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Swimmin' spots?
Posted: May 07, 2008 in Things to do
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I'm relatively new to Indy, and everyone keeps telling me how incredibly muggy and awful the summers here can be.
(I don't believe it, incidentally. No matter where you go, EVERYONE thinks their summers are the worst. I fail to see how Indiana's humidity could ever top my last two stops: the oppressive and ongoing summer of Northeast Florida, and the fetid air of leafy upstate New York on a 95 degree day.)
What I'm actually sensing is that perhaps Hoosiers don't have the same means of escape as in the two places mentioned above. If it was hot in Florida, I went to the beach. If it was humid upstate, I dove into one of the myriad lakes or rivers dotting the landscape. Indy doesn't seem to have a proximate beach or a pristine lake, but I'd love to be wrong about that.
What I want to know is this: Where do you swim in Indiana, and nearby Indianapolis especially?
You obviously can't jump in the White River or the canal. So where do you take a refreshing swim? I'm after your secret swimmin' holes, your little-known ponds, the lakes worth an hour-long drive (or two), the creeks that aren't polluted, and the commercial pool complexes that know their business well.
So tell me Indy, where do you dip?
I suppose one could do the old fashioned "brrrr this sprinkler is freezing" run in their front yard.... or maybe the cliff diving from the covered bridge with the Wallies just outside of Crawfordsville. (Though that never got me going.)
Canoe or kayak? Great for toning the bod as well, right?!
Or, just tough it out with enough laughter and social time to numb the pain from the heat. A cold drinkie drink can't hurt either -- I'm prone to be at Old Point, on the Mass Ave Sbux patio or blading on the canal (but not with an adult beverage, unless I really do want that dip into the canal h2o).
Perhaps I'll need to invest in one of those inflatable kiddie pools for the backyard. How depressing ...
We go down to St. Paul, Indiana at least once or twice a summer, it's not really a hidden spot, it's a legal cliff diving and camping location. They got a zipline, docks and ladders to get back up the cliffs. It's a little trip, maybe an hour from Indy, and it cost like 8 bucks to go there for the day, but it's well worth it if you're in for a thrill. The cliffs range from 8 feet to about 40...and the zipline is about 12 feet off the ground at the start and about 8 at the end. I've heard there is even a bus under the water you can go scuba diving in, but I don't know much about it.
Awesome. That sounds perfect! Just to clarify (because you raised a good point), I'm not only after people's "secret" spots. As a newcomer to the area, I'm completely in the dark, so even good "obvious" suggestions are welcome. OK. Who else has a recommendation?
In Muncie about an hour away if you can find Cornbread Road then you can find an old abandoned stone quarry with a pretty flimsy fence. That's the place you want to go, you have to park about a half a mile away in a church parking lot, and then hike there, but if you want to do some cliff diving this is your spot.
By the description you can probably tell that it's in a seedy side of town so you might just find some guy passed out in the bushes or something.
Excellent. Are we talking about private property though? I don't want to be recommending spots that'll get readers into trouble.
I don't really know. I mean the cops will drag you out of there if they catch you in there because it's not considered a very safe place. We used to go there a few times during the summer when at BSU.
It's not something you recommend that a bunch of people go to at the same time.
Better ask about pools cause all the water around Indy os polluted and nasty! And the summers ARE gruesome!
I am curious about pools in Indy. In the city where I grew up, we had all sorts of awesome pool complexes. Places with huge green lawns on hills surrounding several types of pools, from diving board pools, to diving platform pools, to lap pools, to kiddie wading pools. Basketball courts, indoor areas with pool tables, nice food and drink options, etc. It seemed like these places were designed as alternative living centers for entire communities during the summer months. You could buy affordable season passes too. So what are the nice pools around Indy?