Taps and Trails: An “Expertly Curated” Ride

It’s a hot day.  But in the shade, the soft green grass under my bare feet is feeling not at all bad.  Pretty darn good.  Finding yourself on an Adirondack chair sipping a tasty cold brew in the middle of the afternoon, surrounded by the world’s natural beauty is not something that happens by accident.  Life is busy.  When you want to make time, you need to have a plan!   Once you manage to get out of mowing the lawn or cleaning the garage, here’s a fantastic way to spend your time.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields is an absolute gem of 100 acres northwest of downtown Indianapolis.  Thousands of priceless art objects have been brought from all over the world to decorate the halls and galleries of the IMA’s main building.  In the spring and summer months, my favorite places to visit are the IMA’s world-class gardens.  More than half a million spring blooms, cascading streams, perennials, trees, and art have been expertly built and maintained over the 100-plus year history of the estate. All there for your enjoyment.  Plus, there’s beer. 

The IMA at Newfields is easy to find.  It sits on the corner of 38th Street and Michigan Road near I-65 on the northwest side of Indianapolis.  It is easily accessible by car, but the preferred method of transport on our cultural excursion will be the two-wheeled variety.  When you get to enjoy some time on your bike the journey is every bit as much fun as the destination.  Let’s go for a ride!

The White River flows southwest from the village of Broad Ripple and the Central Canal Towpath runs in parallel to the river down past 30th Street.  Along the way the towpath passes through leafy neighborhoods, quirky hamlets, Butler University, and straight through the heart of the gardens and Virginia B. Fairbanks 100 Acres of Art at the IMA. 

Broad Ripple makes for a perfect starting and ending point for our big fun day!  There’s plenty of free parking adjacent to the Monon Trail along Cornell Street.  Broad Ripple shines on this side of the canal.  Indiana’s very first Brewery Pub, Broad Ripple Brew Pub, is a welcome respite for thirsty travelers on the Monon Trail.  Broad Ripple also offers plenty of shops, restaurants, and ice cream.  For any last-minute biking needs, before you start, Bike Line’s newly built retail store is worth a visit.

You might find it hard to leave Broad Ripple village, but let’s be on our way!  We have a 4-mile ride to get to the IMA!  We’ll be starting on the Monon Trail going South—if your wheels are of the thin variety, you could choose to follow the paved Monon Trail for about 6 miles south to downtown Indy, Mass Ave, and the Indy Cultural Trail.  North on the Monon Trail takes you about 20 miles through Nora, Carmel, and Westfield to the trail’s end in Sheridan, Indiana.  For our ride to the IMA gardens via the towpath, you’ll need hybrid tires at least to negotiate the crushed gravel. 

We’ll head south on the Monon Trail from the parking location, then we’ll take a sharp right onto the Central Canal Towpath just before we reach the canal.  From there we roll down the north side of the canal for less than a quarter of a   mile, where we cross a blue bridge and then turn right to carefully make our way across College Avenue.  The first and least interesting part of the Central Canal Towpath is a one-lane path that moves closely along Westfield Blvd. 

We’ll make our way across the northern boundary of the Meridian Kessler neighborhood for 1½ miles as we cross Central Avenue, Kessler Blvd, and Meridian Street, and pedal down to the shops at 56th and Illinois Streets.  If you decide to make a stop here, there’s everything you need!  And a few things you probably don’t!  Just after Illinois Street, cross the blue bridge.  This will take us over to the towpath that we’ll enjoy for the next couple of miles.  As we cross the bridge, we’ll likely catch the scent of Coppertone through the thick hedges and hear the squeals of kids playing in the massive pool at the Riviera Club.

The sounds of the city start to fade as we pedal through the town of Rocky Ripple.  The “Canal People” of Rocky Ripple decorate the path with beautiful gardens, folk art, and a lot of general quirkiness that makes it a pleasure to move through at a leisurely pace. 

The path continues across 52nd Street and we can see the fabulous Holcomb Gardens at Butler University.  This is a good time for a break!  Cross over the bridge to Holcomb and walk the gardens.  You are sure to meet friendly people and the lush grass is totally bare foot worthy!  And if you’re lucky you’ll be timed just right to hear the famous bell tower chime out the tune to “Back Home Again in Indiana”!

Back on the Central Canal Towpath for our last stretch, we will pedal for about 1 ½ miles down to the Michigan Road underpass.  This is the quietest section of the trip.  There is a variety of aquatic wildlife, and you might even see a Blue Heron in flight over the canal!  Look for the spot where the canal widens a bit and there is a short path you can take down for a great turtle’s eye view of the White River.  As we approach Michigan Road, this is the only tricky part of the ride.  You can choose from two different options.

Option 1:  Ride under Michigan Road and proceed a ¼ mile to the orange bridge.  The bridge is an entrance to the IMA (sometimes) depending on when you arrive and whether they have the staff to monitor the bridge traffic.  Even if you can’t access the IMA from the bridge, it’s not a waste of energy to make the trip.  Across from the bridge, on the right of the canal path is the main entrance to the 100 Acre Wood at Fairbanks.  You can lock up your bikes and stroll the 1.4 mile path around a lake with outdoor art installations and a nice view of the White River.  There’s also a visitor’s center with restrooms.  It’s free to the public. 

Option 2:  Ride under Michigan Road and do a hair pin turn to your right and go up to the sidewalk along Michigan Road.  Be careful as the traffic on Michigan Road moves quickly and the sidewalk doesn’t give you a ton of room.  A short distance up the sidewalk will bring you to the main entrance to the IMA at Newfields.  There’s bike parking to the left of the entrance to the main building.  You can check in at the main building (the admission fee gives you access to the museum and the gardens) and the nice staff there will help you find your way to the gardens. 

Now it’s time to explore!  But wait!  First, we’ll find our way to the Bier Garten.  The whole point of this excursion is TAPS and trails!  Let’s talk about the TAPS.  And you must be parched after the ride and exploration, not to mention the sleight of hand involved in getting out of mowing the lawn.  The small but excellent beverage menu is continuously rotating and offers seasonal local craft beer on draft and wines by the can (note: I hear that the wine by the can is better than you would think!).  On my trip, I enjoyed a Sun King, “Among the Leaves” Saison.  It was perfect on a warm day in late spring. 

Now that we’re equipped with a tasty beverage it’s time to enjoy the beautiful gardens at Newfields.  We’ll just take our time.  There’s a lot to see and enjoy.  After we’ve enjoyed the ride out, the gardens, and the Bier Garden, it’s time to head back to our 4 wheels in Broad Ripple.  We’ll just retrace our route back to the village, refreshed from our afternoon escape!

Cheers!

Note:  The IMA is currently building a new upgraded version of the Bier Garten with an expanded food menu and all new facilities.  It’s scheduled for opening in the Fall but check back on the website for details.          

Admission to the IMA is currently by reservation.  You’ll need to purchase your tickets in advance for your admission time frame.  You’ll still get to linger at the IMA for as long as you like.