A Sampling of Indiana Auto Trails

A Sampling of Indiana Auto Trails
This episode relates just some of the auto trails in Indiana listed in my book.
From the Book
Fun Indiana Road Trips

Transcript:

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What could be more fun than a cross-country road trip across Indiana? Discover Indiana’s covered bridges, wineries, caves and much more by taking one of the auto tours listed in this guidebook. The book lists over thirty Indiana road trips for Hoosiers to take while they learn the history, culture, arts and natural wonders of the Hoosier State. Fun Indiana Road Trips includes a description of the Auto Trail, contact information, Indiana county tourism sites and a guide to navigating Indiana’s system of back roads.

American Red Cross Driving Tour
American Red Cross founder Clara Barton spent time working in southern Indiana. This tour includes the places Clara Barton visited while working in Lawrence County.

Lawrence County Barn Quilt Trail
Barn quilts are squares of wood decorated in colorful blocks that resemble quilts that you might put on your bed. In many rural areas residents like to decorate their barns or other outbuildings with these colorful decorations. Some barn quilts are designed to mimic a family quilt that may have been passed down through the generations. Some tell a story, while others are just fun designs to liven up the rural countryside. As you tour the countryside, please remember that these are on private property, so kindly respect their privacy and only view them from the road. Many are located right along US 50.

Johnson County Coffee Trail
Nestled just south of Indy, a vibrant coffee scene awaits enthusiasts and caffeine connoisseurs. From cozy neighborhood spots to trendy urban cafés, the area boasts a diverse range of coffee shops that cater to every taste and preference. Follow us on the coffee trail, where we indulge in rich brews, delightful pastries and a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Garfield Trail
Garfield the cat’s creator Jim Davis, from Grant County. This trail is dedicated to the artist and the cat. Each of the 6 statues depicts the theme of the statue’s location.

Historic Michigan Road
Michigan Road is one of the oldest roads in Indiana, built in the early 1800’s to connect Madison, Indiana with Michigan City. When the Indiana State Government moved from Corydon, Indiana to Indianapolis, the legislators and governor found themselves in isolation. There were no good roads leading to the new capital city and the White River was not navigable. They sought to rectify this by passing legislation to build the first “superhighway” in the State of Indiana. To accomplish their goal, they needed to negotiate a treaty with the Pottawattamie Indian Tribe and clear a vast swath of trees the length of the state from Madison to Michigan City.

Hoosier Wine Trail
The Hoosier Wine Trail, made up of 7 boutique wineries, closely follows the I-64 corridor making travel between wineries both delicious and easy. Visit multiple wineries in a day or spread the fun out over the course of multiple weeks. Indiana’s back roads are also an alluring option allowing you to cruise 100 mile trail at a more relaxed pace while giving you the opportunity to take in the sites in addition to sampling our award-winning wines. The Hoosier Wine Trail includes the following wineries: River City Winery, Indian Creek Winery, Scout Mountain Winery, Blue Heron Vineyards & Winery, Monkey Hollow Winery, Pepper’s Ridge Winery and Mystique Winery. The trail goes through Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Perry, Spencer and Warrick Counties.

Ice Cream Trail
Cool off this summer with the Southern Indiana Ice Cream Trail! Pick up the Ice Cream Trail Pass which features 14 of Southern Indiana’s ice cream shops. Get your pass stamped at each location and turn it in to get a free t-shirt!

Indiana Glass Trail
The Indiana Glass Trail serves as a showcase for talented Hoosier artisans who create works of glass art using various methods and skills that few possess.
The Trail connects nearly 20 counties in which the tradition and history of glass arts can be experienced first-hand. Visitors touring the trail may visit studios, galleries, and museums, as well as glass-focused festivals and workshops are located throughout the communities along the Trail.

Indiana Tenderloin Tasting Trail
This trail visits a number of Hoosier restaraunts that serve this tasty Indiana classic sandwich.

Indiana’s Historic Pathways
The Indiana Historic Pathway travels through sixteen counties from the Wabash River to the Ohio River. The Trail follows the path of the Buffalo Trace and passes dozens of historic spots and parks in southern Indiana. Attractions include historic mansions, museums, caves, antiques, and much more. the tour also includes two Indiana State Historic Sites, two National Wildlife Refuges, state parks and churches.

Indiana Covered Bridge Loop
Six Counties. Nine Bridges. One Great Trail.
The Indiana Covered Bridge Loop features single, double, triple span bridges, and the only remaining double tunnel bridge in Indiana. Drive the Loop in a day-long adventure or over a long weekend. Your journey will cover approximately 216 miles throughout the counties of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings and Lawrence.

Indiana Limestone Heritage Trail
Indiana’s limestone deposits formed during the Ordovician period, about 1.5 million years ago when the land that is now Indiana lay near the tropics, covered with a warm, shallow sea. This sea was rich with marine organisms, such as brachiopods, bryozoans, trilobites, and corals. These organisms died and settled on the bottom of this sea. Through Continental drift, this land migrated north and around 40 million years ago, this sea dried up. Geologic forces lifted the land mass out of the sea. The limestone deposits became covered with sediment over the ages. Glaciers scoured the countryside during the Ice Age, exposing some of this rock.

Indiana Uplands Wine Trail
This trail includes 9 wineries and over 250+ different wines in 7 counties.

Ohio Valley Fossil Trail
The Ohio Valley Fossil Trail is a partnership of a dozen parks, museums, and other regional sites where fossils can be seen and touched across Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana.

Park County Covered Bridge Trails
Parke County offers several covered bridge driving tours and maps to aid the visitor in their visit to Parke County. The tour maps show covered bridges, maple syrup camps, horse riding stables, golf courses, lodging and boat rentals in Parke County. Visitors will find five different routes that include thirty-one different covered bridges.

Ripley County Underground Railroad Driving Trails
The Ripley County Historical Society offers a brochure that outlines five driving tours that list places in Ripley County that were important in the Underground Railroad. The tours all begin at the Ripley County Courthouse in Versailles. Interested visitors may obtain the booklets at the Ripley County Historical Society on the Courthouse square in Versailles or from a rack outside the Ripley County Tourism Bureau’s welcome center on US Route 50.

Steuben County Craft Beer Trail
This trail visits several establishments in Steuben County noted for their craft beers.

Sweets Trail
The best sweets are just south of Indy. Experience a classic candy store, savor homemade ice cream, snack on one-of-a-kind popcorn and more.

Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway
The Byway has four different loops. The loops may be followed individually or joined together for one longer tour. The five loops include:
Canal Route
East Fork Loop
Oldenburg-Batesville Loop
Dearborn-Ripley Loop

These are just a few of the many auto tours found in the book. Also included are cave trails, more wine and craft beer trails and many historic tours.

The episode is based upon my book, Fun Indiana Road Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is part of my Explore Indiana Series. The book lists dozens of auto tours in Indiana that allow the traveler to explore the state by car. Tours include history tours, winery tours, antique tours, covered bridge tours and tours of many other topics. I include complete information on each of these tours as well as visitor center information about the counties they go through for dining information as well as other attractions in the area. I encourage you to visit my web site where you will find links to the book, or you can purchase it direct from me, the author. Please subscribe to the web site for email notifications of updates.
You can find my books locally at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.