TRAVEL BY ARK

Visiting Newfields in Indianapolis Newfields really has it all. It is an art museum, garden, art and nature park, and historical grounds all rolled into one. It is definitely a must-see site in Indianapolis. Planning Your Visit Plan to spend a decent amount of time here, and go with a plan in mind of what you want to prioritize on your visit. We personally spent an entire afternoon here and only saw maybe half of the grounds and only just briefly visited the indoor museum. Indianapolis Museum of Art Of course a major attraction at Newfields is the art museum galleries. There is much to see here from their collection, from different eras, regions, styles, and materials used. In addition to their standard displays, the Indianapolis Museum of Art also hosts rotating exhibitions, so there is always new art on display. During our visit and running through October, one of these exhibitions is Edward Hopper and the American Hotel . While we wer...

Must-Try Restaurants in Indianapolis The Indianapolis food scene offers a variety of delicious restaurants to try, so of course we didn't try them all in our recent trip. But we sure did our best to try as many as we could. Here are some that we truly enjoyed, both in downtown Indy and in Zionsville, that I highly recommend.   Burger Study Another hit restaurant by restaurateurs Steve and Craig Huse. The same team behind the famous St. Elmo Steakhouse and fine dining establishment Harry and Izzy's, does phenomenal burgers in an atmosphere themed as a college library. Located in downtown Indianapolis at the Circle Centre Mall, this is a must-try burger joint. Wanting great quality food in a more casual environment than a fancy steakhouse? This is the place for you. Shapiro's Delicatessen Located in downtown Indy, near Lucas Oil Stadium - Home of the Colts - Shapiro's Deli is serving up delicious Reuben and pastrami sandwiches, fresh bagels, and much more. We dined...

Visiting the Saint Louis Art Museum Another wonderful place to visit, within Forest Park in St. Louis is the St. Louis Art Museum . Not only do they have wonderful works of art inside, but the area around the museum, called the Grand Basin and Art Hill, are also quite beautiful to see. The pictures seen throughout this post were taken this spring. Admission to the art museum is always free, with the exception of special events. And with three floors of art on display, you won't quickly run out of great art to view. In addition to mainstays on display at the museum, there are frequently traveling displays or special exhibits in the main exhibition area. Viewing the special exhibits does require a ticket, but you will find it is worth it. You may discover a membership is more cost effective if you want to see multiple exhibits in the year. Membership at the art museum gets you unlimited, free entry to see special exhibits, as well as reduced parking fees at the...

Welcome back, after a brief hiatus in this blog. Between dealing with the closure of so many places, having many of our summer plans change, and coming back from an injury, it has been a unique summer thus far, to say the least. But with places opening back up slowly and my ability to walk around normally again, we decided to visit one of our hometown favorites, the St. Louis Zoo, albeit with certain precautions in place. So without further ado, enjoy reading this post about this fantastic place. Guide to Visiting the St. Louis Zoo The Saint Louis Zoo is located at the southwestern corner of Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a wonderful place to visit for all ages, and will always be a place I highly recommend. I've been going here since I was young, yet I keep coming back, because it has so much to offer. Zoo Admission Admission to the zoo is always free, with the exception of special ticketed events. After reopening, to help regulate visitor tra...

Hey everyone, being quarantined has given me more time at home to tap into my creativity. I have been drawing more to pass the time and help break up the monotony of this new normal. By no means have I ever considered myself an artist, but I really enjoyed making this cartoon as a way to tell part of our story to share with you. Words and photographs are great, but this comic medium allows me to express a more humorous side to the story, helped in part by my goofy depictions of myself and my wife. As time allows, I plan on making more silly comics of our adventures and posting them here to share with you all. And don't worry, our dog will make an appearance in the stories too, once I have improved my dog drawing abilities. For now, I hope you enjoy. Leave a comment to let me know what you think. Check out more stories from our adventures , including our trip to the Grand Canyon , that this cartoon was based on.

Use America the Beautiful Pass and Passport To Your National Parks Booklet on Your Next National Park Visit For anyone who is planning a trip to visit multiple National Parks or other federal public lands in the United States, I highly recommend purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass  and a Passport To Your National Parks booklet. Why Get an America the Beautiful Pass? The America the Beautiful Pass is an interagency pass program, meaning since lots of federal agencies partner up, you get more access to federal lands, forests, parks, recreation areas, and wildlife refuges.  The pass covers your entrance fees and daily use fees for driver and passengers that would otherwise be charged to you upon admittance. The pass is valid for a full year from purchase and costs $80 for the standard pass. Similar passes offered include a free military pass, free volunteer pass, free fourth grader pass, free access pass for permanently disabled individuals, and discounted s...