Indianapolis Museum of Art

I'm roadtripping to Indy today to experience the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and I LOVED everything about IMA!!

I'll start with the awesome gardens. Twenty-six acres of plants including these Dr. Seuss-ish purple balls. I will have outdoor space in my new place, so I am paying attention to the floral opportunities.

And, in one greenhouse, Drawn to Pink? or Drawn to Green?, Orange?, Purple?, Blue?, White?, and Yellow? sections will entice a run to the garden center for foliage. I am leaning to pollinator plants, so I definitely want some color.

And I love this high/low color spill!

And the best gift of all is a late-season gorgeous iris! I will definitely have some of those planted for next year.

Inside the Museum, there was also the terrific Audubon: Drawn to Nature exhibition. I lucked out and tagged along with a docent tour and found out some amazing things.

I didn't know the Audubon prints were a subscription service, and I certainly didn't know the process.

The six steps are 1) observation and collection specimens, 2) pinning into position, 3) drawing and painting, 4) engraving or turning watercolors into prints, 5) hand coloring of prints, and 6) distribution. Each stage had examples and explanations.

Audubon: Drawn to Nature closes July 30, then the images go back to the private collector, per the docent. This is one of the nuggets I heard during the tour. There are no plans to travel the exhibition, so see it while you can!

And I couldn't sign off without posting a pic of Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture in the Museum's lobby. What a great trip, indeed!

Click here for IMA's website.

Wild Rita's

It's my third day of working a fan festival at Louisville Slugger Field. I've already dabbled my way through the grilled sausages and Graeter's ice cream (granted, no complaints with either!), and I'm craving something different. Wild Rita's at the Residence Inn on Market scored!

This is the Taco Plate with Mexican rice. I went with Carnitas and Pescado Frito varieties from the six available. But, the most delicious dish was the Street Corn with queso fresca, spiced crema, and cilantro. YUM!! Street Corn is currently on my Favorite Things list, and this was a superb version.

Wild Rita's was a great space with bright colors and lots of cool blown glass. You know I'm not a drinker, but, if I was, this would be a great place to do it!

Click here for Wild Rita's website.

Ann's by the River

Have you ever needed a visual to fully encapsulate what a "carb load" means? This delicious tray of food from Ann's by the River in Jeffersonville should do the trick!

Ann's is a classic diner, with trays and the rail to slide it along while making your choices. They are known for their rotating specials with four or more hot entrees, fresh vegetables and salads, and a smorgasbord of desserts daily. Wowza!! I got the fried chicken with two sides - greens and mac and cheese - and HAD to try to white bean soup with Johnny corn cake. Oh, and the lemon meringue pie was a no brainer.

I'm happy to say that no food was wasted on this venture, as I packed up half to take back to work with me. Two times the tastiness at Ann's!

Ann's is open for lunch and dinner Monday to Friday. Plan accordingly for the carb crash and need for a nap afterward!

Click here for Ann's website.

Frankfort Roadtrip: The Old Bus Station and Kentucky Fudge Company

Day two of sales calls, and this time we're heading East. Today's food and snackies had a shared historic theme.

The Olde Bus Station Restaurant in Harrodsburg was a formerly a Greyhound Bus Station. The lunch counter was original to the Greyhound setup, and the you can imagine the buses pulling up where the covered deck is now.

This is the Titan Burger, topped with onion rings, bacon, and BBQ sauce, with a really fresh take on pasta salad with peas and bacon. YUM!

For our snackie, we went to Kentucky Fudge Company, located in this fabulous 1865 former drug store. I got some refreshing ice cream, but the cool setting was more interesting than the treat on this visit. It reminded me of the Pharmacy Museum in New Orleans!

Harrodsburg and Evansville have inspired me to get out and see more of this area. Are you with me?!

The Olde Bus Station Restaurant does not have a website. Address is 227 S. Greenville Street in Harrodsburg. Phone is 859-734-4202.

Kentucky Fudge Company does not have a website. Address is 225 S. Main Street in Harrodsburg. Phone is 859-733-0088.

Evansville Roadtrip: Walton's and Piece of Cake

I haven't been to Evansville for 30 or more years. I'm there today making sales calls with a colleague, and you know the girls have got to eat!

The good folks at the Visitor Center - which is a cool pagoda along the bike path and worth a stop while in town - recommended Walton's International Comfort Food near the Arts District. You know you're at the right spot when there's a wheelbarrow filled with wood by the kitchen door to keep the oven stoked! Walton's kept earning the points with a basket of popcorn as the pre-meal munchie?! Cool, huh?!

The menu had some amazing, drool-worthy items. I went with the Pig and Fig pizza. It was everything your tastebuds are dreaming of!! It was super rich, so next time I'll order a salad or veggie side for balance. YUM!!

Later, after innumerable sales schpeels and elevator pitches, we earned the hit-the-road snackie. We find a cutie-pie bakery shop on Main Street named Piece of Cake. This is my Lemony Snippetts cookie, which was a lemon cookie with lemon marshmallow cream frosting and sugar sprinkles. Delish!

I made some great sales connections, got to see a long-forgotten Indiana town, and enjoyed some tasty treats. Carpe diem, my friends!

Click here for Walton's website.
Click here for Piece of Cake's website.