West Baden Springs Hotel

The state’s most spectacular hotel sets the scene of So Cold the River, a horror film adapted from Bloomington author Michael Koryta’s novel.

Trade birdies for the breathtaking golf-course vistas two hours south of Indy.

The luxury hotel’s atrium spans 200 feet and was once called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

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.