Travel

Be advised, though: Properties right on the water don’t come on the market very often. You might need to make a few trips. Try to suffer through it.

A “last call” bell hangs at the bar, one of several remnants of the old cottage that once stood here. When it’s finally time to retire, the second floor sleeps more guests than some hotels.

Pacers, Colts, executives, and other notable residents give Geist Reservoir a reputation for excess.

Whelmed by the options among lakes Michigan, Monroe, Patoka, Tippecanoe, Wawasee, and more? Click here.

Today’s pontoons must pull double duty. Buyers want both space for a dozen people and enough horsepower to pull the kids on skis.

“Like so many of the families on Wawasee, we’re diving into our fourth generation there. And the water remains very inviting.” —Katie Zarich

The Good (Carmel): “You don’t have to stop every five feet.” The Bad (23rd St.): “That Thomas Skinner factory blasts its stench at the trail.”

“Nope. Wait, do other people get asked out on the Monon? Am I missing out?!”

Your best buddy can party in Broad Ripple, too: The deck and patio at Plump’s Last Shot is a happening scene for sociable dogs, with water bowls and servers who’ve been known to bring biscuits.

Don’t try to make new friends. Even so, the people-watching is first class. Just don’t gawk.

Craving something salty? Locally made beef jerky at Joe’s Butcher Shop delivers a surprising lemon-peppery kick.

Question: A friend says my Instagramming is disruptive to other trail-users, but everyone “hearts” my tilted shots of trees and bridges. What’s the verdict?

While some Indiana wildflowers can be quite showy, many of the blooms are more subtle than the hybrids bred to turn heads at The Home Depot; loving them is like looking past the prom queen and falling for the girl with glasses who reads poetry.

On Monday, May 20, the magazine took home a City and Regional Magazine Association award in the category of Leisure/Lifestyle Interest for our October 2012 “Fall Drives: Lost and Found” feature.

When city-dwellers dream of the simple life, what they imagine are the petite gems of Indiana’s countryside. And it turns out these places are even prettier, the people friendlier, and the autumn leaves more colorful in real life. It’s honest-to-God Americana—only small. You have to look for it (as we did on these five trips). But don’t worry, you’ll find it. Just be sure to drive slowly, or you might blink and—well, you know.