by Susan Funke

After driving 20 miles south of Indianapolis on State Road 37 to Bloomington, you will start to notice how the scenery gradually changes. Instead of the flat lands usually associated with the Midwest, beautiful rolling hills take over with a variety of trees that can rival the best of a New England fall foliage season. This surprising fact is not the only thing a visitor to Southern Indiana might experience and enjoy, as there is quite a wealth of culture, sophistication, and places of interest in this region--all within an hour of Indianapolis.

Bloomington and Indiana University

Bloomington is considered by some to be an aberration for the state of Indiana based on its reputation for progressive ways. The focal point of Bloomington is Indiana University (IU), one of the Big Ten universities, noted for its many excellent academic programs including Music, Fine Arts, Library & Information Science, and Business. The university is also known to have one of the best campus computer facilities in the country and was voted in 1997 as one of the Top 10 Wired Colleges by Yahoo.

The bucolic campus has a majority of buildings built from limestone taken from the nearby quarries, giving new and old buildings a certain symmetry. A noteworthy building is the Student Union, the largest in the world, which resembles an English castle. Other buildings to see on campus include the Arts Museum designed by IM Pei; the Musical Arts Center that is considered to have stage lines comparable to European opera houses; and Assembly Hall, home to coach Bobby Knight and the Hoosiers basketball team. The campus and town were also used for the filming of the movie Breaking Away which captured the "town and gown" relationship of Bloomington and IU very well. For more information on IU, check out its Web site at: http://www.indiana.edu/iub.

Indiana University also hosts one of the largest library collections in the United States that includes the Lilly Library, the rare books and manuscripts repository. This collection represents the combined resources of the University Library's Department of Special Collections and the private library of J.K. Lilly, Jr., given to the University in 1956 and 1957. Some of the materials in this collection include major rare books such as the New Testament of the Gutenberg Bible and the four Shakespeare folios.

Bloomington has one of the best music scenes in the Midwest, an outgrowth of the School of Music at Indiana University. The most famous musician is John Mellencamp who continues to reside in the area. Throughout the year there are many recitals and concerts for any music taste, on and off campus. For more on music happenings and other events in Bloomington, check out the Bloomington Voice at: http://www.bvoice.com. For additional city information, refer to: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/9420/.

Columbus: City of Contemporary Architecture

Leaving Bloomington via State Road 46, you pass through Brown County, one of the most beautiful parts of the state and eventually you will arrive in the city of Columbus, Indiana, headquarters to Cummins Engine and one of the most diverse assemblages of contemporary architecture in a concentrated area. It started in the early 40's when Eliel Saarinen designed a new building for the First Christian Church. Shortly thereafter, other prominent architects were attracted to the community project idea of paying architect fees for new (or in some instances, renovated) civic buildings. Other architects who have designed buildings in Columbus include Cesar Pelli, I.M. Pei, and others. In 1994, architects the world over came to Columbus when the city hosted the Pritzker Prize ceremonies. (The Pritzker is the world's most prestigious architecture award.) You can obtain more information on visiting these buildings by going to the Visitor Center to arrange for a guided tour or get a map for a self-paced tour. For more information on Columbus, see the city Web site at: http://columbus.in.us/. After visiting Columbus, you can make a quick and easy return to Indianapolis via I-65.

A trip to Southern Indiana has something of interest for everyone. Enjoy! $