass to pottery, paintings to handmade clothing. 

We looked around at the vastly different items for a while before purchasing a few things and heading out.

I was very impressed with the Art Museum of Lafayette. It’s an art haven for the community.

Although we saw a few exhibits (they change often), I liked learning about the classes they gave for adults and children, as well as summer camps. 

We even took a look into the pottery studio.

We had lunch at a popular spot downtown, RedSeven Grill. 

Jaimee got a Sex in the City cocktail to start (Blue Curacao, Peach Schnapps, Chambord, Grey Goose Vodka, and pineapple juice) and we shared an appetizer of Chicken Pot Stickers, which were delicious.

For main courses, Jaimee loved the steak-filled Black and Blue Salad. 

I had a bowl of their homemade tomato bisque and some of their very tasty Pecan Chicken Rollups.

We didn’t have dessert at RedSeven because we knew or last stop of the day was at a bakery, however, we were still too full to do any sampling. 

Sweet Revolution Bake Shop graciously packed up a box filled with goodies, which we thoroughly enjoyed over the days. 

Although I usually favor chocolate treats, their vanilla cupcakes and light and airy French macaroons are out of this world. 

The Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie is also a must-try.

The Bakery, led by pastry chef Sarah McGregor-Ray, who has partnered with brother Jonathan McGregor, was known in the neighborhood for years at the local Farmer’s Market.

They opened this busy shop last summer. Don’t go to Lafayette without making a stop there. 

Check for the best hotel prices in Lafayette now at TripAdvisor.