Travel

At Joe’s Cycles, look for croques monsieurs, baguettes, and croissants come Tour de France time in July, but when the Vuelta a España rolls around in August, he’s all about the Spanish bocadillo.

Formerly known as the Zionsville Rail Trail, the Big-4 Rail Trail, a greenway through the heart of the northwestern suburb, is a favorite of children and parents, at the center of a sprawling system that spans Boone County.

“It is very user-friendly and also a very sociable trail,” says Franklin College senior Michael Powell. “Everyone you pass waves and greets you.”

Training for a solo ride from Noblesville to San Francisco, Emma Fisher uses the greenway to head out of town and onto the rural roads of northern Hamilton County. “Potter’s Bridge is the beginning and end of my journey every time, so it’s special,” says Fisher, who likes to hang a hammock between trees and take a breather on the riverbank.

“There is a perceived novelty in what we do, given our rural community nestled in the Heartland,” says Jonathan Balash, president and director of Spencer Pride. “People hear about small towns being small-minded, but that’s a big misconception.”

First things first: Croquet gets pretty fierce. Especially for an event that involves people spending a summer afternoon at a historic presidential home, attired in crisp white and playing a game largely associated with monocled aristocrats saying, “Good show!” (at least, that’s how we imagine it).

“The soft surface is a welcome deviation from pounding the pavement,” says Fox 59’s Larra Overton, a former college track athlete. “Especially when training for longer distances like the Monumental Marathon, extended trails with a variety of terrain and scenery are crucial.”

“I wish I could show my friends how cool this ride is,” says downtown attorney and bike commuter Jay Church. “The entire length is in the city, but offers a quiet, natural experience. Traffic moves fast on Fall Creek Parkway, but otherwise you wouldn’t know you’re in a dense urban environment.”

“When you’re doing a longer run, it gets boring running the same loop over and over,” says Mini-Marathoner Vince Rightley. “There is no traffic. You can get away from everything except the trees. I can get 10 miles in without worrying about cars.”

“Once the connection is made to the east, bike commuting to downtown Indianapolis from Greenfield and Cumberland will increase,” says Scott Irons, owner of Indy Cycle Specialist. “It’ll also be a boon to Irvington, as riders explore our shops, restaurants, breweries, and the beautiful neighborhood.”

Trek women’s advocate Kate Nolan has ridden Town Run for 20 years. “It’s very flowy. There are lots of short step-ups and -downs, and I love the drops,” she says. “It has plenty of terrain changes, from hilly and windy to dirt berms in the prairie.”

“I love the trail south of the zoo,” says Andrew Hector, a downtown runner working up to a marathon. “It’s pretty much just you, the woods, and the river … a little oasis in the city.”

How popular is the Monon Greenway in Hamilton County (and Carmel in particular)? Some 450,000 people biked or walked it last year, so it’s no surprise that about $500 million in new development projects have broken ground—or will shortly—adjacent to the trail.

The impressive music lineup makes the festival’s lively marketplace, friendly crowd, bountiful food trucks and craft beer, and picturesque Ohio riverfront setting seem like mere perks.

Even if you can’t yet get a table at Whiskey Dry, Lee’s other restaurants—and the city’s oft-toasted dining scene at large—offer reasons aplenty to cross the Ohio.