Reporting Live from Indianapolis

Indy! Indy! Indy!

Now I feel like it would only be fair to give my home state the honor of the first reporting live report, so here I am reporting live from Indianapolis, IN.

Despite the fact that Indy is located in the midwest and can experience all four seasons in one day, I truly do think this city is underrated. There’s some good eats. There are things to do here AND the things to do aren’t too expensive. I would even go as far as to say this is the city of love, at least for me. I really feel like the time I spent living alone in Indianapolis I was able to fall in love with myself and focus on doing things that made me happy.

I grew up an hour north of Indianapolis and spent the first part of my high school experience at a private school in an Indianapolis suburb. After college, I moved to Indianapolis and lived there for two years while I traveled regularly for work. I spent half of my time as an Indy resident flying all over the country for work and the other half in my studio apartment alone during quarantine.

So when you’re reporting live from my home state, here are some things to do, eat, and see!

To do:

-Monon Trail: The Monon Trail spans a whopping 26 miles through Indianapolis. The trail is well maintained and there's quite a few restaurants right off the Monon in the Broad Ripple and Carmel areas. My pro-tip is that if you are going rollerblading park at the 96th St trail head and skate north (the trail is sooooo smooth).

-Canal Walk: The canal is located in Downtown Indianapolis and has a paved walkway on both sides to enjoy the murals, canal, and Downtown views! One time in high school I tripped and fell into the canal....it was top tier embarrassing.

-Eagle Creek State Park: Eagle Creek is on the west side of Indianapolis right off of I-465. There are tons of trails to hike and run that aren't too tough. I love visiting at sunset!

-Holiday Park: Located just west of Broad Ripple right off Meridian, Holiday Park has hiking trails and tons of space for a picnic with friends.

-Duck Pin Bowling in Fountain Square: A vintage bowling alley at the top of the theatre in Fountain Square! You keep your own score during the game and there's a bar to get drinks at--a fun place for friends or a date night!

-Sports Games: Indy has a handful of sport teams that play throughout the year and the tickets aren't too expensive to go to games. Indy has the Colts (I went to a game once....not the biggest football girlie), the Pacers (I usually buy cheap tickets the day before), the Indy Fuel (hockey team affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks...tbh their mascot scares me), the Indianapolis Indians (baseball team affiliated with the Pirates), and Indy 11 (soccer team that plays at Lucas Oil Stadium). I should list the Indy 500 here, but the one time I went I was *so* out of my element...I don't think I will ever mentally recover from that experience. I prefer to watch the race from the comfort of my couch with a mimosa and a clean bathroom to use.

To Eat:

-Tortas El Guero: The best authentic tacos in Indianapolis. They are located on the west side of Indianapolis close to the corner of High School Rd. and 38th street. My picks are the carne asada tacos and a cold pinepple Jaritos

-Tacos 46: A *very* close second for best authentic tacos in Indianapolis. Tacos 46 is located on the west side and they offer indoor seating. My picks here are the carne asada tacos, chips and guacamole, and the mango fresca.

-Half Liter BBQ: A great option for some tasty BBQ. Half Liter is just south of Broad Ripple and is located right off the Monon Trail. They have a ton of outdoor seating and last time I ate here it was the prettiest sunset I had seen in a minute.

-Slapfish: This is the place in Indy and Carmel for fresh seafood eats. They have salads, poke bowls, burritos, lobster rolls, and so much more. They are locally owned and worth the drive to either Broccoli Bill's in Carmel or their location on Mass Ave.

-Upland: Upland is a great place to grab some beers! They have daily specials and conveniently located locations sprinkled throughout Indianapolis and the suburbs.

-Bakersfield: Great place on Mass Ave for some artisan tacos. Their margaritas and sangria are so. freaking. good.

-Rush on Main: A restaurant/bar on the main strip in Zionsville that has a menu full of Chicago style food. My picks here are the chips (if you don't get the chips you will regret it), a Chicago dog, or the Italian beef sandwich.

-Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream: The best place to visit when you are craving a burger. The buns are out of this world.

-Brics Ice Cream: Bric's is my favorite place in Indy to visit for ice cream! They have a large selection of ice cream and are conveniently located off the Monon Trail so you can grab a cone and go for a walk.

-R & R Extreme Wings: If you want the best wings in Indy, look here at R & R. SO GOOOOOD. I can't remember what flavor wings I tried when I ordered take-out last time, but you must get the fries covered in their garlic parmesan sauce *chefs kiss*

-Good Morning Mama’s: I love breakfast food, but I rarely go out to eat for breakfast. Good Morning Mama's is just south of Broad Ripple and their fun colored building brightens my day just driving by it. The decor inside is so fun and the food definitely worth the wait in the morning.

Well...here you are. At the end of my first post. Thank you for checking out my blog! I hope to see you back here soon for more recs from me! xoxoxoxox, Ris 🦋