Spring Break is over.
Classes have started, the snow has finally melted and I'm sure you're thinking now that you're back in Hoosierville, there is nothing fun to do.
Indiana is actually home to several unique and quirky destinations. Whether you're from "the region" or from Funcie, this state has something for you.
First stop: the World's Largest Ball of Paint in Alexandria, just northeast of Muncie. It began when a man was playing baseball mid-1960s and the ball accidentally fell into some paint. The ball, or mass, now hangs from a rafter in a small building in back of the man's house, all 1,300 pounds and 18,000 coats of it.
Another great roadside attraction you're sure to have fun with is the Dan Quayle Center and Museum in Huntington, which is a little northeast of Alexandria. You could say it's an extraordinary shrine to one of America's least-extraordinary politicians. Two floors display more than 6,000 Quayle artifacts, including a lock of Dan's baby hair, his third-grade report card and his law diploma, which was torn to shreds by Barnaby, the family dog.
If you just don't like dealing with politics, head west and stop by the Rainforest Car Wash in Lafayette. You can forget all about those overrated theme parks and theme restaurants. Here you can get your car cleaned by lifelike elephants. After choosing from a menu of wash options, including a Gorilla Wash and a Crocodile Wash, you start the journey of cheap robotic monkeys, snakes, idols and elephants.
After the car is squeaky clean, honk your horn three times and you'll soon find yourself at the Wizard of Oz Museum in Chesterton. Just outside of Valparaiso is the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop and Museum, which boasts a collection of photographs and homemade Wizard of Oz memorabilia. The museum is one room and only costs a quarter to enter. Outside on the lawn are wooden cutouts of various characters and buildings from the movie. Warning: the gift shop is bigger than the museum itself.
For an attraction a little less quirky but something everyone should see, head south to the Lincoln Boyhood Home National Memorial in Lincoln. There is a museum with an admission cost of $3 per person, $5 per family, but the real attraction is the Lincoln farm. The best part of the trip is the original Abe Lincoln boyhood cabin's foundation that has been bronzed and has a stone fence around it.
Honest Abe's farm isn't the only exciting feature in southern Indiana. Go farther south to Jeffersonville and you will find the Colgate Clock that happens to be the second largest timepiece in the world. The face of the clock is actually bigger than Big Ben's. It measures more than 40 feet in diameter, and the hands on the clock are 16 and 20 1/2 feet long. This attraction can be seen more than a mile away.
Finally, for those who are a little twisted, is the "insane museum." The Indiana Medical History Museum is located in the Old Pathology Building on the grounds of the former Central State Hospital on the west side of Indianapolis. It is the oldest surviving pathology facility in the nation. The facility was built in 1896, before antibiotics or aspirin. The museum houses diseased brains, kidneys and livers. There are antique X-ray machines, old stethoscopes and assorted "quack" devices.
For more roadside attractions and museums, check out indianamuseums.org. If you're in the mood for more peculiar places, visit roadsideamerica.com/map/in. There you will find most of the attractions I mentioned and directions on how to find them.
Sure, Spring Break is over, but there is still plenty to do and find in Indiana.
Alexis Crouch is a senior public relations major and writes 'Fun Sized' for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Alexis at akcrouch@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
