Photo Worthy Getaways

story by GLENDA WINDERS

From lakeshores to forested hills, quaint small towns to glimmering cities, limestone outcroppings to manmade oddities, it’s all here to photograph and take home as memories.

If it is tranquility and scenic beauty you seek, Owen County is a great place to begin. Here you’ll find the Cataract Falls State Recreation Area, where the state’s largest waterfalls thunders through Mill Creek. Formed after glacial melt thousands of years ago, the upper and lower falls plunge a combined 86 feet to create a stunning visual. Now layers of ancient limestone reveal the region’s geologic history. Nearby, McCormick’s Creek State Park, Indiana’s first state park, beckons with its scenic canyon, arched stone bridge, and peaceful waterfall, all carved from time and wilderness to make for award-winning photos as well as immersive exploration. Also in Owen County is Stark Manor, where you can snap photos with their adorable Highland Cattle.

Good spots for selfies abound in Lafayette-West Lafayette, and the Purdue University campus offers possibilities that would work for both quick snapshots or formal photos of important events. Check out the fountains that have inspired the school’s traditional “fountain run” to welcome new students and celebrate graduating seniors. Fountains include Class of 1939 Water Sculpture, Loeb, Stone Lions, McGinley Plaza, and Class of 1984, and moving from one to another ensures you’ll find your best shot. At the Haan Museum Sculpture Garden look for photo ops alongside pieces in bronze, clay, stone, and glass created by artists of note and situated along a path that is wheelchair-accessible.

Also in this area is Prophetstown State Park, the newest of Indiana’s 24 state parks, which is situated at the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers near Battle Ground. What is now the park was shaped by glaciers, moving water, fire and Native Americans who lived here for more than 2,000 years. The park’s relationship with the Farm at Prophetstown enables visitors to explore 1920s farming practices, Native culture, and a restored prairie. Along the way it also offers plenty of opportunities for timeless photos.

For a definite change of scenery, head on up to Lake Michigan, where the Indiana Dunes National Park and Indiana Dunes State Park in Porter County stretch along 25 miles of coastline. The beach will provide settings filled with sun, sand, water play, and more. Snap your companions as you hike on trails, wander in forests, or frolic on dunes that tower to 200 feet.

Then switch gears again during the drive over to Elkhart County to strike some poses at Wellfield Botanic Gardens. Enjoy 36 acres, half of which are water, many filled with themed gardens such as the Children’s Garden, English Cottage Garden, Pergola Garden, Sensory Garden, Woodland Conservation Garden and many more. Be sure and take in the one-acre Japanese-inspired Island Garden, where the intentional design is called miegakure, translated as “hide and seek.” Renowned garden designer Sadafumi “Sada” Uchiyama created a space that is meant to be strolled through since not all of its features can be seen from one place.

When you’re finished here, move on to the Ruthmere Mansion, where you’ll find plenty of historic art and architecture to see and photograph. And if you’re in town between May 30 and Sept. 15, plan your trip around the Quilt Gardens on the Heritage Trail. Each year some 200-plus volunteers give about 2,000 hours of their time to plant, water, weed, and maintain the one million blooms that make up 17 painstakingly planned gardens.

You might move on to LaGrange County and Shipshewana to learn about Amish culture, shop in cottages along the “Off the Beaten Path” trail and eat your weight in authentic Amish fried chicken, noodles and pies, but you won’t be able resist taking pictures of what you see here, too. The “I Love Shipshe” sculpture near the Farmstead Inn begins with a buggy and ends with a horse. Between them the letters spell out “Shipshe” with the “I” omitted so that you and your friends take turns standing in as you snap your pics. If you’re there in the fall, you’ll be able to include some of the whimsically decorated hay bales the locals create in your backdrop.

Naturalist and author Gene Stratton Porter divided her time between her getaway home in Noble County (Rome) and the Limberlost property she shared with her husband two counties away in Geneva. The Rome house is situated within a lush forest overlooking Sylvan Lake, and today that is where she is buried. Visitors have the opportunity to stroll the very pathways she did and step inside the log home she designed to see the surprisingly elegant furnishings with which she surrounded herself. Her typewriter and eyeglasses are here, too. The Limberlost home, now within the town of Geneva, is less bucolic but still worth visiting and taking pictures because of the unusual touches she added to her home and the wetland where she once loved to tromp.

As to those manmade oddities we mentioned at the beginning? You’ll for sure want your picture taken with the World’s Largest Ball of Paint in Madison County. What has become a Guinness Book phenomenon, featured on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and attraction that draws people from all over the world began innocently enough when a teenage boy accidentally bounced a baseball into an open can of blue paint. No longer able to use the ball for its intended purpose, he kept adding on more coats. Today it is covered with some 30,000 layers of paint and weighs 11,600 pounds. Visitors are invited to sign the wall in the “Ball House” where it is displayed and add another color of their own choosing.

In Carmel, you’ll find backdrops worthy of everything from landscape photos to fun selfie spots. Coxhall Gardens, which covers 125 acres, is known for its twin 90-foot bell towers, a recreation lake, and a children’s garden with a make-believe village. 3UP Rooftop Lounge offers a panoramic view over Main Street and beyond, while the Cake Bake Shop at Carmel City Center, with its signature decorations, is a popular photo-op location.

