Have you ever gotten the urge to wake up before the sun, hop in the car, and drive somewhere awesome? (Raises hand!) So today, we’ve gotten a little creative and thrown together a just for fun Indiana road trip that’ll lead you through lovely countryside to some totally only-in-Indiana places. For this article’s sake, we’ll go north to south, but you can follow along or tweak the route to suit your needs and interests by checking it out on Google Maps.
Are you ready? We sure are.
Google Maps
Let’s get up bright and early and enjoy the sunrise on Lake Michigan.
Dirtman’s Images/Flickr The Michigan City lighthouse is one of the most-photographed lighthouses in the United States. It’s perfectly picturesque at any time of day, but there’s definitely a special magic about it at sunrise and sunset. Learn more about this amazing lighthouse walk in this article! Lighthouse Place, Lighthouse Pl, Michigan City, IN 46360, USA
Next, we head to a historic powerhouse that Indiana is famous for: the beautiful campus of Notre Dame.
Don Barrett/Flickr Lovers of beautiful Gothic architecture will love this one. Even if you’re not a fan of college football and you’re not a major history buff, you’ll still find the architecture here to be, at the very least, impressive. We recommend checking out the Basilica of the Sacred Heart if you’re strapped for time. It’s an amazing testament to human art and architecture. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
Now, let’s meander over to one of Indiana’s most underrated state parks: Potato Creek State Park.
Anna Hesser/Flickr This park is home to a beautiful 327-acre lake. Scenery aside, the park is also an awesome place for folks who appreciate a good day filled with birdwatching, as there are numerous species who nest here throughout the year. It’s also said to be haunted, but who really knows? Check this story out to learn more about the park! Potato Creek State Park, Liberty Township, IN 46554, USA
Next, we head to Winona Lake.
Katie/Flickr We hope you like natural beauty, because this road trip is full of it. Winona Lake is a great place to relax and unwind and forget about life for a while. Sure, it’s not the first lake on this list (and it’s not the last), but it’s a lesser-known Indiana hidden gem that’s worth a gander! The town of Winona Lake is absolutely ADORABLE, by the way - you might just want to stay the night! Winona Lake, IN, USA
Our next stop is a magical place where we make happy little friends: the amazing Bob Ross Experience in his hometown of Muncie.
Bob Ross Experience This amazing exhibit is worth visiting Muncie to see! Step inside the (actual) studio of legendary Indiana painted Bob Ross. Learn what a day in his life was like, and how the show was filmed. It’s a fully-immersive, somehow emotional experience, and it’s truly wonderful. There’s nothing else like it; you need to experience this one at least once. Learn more about the exhibit in this article. 1200 N Minnetrista Pkwy, Muncie, IN 47303, USA
Alright! Next up, we check out the town of Wabash, which is significant for a quirky reason: it was home to the nation’s first-ever electric street lights.
David Wilson/Flickr Who knew, right? Turns out, Indiana is home to all kinds of fun and quirky history; while you’re here and if you have time, be sure to check out the beautiful Wabash River. It’s a treat! Want to know more about that whole electric light thing? Check this article out. Wabash, IN 46992, USA
Finally, let’s end our journey at yet another breathtaking lake at Summit Lake State Park.
Chris Riley/Flickr Zen out and find your inner peace as the sun sets over another one of Indiana’s beautiful lakes. This whole state park is wonderful and worthy of awe, but the lake is definitely the most photogenic part. It’s also one of a handful of Indiana parks that offer year-round camping. Summit Lake State Park, 5993 N Messick Rd, New Castle, IN 47362, USA
So, what do you think? What are your favorite places throughout Indiana? Tell us about them by filling out this form and you might just see your picks featured someday!
Google Maps
Dirtman’s Images/Flickr
The Michigan City lighthouse is one of the most-photographed lighthouses in the United States. It’s perfectly picturesque at any time of day, but there’s definitely a special magic about it at sunrise and sunset. Learn more about this amazing lighthouse walk in this article!
Lighthouse Place, Lighthouse Pl, Michigan City, IN 46360, USA
Don Barrett/Flickr
Lovers of beautiful Gothic architecture will love this one. Even if you’re not a fan of college football and you’re not a major history buff, you’ll still find the architecture here to be, at the very least, impressive. We recommend checking out the Basilica of the Sacred Heart if you’re strapped for time. It’s an amazing testament to human art and architecture.
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
Anna Hesser/Flickr
This park is home to a beautiful 327-acre lake. Scenery aside, the park is also an awesome place for folks who appreciate a good day filled with birdwatching, as there are numerous species who nest here throughout the year. It’s also said to be haunted, but who really knows? Check this story out to learn more about the park!
Potato Creek State Park, Liberty Township, IN 46554, USA
Katie/Flickr
We hope you like natural beauty, because this road trip is full of it. Winona Lake is a great place to relax and unwind and forget about life for a while. Sure, it’s not the first lake on this list (and it’s not the last), but it’s a lesser-known Indiana hidden gem that’s worth a gander! The town of Winona Lake is absolutely ADORABLE, by the way - you might just want to stay the night!
Winona Lake, IN, USA
Bob Ross Experience
This amazing exhibit is worth visiting Muncie to see! Step inside the (actual) studio of legendary Indiana painted Bob Ross. Learn what a day in his life was like, and how the show was filmed. It’s a fully-immersive, somehow emotional experience, and it’s truly wonderful. There’s nothing else like it; you need to experience this one at least once. Learn more about the exhibit in this article.
1200 N Minnetrista Pkwy, Muncie, IN 47303, USA
David Wilson/Flickr
Who knew, right? Turns out, Indiana is home to all kinds of fun and quirky history; while you’re here and if you have time, be sure to check out the beautiful Wabash River. It’s a treat! Want to know more about that whole electric light thing? Check this article out.
Wabash, IN 46992, USA
Chris Riley/Flickr
Zen out and find your inner peace as the sun sets over another one of Indiana’s beautiful lakes. This whole state park is wonderful and worthy of awe, but the lake is definitely the most photogenic part. It’s also one of a handful of Indiana parks that offer year-round camping.
Summit Lake State Park, 5993 N Messick Rd, New Castle, IN 47362, USA
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