Indianapolis Day Trips

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Are you looking for some day trips near Indianapolis, Indiana? Here are four places in Indiana that can make a great day trip for you, your friends and family.


1. Turkey Run State Park

I’ve been to Turkey Run State park over 50 times in my life. It’s about a two hour drive west of Indianapolis in Marshall, Indiana. Turkey Run has camping, hiking horseback riding, picnic tables, recreational areas, and a nature center. Sugar Creek runs through the park and is perfect for Canoeing and fishing.

The saddle barn is open daily from Memorial Day Weekend through mid-august. It is open from mid-august through October on the weekends. They offer trail rides, pony rides, and hay rides.

The Turkey Run Inn is open all year, and the restaurant is open to the public. Rooms and rates can be found at IndianaInns.com.

Turkey Run State Park offers 11 trails ranging from easy to very rugged. My favorite trail circuit involves crossing the suspended bridge over sugar creek and entering at trail 3 (very rugged). Trail 3 runs in between two cliffs and has amazing views. The Ice Box is my favorite spot on trail 3. It’s always cool no matter the temperature. If I just want a short hike, I stay on trail 3. If I want a longer hike, I continue the path from trail 3 to trail 10 (moderate) and up to Camel’s Back, then back down trail 10 to trail 3 and the “140 steps” which includes a series of run ladders. Trail 3 then loops back around to the suspension bridge. The entire route is about three miles. It takes about two to three hours to hike. It makes a wonderful day trip of relaxation and nature.

The fees to enter the park are $5.00 for Indiana plated vehicles, and $7.00 for out of state plates.


2. Brown Country State Park

Brown County State Park is located in Nashville, Indiana. It’s about an hour and a half from Indianapolis on State Road 46 West. Brown county has camping, hiking, biking trails, a nature center, bridle trails, and a saddle barn.

Bring a picnic lunch to this state park. There are numerous grills and shelters.

The saddle barn is open daily from May 2nd to November 9th from 9am to 5pm. Hay rides run every Friday and Saturday from May 27th to October 28. They begin at 7:30pm and leave from the Country Store.

There are 10 hiking trails ranging from easy to rugged. Last time I was in Brown county I did trails 6 and 7. Trail 7 is the more scenic of the two. It rounds a lake. There’s also a shelter next to the lake with about six picnic tables. I was able to find enough twigs to roast hotdogs and marshmallows for lunch.

The fees to enter the park are $5.00 for Indiana plated vehicles, and $7.00 for out of state plates.


3. Nashville, Indiana

Nashville is a small country town with many shops and places to eat. It can be visited in conjunction with Brown County State Park, or it can be a day trip by itself. There are also several antiques stores and flea markets. My favorite shop served homemade fudge, but I no longer see it listed.


4. Terre Haute, Indiana

Terre Haute, Indiana lies along the banks of the Wabash. Downtown is a historic district with many shops, nightclubs and bars. Two of my favorites are the Coffee Grounds and Moggers Brewery. If you’re in the mood of upscale dining, Stables is also an awesome place to eat.

Moggers

Moggers is reasonably priced, and has the largest beer selection I’ve ever seen. They are located at 908 Poplar Street, Terre Haute, Indiana. They are open seven days a week. My favorite meal includes an appetizer of Rumplestilt Skins with a 8oz sirloin, baked potato and a side salad. They also offer free wifi.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories
  

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