New Orleans: 2010 Cruise

We drove straight through from Indy in about 12-13 hours. Were really tired by the time we got checked into the hotel but we were also hungry so we forced ourselves to go out to the River Walk on the Mississippi River. We had planned on going to the Jazz Festival in the French Quarter and the Aquarium but were just to wore out. We were right downtown less than a block from the River Walk and a couple of blocks from the cruise terminal.

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Kiss Z Cook:

Kelly, Jo, friends Melissa, Laura, Melvin Watts and I spent the evening at a 'cooking' cafe where we all cook a gourmet meal under the direction of Chef Dwight Simmons where we then all sat down and ate our creation.

It was a blast!

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Around iNDY: Downtown Canal

I didn’t know you could do this on the Canal!

Wakeboarding on the Downtown Canal.

Featured Trail: Northwest Way Park

 

View Inter-Active Map Pros: Varied Sun & Shady. Scenic, flat to rolling. Paved, not congested. Family oriented activities. Restrooms and parking. Cons: Lack of shade on larger loop Too many kids? Overall Path: 1.2 miles larger loop. plus .7 smaller loop. 1.6 combined outer path. or 1.9 doing figure 8.

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On 62nd Street between Georgetown & Moller Rd.  A large inner city park on the northwest side of Indy with no dissecting streets.  Most of the park is encircled by a walking path that forms a big loop with a smaller loop appended to one corner.  Mostly walkers with few bikers or skaters which is good because of the paths width, which is barely adequate for two-way pedestrian traffic.  The larger loop passes the aquatic center, basketball half-courts, soccer fields, parking lot and green space.  This loop is laid out over flat and rolling terrain and is mostly in the sun.  The smaller loop is a little more rolling than flat, and winds through shady areas that account for about 50% of the loop.  There are picnic shelters and playground along the intersection of the two loops.  The smaller loop and part of the larger loop are very oriented to a wildlife habitat layout, bird feeders, vegetation, and rabbits are plentiful.

Featured Trail: Southeast Way Park

5624 South Carroll Road, New Palestine, IN 46163 View Inter-Active Map Pros: Varied sun & mostly shady. Scenic, flat to rolling. Unpaved, not congested. Family oriented activities. Restrooms and parking. Cons: Trail has potential for getting muddy in damp weather Limited trail options [some small loops] Overall Path: Larger loop (biking/walking) = ??. Hiking loop = ??. Low traffic roadway = ??.

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A large suburban park on the southeast edge of Indy (Marion Co.) with no dissecting streets. Most of the park is encircled by a walking path (an old deteriorating bicycle path) and a large hiking path. I didn't do the walking path but the hiking trail was great. The paths were narrow foot trails, mostly flat to rolling with some dips and embankments. In spite of the 'flatness' there were dramatic examples of erosion from the trailhead to the creek that borders the park. The large loop that constitutes the hiking trail is not closed, it begins near the Park Center and ends near the picnic and parking lots. You complete the 'loop' using part of the old walking/bike path. This is the only portion of the 'loop' that is fully exposed to wind and sun. There are picnic shelters, playground and open grassy areas throughout the park. "Southeastway Park is a 188-acre nature park managed by the Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department. The park is located in the southeast corner of Marion County at 5624 South Carroll Road easily accessible from I-74 at the Acton Road exit. There are a variety of natural habitats on the property including 80 acres of forest, a pond and wetland, open fields, a prairie and Buck Creek. The park also offers numerous environmental educational programs and special events throughout the year." from the Indy Parks website. The park is very oriented to a wildlife habitat layout, bird feeders, vegetation, creek, pond and rabbits are plentiful, but the most interesting aspect of the park is the Butterfly conservation program. They have literature on setting up your own 'migration' station, "Monarch Butterfly Waypoint', to attract butterflies and judging from the abundance of butterflies during my visit their program is a big success.

