How is it already May!!! May!!! I have no idea how time is going by so fast. It's true what they tell ya kids, the older you get the faster it goes.
Not only is May my birthday month, but it's also the best month of the year! Today also marks my 58-day streak of closing all three rings on my apple watch. Go me; go me.
This past week in Indy was our last week, and what a week it was! We had beautiful weather and were able to fit in so much.
Exercise Galore
Catacomb Tour
The Catacombs are a long-hidden ruin beneath City Market's Whisler Plaza where Tomlinson Hall once stood (the large building on the corner of the picture on the right above). Built in 1886, the first floor of Tomlinson Hall was vendor space for the farmers market that extended from Market Place next door (to the right of Tomlinson Hall in the picture above). The second floor was a huge convention center with oak-paneled walls and beautiful chandeliers that could hold 4,200 people. Opening night of Tomlinson Hall was June 1, 1886, was a charity event that included a 70 piece orchestra and was for the benefit of the Sailors and Soldiers Monument (pictured below).
The Catacombs are underneath the building and include huge arches for support. Similar to a basement, they included the boilers for the steam heating and storage space for vendors. In 1899, some men were arrested for gambling in the catacombs which was even more controversial since a church service was going on upstairs.
Both Tomlison Hall and Market Place became eyesores to the residents of Indianapolis in the 1950s and there was talk of demolishing them. Ultimately, the fate of Tomlinson Hall was decided for them when in 1958, a fire started in Tomlinson Hall. Despite the best efforts of the fire department, only the first floor could be saved, and given the unstableness of the building, even that had to be taken down in June of 1958. No one knows how the fire started though newspapers started to speculate that a pigeon picked up a partially lit cigarette butt and dropped it on the building. Likely? I think not.
In the 70s, there was a man with an idea to create an underground mall and restaurants in the space and call it The Catacombs. Due to the economy at the time, and the fact that a major sports team was threatening to leave, the project never broke ground, but the name stuck.
Today, tours are given of The Catacombs with incredibly knowledgeable tour guides. You can also rent out The Catacombs as an event space. There was even a wedding in October 2020 in the space. A Halloween wedding in The Catacombs sounds amazing!
Above The Catacombs is office space and Market Place is still hopping next door with food vendors. Overall, a really exciting piece of Indianapolis history.
Eagle Creek Park
The most disappointing thing about Eagle Creek Park is the fact that we didn't find it earlier! Eagle Creek Park is one of the country's top 10 largest municipal parks. Eagle Creek Park consists of 3,900 acres of woods, meadows and ponds, and 1,300 acres of reservoir which is a great resource for both wildlife and recreation. For only $6 a day for non-residents ($5 for residents) and $60 a year for non-residents ($50 for residents), you can fill your days with outdoor activities like swimming, water sports (sail, canoe, pontoon, rowboats, paddleboats, and paddleboards are available for rent), watching concerts, visiting the bark park, golfing, hiking the many trails, having a picnic, fishing and many many more.
We took a three-mile hike around the reservoir and the bird sanctuary. The trails are clear, easy to navigate and the dogs were thrilled with all of the smells, clearly. Really wish we had visited Eagle Creek Park earlier, there is so much more I would have loved to do. A good reminder for future travel to look for more amazing parks like this one!
And puppy shot from our hike!
Stroll through Lockerbie Square
Lockerbie Square is the oldest intact residential neighborhood in Indy. Described as cozy, cobblestone & charming, Lockerbie Square has cobblestone and brick tree-lined streets, beautiful cottages, and stunning Victorian homes. There is a wide variety of architecture in this elegant neighborhood.
You can also tour the home of James Whitcomb Riley (pictured on the left above) a famous poet. Overall, this is a cute neighborhood close to downtown where you can take in the architecture and get in a quick walk.
One Last Culture Trail Bike Ride
Check out last week's blog for more info. This time Cody got to come; spoiled pupperoon.
Wine & Dessert
The Wine Market
The Wine Market is a cute little wine and food shop located in Fletcher Place directly on the Culture Trail. You can order wines either by the glass or by the bottle. Their focus is on great wine that is under $20 per bottle. They also have a good selection of food such as cheese plates, scallops and the best salad ever. We ended up getting both a glass of red wine and a glass of white wine and were not disappointed. Look, I'm no wine connoisseur, but I enjoyed these more than glasses I have paid much more for. We loved the atmosphere, the staff were all incredibly friendly and we really really loved the salad with the shrimp, beets, goat cheese, walnuts and the lemon vinaigrette. There was also a gouda that I will dream about for years to come. High quality for reasonable prices and a nice atmosphere; you can't go wrong here.
Amelia's
Amelia's is a bakery known around Indy for their bread, known by me for their amazing cookies. The line on the weekends is unreal. Inside is a small grocery where you can get anything from bottles of wine to flour. I can't say for sure, but I also might love them because of their slogan "Open half the time, all the time". Get it? Check out their window above for a hint.
We loved Amelia's and went back a couple of times. The brown sugar cinnamon cookie and shortbread were my favorites. Eric loved the oatmeal cookie and the chocolate chip cookie. Missing them already!
Speakeasies
WiseGuy Lounge
WiseGuy Lounge is a speakeasy that is tucked around the corner of Goodfellas Pizzeria on Mass Ave. It's not a hidden speakeasy like those we are used to but it is a really comfortable, almost homey place with couches lining the back wall that you sink into when you sit down. You can even bring in pizza from Goodfellas to enjoy a slice while you knock down a cocktail. Eric ordered the "Smoke and Mirrors", pictured left above, which contained bacon fat washed bourbon, pecan liquor, maple, chocolate bitters and saline. I got the "Bubble Plum", pictured right above, which contained gin, elderflower, mixed berries, vanilla and plum. The drinks were good and not too over the top. It is definitely a fun place to check out and pizza, need I say more??
The Commodore
I can't tell you exactly where The Commodore is, it's a secret they are trying to keep pretty close to the vest. I will tell you that if you use their address, you can find it with some slight sleuthing. When you walk in, you are so excited to have found it that you don't notice much else. Sitting down, you take in how dark the room is. This feels more speakeasy-style than WiseGuy Lounge, and I think that each bar hit their intention dead on. The drinks here felt like they were trying a little hard to be over the top. If you like that kind of thing, this is the place for you. We ordered "The Klondike" which was copper and kings history of lovers gin, chateau arton blanc armagnac, tempus fugit creme de cacao, lime and egg. If you don't know what those things are, you aren't alone. We winged it. We also ordered the "White Russian" which they say is the best one you will ever have. It had "plantation 3-star rum, borghetti espresso liquor, orgeat, salt, cream, chocolate. It was good, but we make a damn good White Russian. Look, we are tough critics ok? Def worth checking out, a great hang-out spot.
Where we Stayed
We have really lucked out with our places so far. This time we stayed at this vacation rental which is one of the many hosted by Anna and Russ in Indianapolis. It was the perfect location, smack dab in the middle of Fountain Square and Fletcher Place and was a quick and easy 1-mile walk to downtown Indy. Clean, spacious, and homey, Anna and Russ do a great job of making you feel at home and provide everything you need. The rental is a duplex (the other side is also rented) with its own private backyard. We couldn't have found a better place to spend our time in Indianapolis.
Bye, Bye Indy
Indy was good to us and we really enjoyed our time there. This week we are on to Milwaukee! Excited to see what there is to discover.
Until Next Time.
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