I spent a few days last week in the city that never sleeps (and consequentially makes me verrry tired.) Oddly enough I spent more time in airports than I actually spent awake in NYC. And a majority of that time was spent in La Guardia International Airport.

La Guardia smells like feet.

The Indianapolis Airport used to smell like feet.

NOT ANYMORE!


I love New York, LOVE. Also, Indianapolis and I got off to a really bumpy start. Only recently have I fallen head over heels with this city. You know what made me crush even harder? Coming home from New York's foot smelling airport to Indianapolis' shiny! new! well! designed! airport!

Nothing says welcome home like well lit hallways, your luggage arriving before you make it off your plane and fresh modern art installments to entertain you the whole way to baggage claim.

I secretly beam with pride when one of my friends or family members fly into town. I may even be a few minutes late just to be sure that my airport pickupee is able to fully enjoy what the Indianapolis airport has to offer. I always thought the Indianapolis Convention Center was a thing of beauty, until they finished the new airport.

Coming for a visit? Prepare to be impressed. We may be Midwest but there's nothing middle of the line about our airport, downtown or convention center.

Only a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis and so well designed that anyone coming on an Indianapolis vacation may have a hard time making it to the parking garage in one trip under the polka dot light art installment. (It is this particular art installment that keeps me from getting grumpy when my husband is inevitably 45 minutes late to pick me up everytime.)

Our airport totally kicks other airports trash. But luckily we are more than happy to share ours with you.

Welcome to Indianapolis.

True confession time.  Even though it sounds completely horrible, I have a secret desire.  I'd love to go downtown and visit the The Children's Museum of Indianapolis without my kids, The Eldest Princess (who's 7) and the Youngest Princess (18 months old).  Whew.  There, I've said it and it's out there now.  Going to the Children's Museum with my kids has given me some wonderful lifetime memories but there are times when I'd just like to look around and explore without potty breaks, meltdowns, or a case of the gimmes in the food court or gift shop.  Maybe you have felt a little like me, no?  Well if you have, now through September 30th, the Children's Museum invites you to "Be a Kid Again."

In fact, they want you to reclaim your childhood SO much that they're offering Adult Admission at Child's Admission Price (with coupon), making it up to $10 off for 2 adults.  So if you're looking for fun things to do in Indianapolis, don't automatically rule out a traditionally "kid-centric" attraction like the Children's Museum.  There's plenty to do and see whether you have little princes and princesses of your own or not (or whether you choose to bring them with you or not). 

And while you're there, be sure to take advantage of the great King Tut Exhibit at the Museum right now with or without kids.  But if you see me there, please do me a favor and don't tell my kids!  That's one I'd never hear the end of around the Castle.

One last thing before I forget, if you can't squeeze your trip to the Children's Museum in before the end of September, don't forget you can print a coupon good for a free child's admission (with adult purchase) on Visit Indy AND don't forget there are a ton of great Indianapolis Hotel Packages that feature Children's Museum tickets, too.

The dates for Gen Con are August 5-8 in 2010. Put it on your calendar because then you can't say I didn't warn you.

You don't play games? That's okay! You won't have very many opportunities to eat a cheeseburger with a Storm Trooper or get your picture taken with an ogre anywhere else so you had better embrace the opportunity while you have it.

A full conference pass is under $100 and you'll have access to everything Gen Con, or simply do what we do each year and take a walk through the Indianapolis convention center. Maybe you'll be invited in on an impromptu game of who knows what, see an ogre or have the opportunity to throw coins at an enormous tower of Magic cards for charity's sake.

No one has ever come away from Gen Con disappointed with their experience, be it a simple pass through the convention center or 19 straight hours of Dungeons and Dragons. And as usual there is always family day on Sunday where you can spend the day with your family at the best four days in gaming at the most attended gaming conference in the world. THE WORLD!

(Also, the "Gen" in Gen Con is short for Geneva, since the conference originated up at Lake Geneva. Con is for conference. I pass all my wisdom on to you people.)

Okay so if you want to get all intelligent and say that the Artsgarden is a garden for growing art, then okay, it's a garden.