Antique Mall’s Antique Car Show:

 

Stopped by the Shadeland Shoppes with Troy to check out the Antique Mall’s Antique Car Show.

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3444 North Shadeland Avenue

Around iNDY: Woodruff Place Flea Market

 

Troy and I went to the Annual Woodruff Place Flea Market today.  Haven’t been to Woodruff Place in almost 25 years.  Not since I was the Community Center Director there.

 

The Flea Market was interesting and things looked a little better than in ‘84’.  It had been on the downswing then as much of the houses had gone from owner-occupant to landlord-occupant.  Don’t know what the situation is now but many of the historic, and large, homes are still there.  The fountains are too even though they seem to have suffered a little neglect since ‘84’.  A shame because that was a strong neighborhood feature back then.

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Today, Woodruff Place attracts a wide variety of people who seek a quiet residential area minutes from downtown Indianapolis. The Woodruff Place Civic League has a large membership that organizes annual fund-raising events like the Flea Market, Victorian Home Tour, White Trash Tour, 4th of July Parade and other social engagements such as the Senior Tea and the Children's Halloween Party. And hats off to the legendary W.P. Lawn Chair Brigade, favorites at any local parade.    [from the Woodruff Place web site]

Woodruff Community Center 79-80

Their having a home tour [annually, the last weekend of June] but not likely we will make it.

Around iNDY: The Monon Murals

I re-walked the Monon Trail on Memorial Day weekend [09] and covered the trail from 46th street south to the trailhead at 10th & Mass. Ave. for the first time. In the process I took some pictures of Murals that I hadn't seen before. Iplaced them at the beginning of the slide show.
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At several locations along the trail murals can be found on the back of buildings adjacent to the trail. There are over 40 murals painted on the back of a 400 foot long building between 52nd and 54th Street.

Featured Trail: The Monon Trail

View Inter-Active Map [see Photo Ops below] Pros: Scenic, Shady & Flat. Wide & Paved. Mile markers, occasional benches. Eateries & shops at Broadripple Village and Nora. Cons: Congestion. Speeding Cyclist Overall Path: 10miles plus 5.25 in Hamilton Co.  [96th Street to 10th Street. Connects to Fall Creek Trail and Central Canal Towpath. Walk/Jog, Cycling, Rollerblading. From Start to Fall Creek Junction: 2.76 miles From Fall Creek Junction to Broad Ripple: 3.49 miles Broad Ripple to Nora: 3 miles Nora to Carmel: 4.67 miles Destinations: Nora, Broad Ripple, Marott Park , Indianapolis Art Center, Canterbury Park, State Fairgrounds, Fall Creek Trail, Douglas Park, Central Canal Towpath.

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From 62nd street [Broadripple Village] going north to 86th street [Nora] is a nice shady 3 mile walk, with a slight elevation [The trail north of 86th Street to 96th Street is less shady and more prone to winds]. South of 62nd is also less shady. Mile markers [below 96th Street] make it easy to time yourself and adjust your turnaround point for shorter walks. The trail occasionally can be very busy with bikes, joggers, dog walkers and skaters. The path is wide and paved, has few street crossing points once you leave Broadripple Village, and has plenty of eateries and shops at both Nora and Broadripple.  Public restrooms only at 96th Street and Carmel City Hall. Occasional drinking fountain [including doggie fountains] and bench. It crosses the canal, White River, Fall Creek and Williams Creek and passes Marott Park. It also connects to the Central Canal Towpath in Broad Ripple and the Fall Creek Trail south of the Fairgrounds.  Nice neighborhoods, Indianapolis Art Center, wooded areas, and art adorn the walk. Besides the natural beauty of the neighborhoods and wooded area the Monon Trail passes through, there are also sculptors, buildings decorated with murals and the IAC: Monon Murals At several locations along the trail murals can be found on the back of buildings adjacent to the trail. There are over 40 murals painted on the back of a 400 foot long building between 52nd and 54th Street. To view a full sized slide-show of click this link. Indianapolis Arts Center is located along the Monon Trail on the banks of White River. The grounds of the Center features sculpture, foliage and landscaping. To view a full sized slide-show of click this link.

