Think you live in a place where there is nothing to do? I hear that all the time regarding my state and I disagree. With the right mindset and a little creativity, you can find adventure wherever you live. You don’t need to travel out of the country or even out of your town. I’d be willing to bet you can find something fun and interesting to do wherever you are. Once you learn that adventure-seeking skill you can use it wherever you go to create more excitement in your life.
To prove my theory, I’m embarking on a really long (like probably a few years) experiment to find something enjoyable to do in every county in Indiana. Let’s face it, Indiana isn’t a vacation hotbed – most people head to a big city or the beach for their annual vacations, so I figured if I can prove that my middle of the country state has something interesting to do EVERYWHERE, my point will be made!
There are 92 counties in Indiana, so it’s a pretty daunting task. You can expect to start seeing posts each month covering a county or two (or three). I’ll still continue to share other trips, travel info, ideas for things to do, etc., this will just be a fun little addition. Luckily for me, I’ve already covered a few so I have a bit of a headstart.
I’ll come back to this post and add links as I complete each county. I’ve broken down the state into regions and to keep it simple, I just followed how Visit Indiana categorizes them. Ready to begin? Here we go …
Central Indiana includes:
Boone – Boone County Adventures
Clinton – A Day of Fun in Frankfort
Hamilton – 5 Fun Fall Adventures in Hamilton County; Spend A Perfect Day in Westfield; Hamilton County Wineries
Hancock – Foodies Flock to Fortville; Exploring Greenfield
Hendricks – A Rainy Day (Danville)
Johnson – Friday Night Fun; Goat Yoga and Dining Downtown; Exploring and Enjoying Franklin
Marion – Zoo Boo; A Presidential Adventure; Garfield Conservatory
Morgan
Shelby – Hiking, Local Treats and More
South Central Indiana includes:
Bartholomew
Brown – Shopping & Sipping in Brown County, Indiana
Daviess
Dearborn – Visit Aurora in Southern Indiana
Decatur
Franklin
Greene
Jackson
Jefferson
Jennings
Knox
Lawrence
Martin
Monroe
Ohio
Ripley – Batesville Indiana Fun!
Switzerland
East Indiana includes:
Adams
Allen
Blackford – A Walk in the Woods
Cass
DeKalb
Delaware – A Day Trip to Muncie
Fayette
Grant – A Day Trip on the Garfield Trail
Henry – History, Hiking and Wine? A Perfect Day in Henry County
Howard – Crown Haven Center, A Full Day of Fun in Kokomo
Huntington
Jay
Madison – Adventure Everywhere
Miami – Fall Fun in Miami County
Noble
Randolph – Pies and Racetracks
Rush – A Hunt for Covered Bridges
Tipton
Union – A Hidden Outdoor Adventure
Wabash
Wayne
Wells
Whitley
North Indiana Includes:
Elkhart
Fulton
Jasper – Birds, Beer and Beauty!
Kosciusko – Beginning the Weekend Off Right, Salt Caves and MudLove
LaGrange
Lake – Treats for Everyone, Animals, and Antiques in Lowell
LaPorte
Marshall
Porter
Pulaski
St. Joseph
Starke
Steuben – Five Fun Things to do Near Pokagon, An Overnight Adventure at Pokagon State Park
South Indiana Includes:
Clark
Crawford – Marengo Cave – Indiana’s Most Visited Natural Attraction
Dubois
Floyd
Gibson
Harrison
Orange
Perry
Pike
Posey
Scott
Spencer
Vanderburgh
Warrick – Newburgh, a Darling Rivertown
Washington
West Indiana Includes:
Benton – Waterfalls and Windmills
Carroll
Clay
Fountain
Montgomery
Newton
Owen – A Perfect Day in Spencer
Parke
Putnam
Sullivan
Tippecanoe – Best Places to Eat Near Purdue, McCords Candy Cane Tour
Vermillion
Vigo
Warren – Waterfalls and Windmills
White – A Day at the Lake
Whew! That’s an awful lot of places to visit. It’ll be interesting to see if my hypothesis is correct – if I really can find something fun to do in every county in Indiana. Regardless of success, I think I can safely say when this project is complete I’ll be an expert on things to do in Indiana!
If you are from one of these counties – I’d love to get your thoughts on what makes your area special and what I should be sure to check out!
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So true people miss adventures in their own backyard. We’re temporarily in MN for the last 2 years and I’ve never really explored any of it. I always go elsewhere, but this summer we’ll check out some main sites around here.
Good – can’t wait to hear about them!
I just found out all of the cool places my home state offers. I couldn’t believe all I have missed over the years. Looks like you are set with adventures this summer!
I am for sure!
I am excited to learn about all the places in Indiana!
Thanks! Me too!
This is an awesome challenge as many of us forget to take the time to explore our own backyard! My home state of Georgia has 159 counties so it would definitely be a challenge here as well! I am excited to follow along. We have not made it to Indiana yet, but when we do I will know exactly where to go!
So true, there is always something fun to do if you look hard enough! Just let me know when you come and I’ll share all the best places!
That is a great attitude! We can be happy wherever we live and find awesome adventures too!
Yes! Always.
Cool idea, my husband wants to do this in our state. What you say is so true, every state has much to offer. The USA is beautiful, I’ve been to 43 states, everyone of them is unique.
I agree that the USA is beautiful – it always amazes me how much there is to do and see.
That’s an ambitious and impressive goal to visit all counties! I’m exploring my own backyard this summer in Minnesota so looking forward to learning more about your home state.
Thanks! We’ll see how long it takes …
We’ve been to South Bend area several times to visit my aunt. Can’t wait to hear more about Indiana.
South Bend is great – I’ve only been there for a Notre Dame game once years ago, so I’m looking forward to checking it out again!
I think this is a great idea. I’m originally from Indiana and I felt that way for a long time but there are some really fun and unique things in the state. Sometimes it does take a bit of looking and a change of mind set, but really doesn’t everything? Good luck! I am watching all your posts to see how many things I’ve done or need to!
Exactly! A bit of looking and a change in your mindset!
This looks like a blast! You have a lot of ground to cover! Can’t wait to see what you find!
Thanks! I think it’s going to be a fun adventure.
That’s a lot of counties! We only have 29 in Utah, but I love your idea of finding something in every county!
29 isn’t a lot, but Utah is a BIG state – Since I’m in the middle of Indiana, 3 hours is the farthest I’ll have to go!
I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned to you that I lived in Southern Indiana for about 5 years waaaaay back in the day! My son still lives there so we know how amazing Indiana can be. Thanks for some new ideas/destinations for us to explore!
There is a lot to do in Southern Indiana for sure! It’s very pretty too!
What a great idea! I was looking at your prior posts and saw you were in Warsaw. Warsaw is the orthopaedic capital of the world. I work for Johnson & Johnson, in their medical device division and we have an office there. When I have traveled there, I stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast in Winona
Fun! I really liked Warsaw – next time you go, you should definitely check out the salt cave – it was a neat experience and for $5 you can’t beat it!
What a fun idea! I think we forget all the great things to do in our own backyards!
So true!
I love this post idea. It’s awesome and so true how there is some such to see and do in your own backyard. Also, some of the country names in the state are great! Miami, Delaware, Ohio, and Switzerland? So fun.
Thanks! I’m really excited about the project – planning some day trips this week in fact.