Kurt Vonnegut mural next to a parking lot in Indianapolis. Kurt was born in the city in 1922. He grew up there, too, but after enlisting in the Army in 1943, he never lived here again.
James Whitcomb Riley was a poet, writer and best-selling author who lived in the vicinity of Indianapolis his entire life and was known as the “Hoosier Poet.” He spent the last 23 years there and died there in 1916. You can tell he’s revered by the size of his grave monument on top of the highest hill in the city’s largest cemetery.
The James Whitcomb Riley never had children himself, he was a doting uncle. He wrote a book of children’s poems, Rhymes of Childhood, which sold more than 1 million copies and also earned him the nickname he “Children’s Poet”.
Sugar cream pie is the unofficial state pie of Indiana. It’s a custard pie made with cream, sugar and cornstarch or flour (but no eggs). It’s believed to have originated with the Quakers in the early 19th Century. We got ours from My Sugar Pie in Zionsville (a suburb of Indianapolis) and it was divine.
Another classic Indiana dish is the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, the unofficial state sandwich. A proper one is “comically oversized.” We got ours at Sahm’s Place.
Great blue heron – looks like he’s wearing a fancy coat!Eastern great egret, catching his dinner.Red-tailed hawk.American white pelican.Song sparrow.The eye markings on a Cedar waxwing make it look like a superhero. American GoldfinchSquirrel getting ready for winter.White-throated sparrow.
Grave site of president Benjamin Harrison. You can read more about Harrison’s connection to Indianapolis in our post on the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. But wait, there’s more! That mausoleum next to the flagpole is where novelist and dramatist Booth Tarkington is buried. Tarkington spent most of his life in Indianapolis.
Grave of John Dillinger, American Gangster. He was born and raised in Indianapolis, and lived there on and off between prison and being on the run. The grave marker has been replaced several times, for as you can see, people are chipping off pieces. The idea that someone would hero worship this guy is baffling. We only stopped by because we were already in the cemetery and figured “why not?”
“The Ruins” in Holliday Park, where we went on a bird walk led by a professional. The sun seemed turn a spotlight on the ruins as we walked by. These used to adorn a New York skyscraper, which was built in 1898 and torn down in the late 1950s.
Why yes, Doug did make me drive around downtown Indianapolis so he could look at a plaque commemorating Elvis Presley’s final concert. The show was performed on June 26, 1977 at the Market Square Arena, which was demolished in 2001. Living the dream, we are.
The Dillinger Days by John Toland. We listened to this while driving around Indiana. Wow, what a piece of work this guy was! Affiliate link.
We saw lots of fall colors while driving around, and also while looking for birds. The setting sun lighting up the colors was especially lovely.
The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. Speaking of guys who are a piece of work, here’s another. Jim Jones grew up in Indiana and founded what would become the Peoples Temple in Indianapolis in 1955. Affiliate link.
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