In nearby Westfield, you’ll find public art throughout the area, along with some fun selfie spots in places like West Fork Whiskey and Quack Daddy Donuts.

With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Indy 500 during the month of May, you’re sure to capture some photo-worthy moments, especially during the 500 Festival. Every year, the event features a Mini-Marathon, large festival for kids, and one of the nation’s premier parades.

Wayne County offers some great backdrops, including The Barn at Helm, a flower farm with more than 80 varieties of flowers and the Richmond Rose Garden. And you can’t miss the opportunity to get your photo taken in front of the world’s largest candle. Located right in front of the Warm Glow Candle Company just off I-70 in Centerville, this 30-foot-tall attraction is beyond photo-worthy.

Then it’s on to Franklin County to discover a photo op rooted in transportation history. Here you can ride the Whitewater Valley Railroad, where restored vintage trains travel along the Whitewater River, cross wooden trestles, and cut through wooded hills between Connersville and Metamora. In Metamora, capture the rare Whitewater Canal Aqueduct, a functional 1800s-era wooden trough supported by stone arches that once carried canal boats over Duck Creek.

Just minutes away, immerse yourself–and stage–your photos within a more spiritual heritage. The Sisters of St. Francis Convent in Oldenburg offers peaceful grounds and stately brick architecture in this “Village of the Spires.” The German settlers who first came here built soaring church steeples that beg to be photographed.

Brown County State Park, like its sister parks, was established because of its flora and fauna. And located as it is amid rolling hills, it has become one of the favorite spots in the state for fall leaf-peeping. But come during any season and you’ll discover plenty of overlooks and panoramas to behold. Meltwaters from receding glaciers contributed to the ridges, slopes and gullies that give the park so much character, and this is where you can hike the trails or take your pictures from on horseback. Maybe book a few nights at the Abe Martin Lodge and catch some candids while you read by a cozy fire there.

In Bloomington, selfie spots and beautiful backdrops run the gamut from the bright pink façade of Fountain Square Mall, to the panoramic views of the 110-foot-tall Hickory Ridge Fire Tower. Foodies will love the photo ops along Fourth Street, which is known as “International Restaurant Row” because of the numerous cultural dining options here.

Clifty Falls State Park in Madison boasts multiple waterfalls. For more citified shots, however, stroll through the historic neighborhoods for riverside photos that include the Lanier Mansion and stately homes from a bygone era. Save one photo for the elegant Broadway Fountain and another for your walk to Kentucky across the Ohio River on the Milton-Madison Bridge.

Photos of a totally different kind await in Jeffersonville, which will be hosting Abbey Road on the River May 21-25 in Big Four Station Park. This world’s largest Beatles and classic rock festival will bring together legendary artists and 50 bands for five days of peace, love, and rock ‘n’ roll.

Scenic vistas unfold along more than 40 miles of the scenic Ohio River in Perry County. From boating near Derby and Magnet to relaxing in hillside cabins with breathtaking views, this is another gem that offers a retreat from the everyday. More than 60,000 acres of the Hoosier National Forest cover some of the hilliest terrain in the state, and pastimes include soul-refreshing hiking, canoeing, and solitude for taking it all in. Bring your camera to Buzzard Roost and Eagles Bluff for excellent viewpoints and peaceful vibes.

For more memorable Ohio River photo moments, grab a bite at The Dock in Leavenworth and linger over the view far below as you finish your tasty meal. Then run across the road to the unique Stephenson’s General Store for everything from antiques and hardware to gifts and ice cream. Crawford County is known for its natural beauty, including Hemlock Cliffs, a scenic box canyon within the Hoosier National Forest with seasonal waterfalls. The area is also popular for its camera-ready caves.

Speaking of caves, Squire Boone Caverns in Harrison County makes the perfect backdrop for some unusual—and beautiful—photos. This living cave features underground waterfalls, unique formations, and pioneer-era activities.

Your photo-worthy escape to timeless French Lick and West Baden will, of course, include the stunning West Baden Springs Hotel with its breathtaking 200-foot glass atrium— a true architectural gem. Stroll the luxurious resort gardens or board the French Lick Scenic Railway for panoramic views of the Hoosier National Forest. Discover local stories at the French Lick West Baden Museum, and create wild memories at Wilstem Wildlife Park, where up close encounters with giraffes, elephants, and kangaroos offer one-of-a-kind photo ops.

Nearby Jasper offers unexpected photo gems such as the creatively revitalized Piano Alley and Astra Alley, where public art brings each corner to life. The Jasper Riverwalk winds along the Patoka River, and just steps away the Jasper City Mill, Spirit of Jasper Train, and the historic Old Jasper district create timeless backdrops. A visit to this German settlement would not be complete without a dinner stop at Schnitzelbank, which is now home to a rare glockenspiel.

Just south, Huntingburg invites visitors to explore the stadium that was featured in “A League of Their Own.” Ferdinand State Forest and Patoka Lake offer more nature-centric photography. Also here is the majestic Monastery Immaculate Conception (“Castle on the Hill”), with its ornate domes and scenic grounds. Maybe stop here for a few quiet moments to catch your breath before you put your camera away and head home.