Crawfordsville

Some ziplines cross open spaces, from pole to pole. Others run under a forest canopy, from tree to tree. True thrill-seekers will want the rush of whooshing through tight, leafy nooks at 20 to 45 miles per hour.

The new Godzilla movie hit theaters this month, but Indiana residents who crave monster thrills needn’t settle for a Japanese import. Per certain sources, our state is crawling (and slithering and flying) with home-grown horrors.

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.