On Saturday September 27th Nora and I opted for an urban hike, traded in our hiking boots for our New Balance running shoes, and headed for downtown Indianapolis. 

Our destination for the day was White River State Park.  As we turned off of I-70 and onto West Street, our direction of travel was diverted by one of Indianapolis’ friendly Metropolitan Police officers.  Many of the downtown streets were barricaded to accommodate runners who, as we found out later, were participating in the Indianapolis Corporate Challenge.  After a short detour we were able to head west on Washington Street and arrived at the entrance to the state park.   It was 9:30 AM and the surface parking lot was full so we were forced to park in the below ground parking garage.  We were in luck though, as we were able to park all day for the “Event Parking Rate” of $5.00. 

We emerged from the parking garage at the Eiteljorg Museum.  We asked one of the Eiteljorg employees what all the hubbub was about, and she told us they were having West-Fest.  Well that sounded like fun but really didn’t explain the people running in the streets with numbers on their chests.  We thanked her for the information and moved on to the State Museum next door.

The Indiana State Museum served as the “trailhead” for this hike.  Consequently Nora was obliged to pose for the customary trailhead picture with an urban waterfall behind her.  We then walked a few yards to where the canal walk actually began.  This urban greenway is designed for both walking and rolling patrons.  For those who prefer to roll, there are rental bicycles and carts available.  And for 45 dollars you can take a guided tour on a Segway.  Nora and I decided to walk.

An urban hike, like a forest or mountain hike, has its own sights, attractions and landmarks.  The first landmark we passed on this urban hike was the NCAA National Headquarters.  Since moving here a few years back, the NCAA has been an active corporate member of the Indianapolis community and we are very glad to have them here.  Continuing on our walk we soon turned east and were able to see the Indianapolis downtown skyline.  On this morning a low hanging cloud still covered the top of the tallest building, the Chase Tower. 

Once again passing the State Museum we encountered this steam clock.  This clock is powered by steam generated from the downtown commercial steam plant once operated by the Indianapolis Power and Light Company.  The steam utility now operated by Citizens Thermal is the second largest district steam system in the United States.

Even though this is an urban walk, there is more than concrete, brick and mortar.  There are gardens with inviting walkways.  There are trees and flowers and there are fountains and waterfalls.  And on this day there were a lot of other walkers.  It seems that this being the first Saturday of autumn, there were multiple activities taking place in White River State Park.  Many of our fellow walkers were participating in the Walk for Lupus and the Walk for Food Allergies.  For the kids it wasn’t all walking.  Some took the opportunity to do some rolling, not on wheels but the grass.  One of the simple pleasures of childhood is being young enough to roll in the grass without people thinking you’re being odd.

There is also architectural beauty on the canal.  The Indiana Historical Society is located on Ohio Street, overlooking the canal.  If you are visiting Indianapolis, you can enjoy a stay at the Residence Inn, or if you have very deep pockets and wish to take up residence on the canal, there are condominiums with a canal front view.

The canal walk continues up to 11th Street, but we had other places we wanted to see, so we turned around at Vermont Street.  Before continuing though we took the time to enjoy another urban waterfall and some fountains.  Overlooking the canal at 414 West Vermont Street is the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

After crossing the bridge we walked on the west side of the canal.  The scenes on the west side were every bit as enjoyable as on the east side.  While water, trees, flowers and architecture were still in abundance, there is also a more sobering attraction.  In Military Park and across the canal from the State Museum stands the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial.  This memorial pays tribute to 3,459 Medal of Honor recipients.  I can’t help but be proud of one distant cousin who was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Civil War.

As we got close to the end of our canal walk, I looked back to the east for one more picture of the downtown skyline.  Heading south once again we could see the end of the canal, the NCAA Headquarters and the Hall of Champions Museum. 

The next part of our hike would take us along the White River.  Crossing the White River is the old National Highway Bridge.  Since being incorporated into the White River State Park, this is a pedestrian bridge. It is also a popular location for watching the Sky Concert fireworks each Labor Day Weekend.

Walking north on the east side of the river, we noticed a lot of activity on the riverbank.  This was a busy day in downtown Indy.  So far we had seen the Corporate Challenge, West-Fest, the Walk for Lupus and the Walk for Food Allergies.  What greeted us now was a high school cross-country meet.  It was very enjoyable watching these young people compete with their friends and families all there to cheer them on.

As we continued north along the White River we passed the Indiana University & Purdue University Indianapolis Track and Field Stadium.  This is the same stadium that served as the track and field venue for the 10th Pan American Games in 1987.  As we walked by we realized that there was some event in progress here as well.  Yep, it was a busy day in downtown Indy.

At New York Street we crossed the bridge to begin our walk back south.  From the bridge we had another view of the downtown skyline.  We also had a good view of the Lucas Oil Stadium, the new home of the Indianapolis Colts.  Just to the southwest of the stadium we could see the smoke stacks of the steam plant that generates the steam for the downtown district.

The walk on the west side of the river was much more shaded, quieter and less crowded than either the east side or the canal.  And though there is no rhododendron, there were parts of the trail that reminded me of the rhododendron tunnels in the Great Smoky Mountains.  Yet another view of downtown Indy caught our attention, and we began to see some wildlife.

In fact the wildlife began to look rather exotic.  We saw a sleeping cat and a bald eagle.  We had arrived at the Indianapolis Zoo just in time for the feeding of the animals with many spectators looking on.

After lunch we visited the desert pavilion where we saw reptiles, meerkats and a desert bird of some sort.  Next we visited with some zebra, an ostrich, some giraffes and gazelles.  I overheard one lady refer to the gazelle as “lion food.”  Well, at least not on this day.  The lion was nowhere to be found.  Then we saw the really big wildlife.  There were three white rhinos and of course the elephants.  We arrived at the elephant enclosure in time to see zoo employees bring in some elephant food.  And what hike would be complete without seeing a bear.  There are no black bears or grizzlies in Indiana, but this big polar bear makes up for the absence of the other two varieties. 

Leaving the zoo we walked across the pedestrian bridge mentioned earlier.  As we crossed the bridge we got a closer view of Lucas Oil Stadium, another picture of the NCAA Hall of Champions and one last picture of the Indianapolis skyline.

We walked five miles and saw thousands of people, some great scenery and some really cool wildlife.  It was an excellent urban hike.  To wrap it all up we saw one last urban waterfall as the canal reached the end of its course and tumbled into the waters of the White River.

(There are many more pictures in the photo gallery)