 

 

Around iNDY: Glenn’s Pics

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Featured Trail: Holiday Park

6363 Springmill Road Indianapolis, Indiana click to view Inter-Active Map Pros: Scenic and Shady Parking & some benches. Cons: Markers not very clear, so many alternate paths you could wander around all day. Very hilly, trail erosions and obstacles a plenty. Way too many stair structures Restrooms & fountains? Overall Path: 3miles plus.

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Several trails and traces: The ruins, nature center and are appealing off the trail sites and the scenery along the trails is very appealing. There seems a lack of facilities other than parking. The paths are moderate to rugged, very much up and down, all dirt and footing in some parts is treacherous. Trail markers mean little without a map. Be sure to take the trail down to the rivers edge, the garden and the pond. "Holiday Park is one of the most environmentally diverse, yet accessible, tracts of land within Marion County. The wooded area contains natural springs (fen) and wetlands, a pond, a long stretch of the White River, a beech-maple forest, and over 400 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers. Bird watchers have spotted more than 200 species. In addition, deer, fox, beaver, rabbits, squirrels and many other native animals reside in or pass through the Park's heavily wooded ravines."** **from IndyParks literature

Featured Trail: Southwest Way Park

View Inter-Active Map Pros: Shady Popular with horse riders. Cons: Main Trail is too short for an out and back. Branches from the main trail are poorly defined and poorly marked. Suggest printing the pdf file from the Parks Dept website and trying to follow it. Access trail and branches are poorly drained. Lot of standing water [mosquitoes were terrible in the middle of the day]. Overall Path: GPS reception was poor so path & distance is unavailable at this point. We will either re-walk this trail or reconstruct it in the near future to obtain map path & distance.

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Southwest Way Park's hiking trail consisted of a straight out and back path of about ??mile. This part of the trail was raised about six feet above the surrounding terrain similar to a converted rail trail with a wide hard packed surface. Along the trail and at one end there are several unmarked foot paths. If your new to this trail and take one of these footpaths take the first opportunity to return to the main trail until your familiar with which footpaths actually return to the trail. I took a foot path at one end of the trail and tried to follow it along the river bank only to have to back track as it just ended in the middle of nowhere. There are two footpaths that lead to the main trail. The footpath from the parking lot near the trail signs is a gradual downhill that intersects with the main trail at its mid-way point. This path and the aforementioned footpaths are poorly drained causing treacherous footing during wet weather. The other footpath from the parking lot, near the timber stares, is a gradual uphill that curves around to a steep downhill to the opposite end of the main trail. Accessing the main trail via this footpath or returning this way is a pleasant walk until you encounter this steep portion of the path, be forewarned. It is unfortunate that none of the paths allow for easy access to the shores of the river. A fact that is due in large part to the lack of a gradual bank in this area as the swiftness and depth of the river have eroded the shoreline to the point that the riverbank is just a drop-off into the river.

Around iNDY: The Tree People

Located all over Indianapolis there is a 'tribe' of Tree People located along the Fall Creek Trail near the 56th Street bridge. They are located on private property but very visible from the trail, you just have to focus to find them. Once you see one they will all suddenly be visible.

Around iNDY: Indianapolis Art Center

Indianapolis Arts Center is located along the Monon Trail on the banks of White River. The grounds of the Center features sculpture, foliage and landscaping.


 

Around iNDY: Holcomb Gardens @ Butler U.

Holcomb Gardens is located along the Central Canal Towpath on the grounds of Butler University. You reach the Garden by crossing the foot bridge at the 2.6 mile marker along the trail. The garden, pond, and other features are very scenic. Going further south on the trail you will find the IMA and its outdoor gardens also by crossing a foot bridge.