Away from the Crowds in Indiana

Known as the Hoosier State, Indiana is in the Midwest, bordering Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the south and southeast, and the Wabash River and Illinois to the west.

Bluespring Caverns provide an unusual adventure for visitors. They are located in Bedford and include one of the longest navigable underground rivers in the US. Visitors can enjoy a boat tour that passes by amazing rock formations, strange passageways, and fascinating wildlife.

Among the highlights is the Blind Fish Cave, which is home to rare blind cave fish adapted to the dark environment.

Cataract Falls is a waterfall located in northern Owen County in west central Indiana. It is part of the Lieber State Recreation Area. The waterfalls consist of two sets of waterfalls on Mill Creek, and both include a series of drops. The Upper Falls is approximately 45 feet and the Lower Falls at about 30 feet. Downstream from the Lower Falls, Mill Creek enters Cagles Mill Lake near the towns of Cunot and Cataract.

Exotic Feline Rescue Center was founded by Joe Taft in Center Point in 1991. (pictured above) This is home to more than 200 wild cats rescued from 24 states. It is a nonprofit rescue center with lions, tigers, leopards, servals, pumas, bobcats, Canada lynxes, ocelots, Geoffroy’s cats, and Asian leopard cats. The cats are fed between 3 to 4,000 pounds of meat per day. Their habitats include towers and toys and there is an on-site veterinary clinic.

Gravity Hill is located in Mooresville. This is a mysterious spot where drivers have rolled up the hill backward when they parked their cars in neutral at the bottom of the hill. This is an optical illusion that also comes with a legend. According to legend, a school bus stalled at the bottom of this hill many years ago when it intersected a railroad track. The bus was struck by an oncoming train, killing several riders. Locals say that spirits of the children killed are pushing things uphill out of harm’s way and leaving their fingerprints on vehicle bumpers.

In the early 1870s locals of Greenberg started noticing something unusual in the town’s main square. A tree had sprouted on the roof of the county courthouse. As years passed, it grew into a large tree, and more trees sprouted on the roof throughout the years. Today the 50-year-old tree hugs the clock tower and has become known as the Greenberg Tree Tower. The tree has been identified as a mulberry tree.

Jug Rock is the largest free-standing rock formation in the eastern half of the US. It stands in the Jug Rock Nature Preserve just outside of the town of Shoals. The rock is composed of sandstone.

The Market Street Catacombs are a hidden network of subterranean passageways found beneath the City Market in Indianapolis. The catacombs are tunneled beneath the city streets with limestone and brick archways. These were once used to transport and store meats and produce to be sold at the market in the days before refrigeration. The catacombs are intermittently opened to tours, artists, and even Halloween events.

New Harmony Labyrinth was originally designed as a place for meditation and reflection by the Rappites, an ultra-religious German society in the early 19th century. The labyrinths stand on the main street of New Harmony.

Visitors can enjoy walking about it, finding the center where the stone Rappite Temple stands.

The Ruins are located in Holliday Park in Indianapolis. These are stone features from a demolished New York City skyscraper preserved as works of classical art. They were once part of the demolished St. Paul Building in Manhattan. The sculptors of each of these squatting figures represented a different race.