But if you're like me you'll be a little surprised when you go into the gigantic glass bubble suspended 17 feet over the busy intersection of Washington and Illinois in downtown Indianapolis and not see very many gardeny things.

The art however is apparent.

Almost every afternoon at lunch time there is a free concert in the Artsgarden featuring any and every type of music you can imagine. A great place to bring your lunch and spend part of your afternoon whether you are a local or in town for business.

Another fantastic feature of the Artsgarden is that it also houses a visitors center that is staffed during normal business hours. This is the place to go if you just got in and need a list of any and all cultural events going on in the city. Constantly updated and well stocked with literature you're sure to find something to do (you know, if you don't find it here first.)

The Artsgarden connects the Circle Centre Mall to several Indianapolis hotels and also if the weather outside is frightful you can even make it all the way over to the Indiana Convention Center by just following the signs and sky walks.

A great place to get out of the house in the heat of summer or the freezing temperatures of winter, it's always the perfect temperature with perfect views of downtown Indianapolis.

I love restaurant dining. Of course, I love eating. Period. But I particularly enjoy at least one of three things when I'm dining out.

1. Saving money
2. Eating with friends and family
3. Finding a local, independent restaurant to support

You can accomplish at least two of those options by stopping by the VisitIndy.com website and printing some of the coupons we have available. With the money you're going to save, you can invite some friends and family to join you!

We've got coupons for some of the best restaurants in downtown Indianapolis. At least half a dozen of them are located within short walking distance from the Indiana Convention Center!

Some of my favorites on the list are Claddagh Irish Pub, Shapiro's Deli, Scotty's Brewhouse, McCormick & Schmick's Seafood, Buca di Beppo and BARcelona Tapas Restaurant.

There are a few others I'm not as familiar with that I'm going to have to try out, such as India Garden Restaurant, Smokehouse on Shelby and The Taste of Tango.

You'll find free appetizers, desserts and other discounts  by using one of our coupons. So get out of the house, enjoy yourself and be Positively Indy!

Indianapolis attracts passionate people.

This weekend especially.

This weekend brings Gen Con to downtown Indianapolis. (Starting August 13-August 16)

Last year over 26,000 people traveled from all over the world to attend the largest annual gaming convention that is held right here in downtown Indianapolis at the Indianapolis Convention Center and surrounding hotels.

Last year I was part of a Ninjas vs. Pirates peace summit. I watched a Sith slay a Jedi. I talked to a mechanical phoenix on a guys shoulder. I walked through a room where people played Dungeons and Dragons 24 hours a day for the entire four day conference. I was plumed by pirates and sat next to Storm Troopers later that night at dinner.

Ask any local and they'll tell you that Gen Con is one of the best times to head downtown for people watching. You don't even need a conference pass to people watch. But if you're interested, passes can be purchased on site for up to all four days and all events of the conference.

While there will be child only activities throughout Gen Con, Sunday is specifically set aside for families. For $28 a family of four can get in on all of the action as Gen Con winds down for yet another year.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to brush up on my WoW knowledge.

My family and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather on Sunday afternoon and visit the Indianapolis Zoo downtown. We hadn't been to the zoo since the new Dragons of Komodo exhibit opened and were excited to get outside and enjoy the animals and the beautiful weather.

Our family loves the zoo and we've enjoyed a family membership for a number of years. We take advantage of the Family + 2 membership package that allows us to take our entire family, plus two guests. The package includes admission to the zoo and White River Gardens as well as parking for the day.

There was a bit of construction taking place around the "Plains" and elephant habitat area. We were pleasantly surprised that the Indianapolis Zoo will be getting a brand new cheetah exhibit in this area in the spring of 2010. Judging by the pictures of the layout that's being created, this is going to be a fantastic addition to the zoo.

If you can't get to the zoo but want to check-in on the animals, you can also take advantage of the Indianapolis Zoo web cams. There are cameras available for the walruses, elephants, penguins, sea lions and rhinos.

If you're coming to Indianapolis on business and would like to visit the zoo, it offers group discounts available and facilities for hosting small meetings. What a great way to take a break from your normal surroundings at a business convention and get out and get a little wild yourself.

