Visit Advance Boone Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Discover the small town of Advance in Indiana! Experience the historic Fort Wayne Park and the great nature of Wabash River Greenway. Eat typical dishes like the Hoosier Pie or the Shoefly Pie in the local cafe. There are golf courses and cycling paths for athletes. In Advance there is everything for an unforgettable holiday!
Honestly, if you ask me, that's what most people hear about Advance, Indiana, first, a short sentence about the railway that created a small village of wood and hopes here in 1850. The city grew around the rails, survived the up and down of the coal industry and today has more charm than a dusty history book. I looked here for the first time by train from Indianapolis – a 30-minute regional train that is barely more than a roar, but gives enough time to use the “big” plans of the founders.
I don't quite understand the hype about the rural idyll, but what I find here is really great: a few old barns that tell more stories than some city tours, and a café that serves the best coffee I've ever had in a place with less than 500 inhabitants. No joke, the staff knows every name, and that's an experience you can't google. So if you are looking for “Advance Sights”, be warned – you won’t get the usual tourist attractions, but a piece of real Indiana that balances between nostalgia and light spot. And yes, parking is a children's game because there's not much here to block.
So, if you're going to Indiana the next time, let's go to the Advance Community Park stop – this is my personal favorite place, and I'm not just saying that because I spent my childhood there. The small lake, which is actually just an oversized rainwater tank, glitters in the sunlight, and the old benches that have seen more barbecue evenings than I hair, invite you to stay. I once tried to start a picnic, just to realize that a swarm duck thought my sandwiches were an all-you-can-eat buffet – no joke, that was a real showdown between me and nature.
Directly next to the park Advance Public Library, a tiny but surprisingly well-stocked place where you can get free Wi-Fi and get back with a good book, while the city outside has its quiet downhill drive. I have charged my laptop battery there more than once, because the café in the city does not exist anymore – and that is somehow a sign that life is a bit analog here. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the weekly Advance Farmers Market the few free places swallowed.
The market itself is a bit like a mini festival for people who believe that fresh carrots are a luxury property. I don't quite understand the hype about organic tubes, but the handmade jams of Grandma Greta next to the stand with handmade candles are fantastic – and the whole has a charming, slightly chaotic flair, because the sellers talk more about the weather than about their products. So if you're looking for a place where you can sniff a piece of real Indiana community, you're right here.
A short walk further leads you to Advance Town Hall, a historical building that has more stories to tell than most guides would ever mention. I took part in a small exhibition on the founding time of the city; the old photos of horse-drawn carriages and the creeping wood of the original door almost convinced me that I landed in another time. Parking behind the town hall is almost always free as long as you do not come to the city meeting on the first Monday a month – then parking becomes a small adventure.
Another highlight that I cannot leave is the Advance United Methodist Church. Yes, I know church sounds for some according to boring compulsory program, but the architecture here is a real jewel: stained glass windows that look like a kaleidoscope in the morning light, and a small bell tower that sounds loud enough every Sunday at 10 a.m. to wake up the whole neighborhood. I took part in a choir tasting evening there – that was a bit weird because I cannot read the notes, but the community was warm and the result was surprisingly beautiful.
If you really get the full package Advance Attractions want to experience, take a few hours for the self-guided Historic Walking Tour. The map is available free of charge in the library, and it leads you to the few remaining historical houses that still radiate the charm of the early 1900s. I made the tour on a rainy afternoon and found that the old brick houses are better protected against the weather than my new apartment – a little comfort when the Indiana weather once again shows its moods.
Finally, a little hint I always forget to mention: The city does not have a big supermarket, but the little Deli on the main street sells the best homemade Pies I have ever tried. I once ate an apple cake while waiting for the train to Indianapolis – that was the only time I really enjoyed a train. So, next time you're in the area, stop, grab a piece of cake and enjoy the lightly swell, but cordially real advance.
I have to admit that I was never really a fan of crowded tourist traps – but the Indiana Beach on Lake Shafer is a real exception. I drove there on a lukewarm Saturday morning when the snake for the rollercoaster was almost as long as the road to Advance. Parking is usually a Klacks as long as you do not come to the high season; then the field behind the entrance building becomes the battlefield. Nevertheless, the noise of the water, the circle of children and the unmistakable smell of burnt sugar – this is almost nostalgic, considering that I spent my first summer vacation here. And yes, the water slides are really so weird that you almost feel like landing in an 80-year film.
A few miles further southwest lies Turkey Run State Park, a place I always underestimate because it wasn't exactly on my “must-see list”. The narrow canyons of sandstone, which rustle through the foliage, are a real eye-catcher – and that, although I thought it was just another “Waldweg for walkers”. I remember how I almost lost myself at “Trail 3” because a sign was covered by a squirrel. Practical: The parking lot is large enough, but it can be tight on weekends, so it's better to come early. And the canoe rental thing at Sugar Creek? A small price for the feeling of sliding through a natural laboratory.
If you turn a little further east, you will strike McCormick’s Creek State ParkIndiana’s first state park project. I made a picnic there while a beaver crawled loudly on a tree – a sound that reminds me of my childhood when I thought beavers were the “Ninjas of Nature”. The trail “Twin Falls” is not particularly spectacular, but the two waterfalls offer a nice photo stop, and parking is almost always free as long as you don’t share the weekend with a group of school classes.
Back near Advance, but not in the place itself, this is Boone County Historical Society Museum in Lebanon. I must confess I was skeptical, because museums often act like dusty libraries for me. But here there are actually some really cool exhibits, such as old land machines, that look like they could still plow a field today, and an original schoolbook from the 1920s, which reveals more about the fashion then than any fashion magazine. The museum has a small parking space right outside the door, and the staff is so friendly that they even offered me a piece of the old “Boone County” jam – no joke, that was real.
A short walk through the historic downtown of Lebanon is also worthwhile. The old courthouse from 1909 dominates the cityscape, and I spent there a day where a local artist presented a small exhibition of oil paintings over the region. The cafés there serve the best “Apple Pie” far and wide – at least according to my judgment, which is naturally subjective. Parking is a bit tricky here because the roads have limited pitches, but a few free places you will always find when you look around the corner.
Last but not least, White river banks at the Advance Bridge forget. I spent a few hours with my fishing there in the late summer, while I was listening to the quiet plough and trying to catch the perfect bite. Access is free, parking directly on the river is usually easy, except for the rare days where a local fishing festival takes place and the shore is suddenly overrun by crowds. The river offers not only good fishing opportunities, but also a quiet spot for reflection – ideal if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city.
So next time after Advance Attractions seek, forget the usual tourist clichés and try the mix of nature, history and a bit of local character that this area has to offer. You will see that what really counts here is not the shiny signs, but the small, authentic experiences you only find when you walk a little off the beaten paths.
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