Upon completion of Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis gained new fans in welcoming the annual Drum Corps International competition to our new state of the art stadium.

Now the extent of my drum knowledge is from college football halftime shows and the movie "Drum Line" but I enjoyed them both immensely. And my kid? Loves banging on anything and everything resembling a drum.

Coming up this week is basically the Superbowl of marching music competition including performers from all over the world. Not only will the elite perform elaborate routines against each other throughout the week at Lucas Oil Stadium, there will also be an individual and ensemble competition that is free and open to the public at 11 am on Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center. There will also be a Fan Fair at White River State Park on Friday and Saturday.

Tickets for the DCI World Championships are available through Ticketmaster and the event runs August 5th-August 8th. If nothing else you need to give these kids' moms a hand for putting up with HOURS OF DRUMMING in the sanctity of their homes so that they could get to this level of competition.

While I'll be watching Drum Corps in awe, I'll be playing Rock Band at home.

The Drum Corps International World Championships will be marching into Lucas Oil Stadium and Indianapolis in just a few weeks, August 5-8. I'm not sure if you have any experience or previous knowledge of marching band from you days in high school but this is the equivalent of professional marching band competitions that have all the drama and presentation of a Broadway show!

I spent over seven years in my high school marching band. No, I wasn't failing every other year of high school either. My band director in 6th grade was also the high school band director. He asked me if I wanted to fill a hole in the show. He didn't need me to be able to play the music that well; I just needed to march in formation and I agreed. I've been a "band geek" ever since. And let me tell you, those of us in the band have a comraderie and family closeness that many sports teams wish they could attain.

With all of those years of experience, you can take it from me! The DCI World Championships are lots of fun and are great for your entire family to attend. You'll see the various drum corps come to the city and get down to business as they compete for the world championship honor!

Indianapolis is proud to host this great event in our city and at an amazing venue like Lucas Oil Stadium. In addition, DCI is hosting their first DCI Fan Fair at the White River State Park. With the DCI World Championships in addition to other city attractions and events, your family will have an unforgettable getaway.

Be sure and sign-up for the Win In Indy email club for upcoming promotions on this event including a chance to win free tickets for you and your family.

If you're already planning on coming to the event, be sure and visit our website for deals on hotel packages and other local businesses you can experience during your visit to the Circle City.

Music, marching, dance, showmanship, competition and flair! It's all here in Indianapolis the first week of August. Be sure and join us and see how we're Positively Indy!

If you're visiting Indianapolis this week you've probably already noticed that the business of racing is in town again and it's for the Allstate^® 400 at the Brickyard^® NASCAR event running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 26th.

The 400-mile NASCAR event hosted at the Speedway has a 15 year history in the racing capital of the world. The Allstate 400 has become the largest attended event on the NASCAR circuit. Fans will travel for miles to witness this great event as they have been for more than a decade. This year's race will be celebrating the Centennial Era of the track, so there will be plenty of activities to take part in during the weekend

If you're still debating on coming into town, don't think the race is all that's going on in the city. There are still plenty of other activities taking place here and in the  surrounding area that may interest you and your family. If you'd like to make a weekend of your trip, you can view one of our Indianapolis packages on our website.

Whether you're coming to town with your family, or looking for a getaway with some friends, there is sure to be a hotel package that combines everything you want into one terrific deal.

All the options and all the fun are what make this city... Positively Indy!

White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis, the new Marriott Place hotel construction is progressing very nicely and quickly shooting into the Indianapolis skyline.

The new hotel complex will be bringing a lot more to Indianapolis than just a change to the skyline. Once completed the city will have an additional 1626 guest rooms available for attendees of conventions booked at the expanding Indianapolis Convention Center currently under construction to the immediate southeast, across the corner.

Located next door to Victory Field, the Eiteljorg Museum, NCAA Hall of Champions, Indiana State Museum and across the street from the expanding convention center, this group of properties will continue to attract and expand the number of visitors and possibilities for the city.

The Marriot Place will consist of four hotel properties:

• JW Marriott - 1005 rooms
• Courtyard by Marriott  - 297 rooms
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott - 156 rooms
• Fairfield Inn by Marriott - 168 rooms

In addition to the hotels the site will bring back the TGI Friday's restaurant to the property as well as a large ballroom and skywalks to connect all the hotels to the convention center.

This connection of additional rooms will bring the total count for rooms connected to the convention center and downtown area to 4,700. That is the most connected rooms of any city in the United States.

Source: Marriott Place bringing dramatic change to Downtown Indianapolis

The new Indianapolis Airport is an absolutely gorgeous improvement to our city that will help us continue to grow and support the existing expansion that we see in our community. As our downtown develops with more hotels and new convention center, having a world-class airport helps provide the infrastructure needed to support hundreds of thousands of visitors coming to our city every year.

In addition to this, one of the things I love about Indianapolis is that there's a value placed on maintaining and balancing the environment around our city for its wildlife inhabitants and ourselves to enjoy.

In a recent agreement with the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Hendricks County Parks & Recreation and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, a new nature park is going to be created with a variety of attractions and protected areas. The park will include hiking trails, a fishing pier, picnic areas and education programs.

The area is 210 acres of what is part of the 2,000-acre area that was dedicated more than ten years ago as part of the Indianapolis Airport Authority's agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in protecting a native Indiana bat species that is on the federal endangered animal list.

One of the most popular events in downtown Indianapolis every summer is Meet PBS Kids in the Park which takes place this Saturday downtown from 10 am to 4pm at American Legion Mall. Every year the event gives children a chance to come face to face with some of their favorite characters from PBS Kids shows. (Not going to lie, I've never been too good for PBS Kids. Sid the Science Kid? SESAME STREET? PBS spanks cables trash most mornings.)

The short list of characters your kids can come face to face with include:

• Arthur
• Clifford
• Cookie Monster and Rosita
• Curious George
• Sid the Science Kid
• SuperWhy

There will also be three stages featuring not only PBS entertainment but also plenty of local talent along with bounce houses and over three dozen tents with arts, crafts and activities for kids. Did I mention that this is the free event for the four foot and under set in downtown Indianapolis this weekend?

Looking for a restaurant to hit after your afternoon in the park? Here you go.
Want to turn it into an Indianapolis vacation? Hotel Packages are available!

Going out to eat with your entire a family can get a little pricey. Thankfully there are plenty of restaurants in Indianapolis ready and willing to offer recession friendly specials for the adults, some specials for kids and plenty of tasty tasty food.

Located walking distance from most Indianapols hotels and the Indianapolis Convention center the following restaruants are running the following specials (please call restuarants beforehand to make sure these specials are still available.)

Scotty's Brewhouse (specials available through the end of July 2009)

• Saturday, 11 am - 3 pm, dine-in only, Buy one entree, get a 2nd free (with coupon from Scotty's website).
• Sunday, 5 pm - close, dine-in only, 2 for $20! One appetizer, 2 entrees, one dessert.
• Monday - Thursday, 4 pm - close, dine-in only, Lunch @ Night! We serve 15 of our lunch specials, with FREE Coke/Tea included for only $6.
• Every Wednesday, 5 pm - close, all appetizers 1/2 price.
• Sundays and Tuesdays - kids 12 and under eat FREE!

Palomino

• 3-course meal for $25 Mon - Thur 5pm to 6pm Sun 5pm to 6pm-Children's menu available.

Located a few minutes drive from downtown Indianapolis, Smokehouse on Shelby is located in the historic Fountain Square neighborhood and offers the following special (nom nom!)

• Family Dinner for Four - Choice of 4 Dinner Entrees (1/2 Slab of Ribs, 1/2 Chicken, Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork or Smoked Meatloaf), 6 Sides, Fried Biscuits & Apple Butter, and 4 Fountain Drinks all for $39.95 + tax.

Located about fifteen mintues North of downtown Hollyhock Hill offers homestyle family style food. And when they say homestyle? They mean it. They expect you to have your dinner the way you like it and to leave stuffed.

• Enjoy our famous fried chicken plate dinner at a reduced price. Tuesday - Thursday from 4:30p.m. to 5:30p.m. for a limited time.
  $11.95 includes relishes,salad, entree, vegetable, beverage and dessert. Children 10 and under are $6.95, 6 and under only $5.95.
   

Go forth and chow my friends. Ooh, pass the potatoes please.

A little more than 1,700,000 people. That's the estimated attendance of people to visit Indianapolis in 2009 as part of some type of Indianapolis Convention or large sporting event hosted in 2009.

Almost two million people coming to our city for a variety of reasons. Many of these visitors may be traveling to Indianapolis for their first time as they attend a convention for business or other purpose this year.

To be able to host these types of events, lots of preparation needs to take place to make things a success. There are lots of other logistics that also play into the mix of success for the organizers of these events. The infrastructure of the city's hospitality network also has to be prepared to accept these attendees. Indianapolis positively has this infrastructure in place.

From the sheer amount of hotels within the downtown area and surrounding points of interest packages are being offered and sold to make sure that visitors to our city have everything they need to feel at home in our city.

The existing and expanding Indiana Convention Center provides the opportunity to host the business needs of the convention attendees, and provide the entertainment and amenities that are imortant when business is not in session.

From shopping to sports to cultural events located within our city, convention attendees have a full array of choices that appeal to their own interests while visiting our city.

Indianapolis has a long and very successful history of hosting large sporting events. Most people will probably think of the obvious events first:

• Indianapolis 500
• Allstate 400 at the Brickyard
• Formula 1 - US Grand Prix 2000-2007

However, in its history, Indianapolis has hosted a number of additional sporting events and festivities that may not immediately come to mind. Did you know that Indianapolis has hosted the following events over the years as well?

• NFL's AFC Championship Game
• NBA's Finals
• Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP
• Olympic Trails
• PGA Championship
• Solheim Cup
• NCAA Men's Final Four
• NCAA Women's Final Four
• Big 10 Men's Basketball Tournament
• Big 10 Women's Basketball Tournament
• Indianapolis Tennis Championships
• Pan American Games - 2007
• FIBA World Basketball Championships

Folks, we know what we're doing when we host large sporting events. This doesn't even count the history of other large conventions that have called Indianapolis home in their schedules.

NFL officials were in town recently to see how progress was coming on the city's plans for hosting the 2012 Super Bowl and they don't have anything to worry about. I didn't realize it at the time, but in our efforts to win the bid for hosting a Super Bowl, our efforts in securing $25M in private funds had never been done previously by a host city.

Let's continue our history into the future and continue to raise the game! If you want to host a great event in a great city, Indianapolis is the place to be!

Positively Indy!

Source: NFL exec. impressed with 2012 SB preps and NFL gives Indianapolis a Super Bowl pep talk and NFL: Indy Ahead Of Super Bowl Game and Indianapolis is ahead of the curve on 2012 Super Bowl project

Located just across from the Indianapolis Convention Center is America's best minor league ballpark (and I'm not just saying that like "some" places claim the worlds best donuts (which any Indianapolis resident knows that Long's has the best donuts.) it was actually put out for a vote and Victory Field totally took the title.
Now I've been a few times with the little one in tow and I've learned two things.
One? If you're going with little people who have the need to move around go with the lawn seats. Bring a few blankets, some snacks and sunscreen and claim your own little country in the outfield.
Two? Little people don't last through whole baseball games. (Maybe boys with dads who love baseball do? But our little girl with a football loving dad? Not so much.)
BUT IT'S OKAY!
The atmosphere and being together is well worth the visit. Plus with Victory Field so close to almost all of the downtown Indianapolis hotels it's almost easier to go to a game as a visitor staying at a hotel than a local (if you are a local you can either park at the zoo or at Circle Center Mall.)
Two for one tickets are available at participating Arby's restaurants and on Sunday, June 14th the first 4,000 ticket holders will receive a Indian's ball cap. Also, every Friday night following the game there are fireworks (my husband's exact words "pretty decent fireworks for a minor league team." That's a compliment coming from him, seriously.)

National Geographic is bringing Tutankhamun: The Golden King and Great Pharaohs exhibit to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

King Tut.

Here. 

In Indiana.

Needless to say of all the events in Indianapolis this summer, King Tut will be THE one for any history buff or curious kid.

For as long as I can remember when I've heard "mummy" or "Egypt" I've thought of King Tut.
The exhibit has traveled the world and now from June 27, 2009 until October 25, 2009 it will be right here in downtown Indianapolis.

What's even better is that if you decide to make the trip to see King Tut, multiple Indianapolis hotels are offering exclusive travel packages that include tickets to the King Tut exhibit. Some hotel packages even include perks such as breakfast or VIP jump-to-the-front-of-the-line, any time, any day tickets.

For those of you who are not Indianapolis locals, or who haven't been to the Children's Museum in a while, the arrival of this exhibit has been the buzz of the museum for over a year, with a formal countdown exhibit in the lobby and online. There have been some major renovations at the museum; and with the King Tut exhibit coming to town and the great packages available with local hotels, it's a great time to visit the museum, a keystone of Indianapolis attractions,  whether it be for the first time ever, or for the first time in years.

Tickets are available for presale now to members and also available for the general public through Ticketmaster. Tickets are date and time specific, although you are able to pick the dates and times that work best for your family. With ticket prices ranging from $15-$30 depending on the date of your visit, a suggested age of eight and older and an approximate visit time of 90 minutes it may be best to trade off with your significant other the responsibility of any littler kids who may not be as interested in this intensely historical exhibit (like mine, sorry baby, love you, but mama wants to see the mummies. And all the gold. Oooh.)

I'll be sure to have more information and details on the Tutankhamun exhibit as soon as it becomes available to me. But get pumped and get ready to know what it means to truly walk like an Egyptian. (Sorry, puns, I love them too much.)

I've been doing a bit more work with clients in downtown Indianapolis lately and have noticed the progress on the new Indianapolis Convention Center is progressing very nicely. It's still odd to see the Indianapolis skyline missing the big white pillow that was the RCA Dome, but now just about all the debris and material has been removed and work continues.

The new Indianapolis Convention Center will be a significant addition to the city that will allow us to host even larger and more consecutive conventions, events and meetings. The additional square footage and available space will provide a much larger empty canvas for companies and organizations to bring their events to our wonderful city.



I've been involved with a few different large conventions that have been hosted in Indianapolis through it's history. The combination of the large facility of the RCA Dome, now replaced by Lucas Oil Stadium, convention center offerings have been well received by myself and others that I've talked to over the years.

The other very attractive offering this city has is all of the centralized hotels, transportation and additional amenities in the downtown area for attendees. The ability to walk just about anywhere from your hotel to convention center to dinner is very nice. I'm sure you've been to conventions where you've felt "stuck" at the convention center because there was nothing to do there during your gap of time, but it was too much hassle to really go anywhere else to make better use of your time.

You won't feel that way in Indianapolis! And that's another reason we're Positively Indy!


Image Source: RCA Dome Implosion - Matt Faulkner

Image Source: New Indianapolis Convention Center - IndyStar website

Possibly the most recognizable of Indianapolis Attractions is the Historic Soldier and Sailors Monument, or "Monument Circle" in downtown Indianapolis. After all, it is what gave the "Circle City" its name. I never knew before last year that you can actually go up into the monument.

According to Indianapolis history, the monument cost over a half million dollars to build back in 1902. DUDE. To go up all 330 stairs is free. To ride the elevator up 290 of those stairs is $1 for anyone over the age of 5. $1 well spent if you ask me. (FYI, the observation deck of the monument is closed until September, I'll race you to top when it reopens! Whatever, I'm totally taking the elevator.)

Within walking distance of every downtown Indianapolis hotel, the convention center and most restaurants the monument is a great place to spend a free evening, hang out on the stairs, take a carriage ride or share an afternoon snack. If you have downtime between your destinations the circle is a perfect place to take in the sights for free and really feel like you're on vacation in another city. (*ahem* HI! Just to let you know there is the South Bend Chocolate Cafe RIGHT. ACROSS. from the monument. Ice cream smothered in hot fudge anyone? Oooh, yes please.)

I have spent plenty a lazy afternoon hanging out on the stairs of Monument Circle. Plenty happens right on or right around the circle (summer concerts at the City Market are my favorite) that it's never a boring place to be for anyone.