Need Hotel Recommendations Near Indianapolis

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

YDS is en route home. The winter storm ahead of him is worsening and so he will have to wait it out a day or two in the Indianapolis area.

Can anyone recommend safe areas around Indy to stay and/or areas a young adult traveling alone should avoid?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!!

[wvugurl26]

My best friend moved a hour outside of Indianapolis. I stay closer to her so I'm not sure about in Indianapolis.

I'd check for parking fees. Sometimes those are crazy high.

We went to lunch and ran some errands close to Indiana University. I felt safe.

[dannylion]

I have stayed at both Hampton Inns in Indianapolis that are accessible from Rt. 70, one on the east side and one on the west side.  This was several years ago, but at the time both were in safe areas and there were restaurants nearby and I recall no problems with either one.  If he is traveling via Rt. 70, there are several similar hotels near each other along the Rt. 70 corridor at Indianapolis as the airport is on that side of the city, if I recall correctly.  

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Does anyone know if the area around the airport is reasonably safe?

[wvugurl26]

I flew in and out of there. I think we ate near there on the way back. Google says its a safe area.

[CCL]

Dec 15, 2020 21:00:46 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Does anyone know if the area around the airport is reasonably safe?

He should probably be ok out there. There may be a couple places in Plainfield off I70 at 267. That's a pretty good area, just west of airport. I would avoid the east side, especially anywhere inside 465, but it's not close to airport anyway, plenty of crime over that way. I'm trying to think of what hotels are in that area.

There is a Hilton Garden Inn as well as a Hampton Inn just south of the airport on Ameriplex Parkway. We park our cars at a place near there and have never had any issues.

That general area around the airport is pretty low crime.

[alabamagal]

If you pick a decent hotel chain near interstate, they are pretty much in safe areas. Maybe just avoid downtown, they are expensive anyway. On our recent road trip we just picked chains that were $100-120 per night, all near interstates with plenty of decent takeout.

[Regis]

I live in an Indy suburb and work in Indy.  If he's wanting to be near the airport, the Holiday Inn is new and in a great, safe place.  Not lots of opportunities to walk to get meals.

North side of Indy is nice.  Most of the hotels near I-465/Meridian are good.  Drury is a good choice, and has a nice restaurant on the same property.

[CCL]

How's your son doing? I don't know why I thought he was flying in, maybe just too late at night for me lol? Hopefully he's safely on his way home.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Dec 16, 2020 13:16:15 GMT -5 CCL said:

How's your son doing? I don't know why I thought he was flying in, maybe just too late at night for me lol? Hopefully he's safely on his way home.

Thanks, ALL!!! ❤️

LATE last night He decided to stay in Terre Haute for the night. He’s now trying to figure how far East he can get today or tomorrow. It’s looking like he could get to Pittsburgh without too much trouble. We’re trying to avoid getting him stranded on a Pennsylvania highway — remember last year or two ago when hundreds were stranded outside Chambersburg for days? 😱. We’re also weighing the pros and cons of having him come up 95 through New York and New Jersey rather than risk poor conditions through the Poconos.

Timing is everything in life. 😂 By Friday, the sun will be out and the roads cleared. In the meantime, he gets to explore an area he would have otherwise just driven by. You’ve got to find your adventures where they appear. I’m trying to convince him to go find Larry Bird’s house. 😂

[irishpad]

Is Larry Bird still in French Lick?  That would be a bit off the path for your son but not too far off.    I went to seminary in southern Indiana so been through Terre Haute lots of times, nice little city.   He could drive up to Cleveland behind the storm and maybe explore the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

[Lizard Queen]

I don't know the weather conditions down there right now, but I do know indiana and ohio like to salt the crap out of their roads in the wintertime. I wonder if they try to melt the snow instead of plowing, it's so much.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Dec 16, 2020 14:46:45 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Is Larry Bird still in French Lick?  That would be a bit off the path for your son but not too far off.    I went to seminary in southern Indiana so been through Terre Haute lots of times, nice little city.   He could drive up to Cleveland behind the storm and maybe explore the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Someone I work with said French Lick is about an hour away. 😉

I love the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame idea! You must be a Jesuit. 😉

[CCL]

It's farther than an hour. More like 2 hour, in good weather. I can't recall ever driving from Terre Haute to French Lick, but some of those roads down there are winding and hilly. I wouldn't drive down in the snow, myself.

[CCL]

Dec 16, 2020 15:15:01 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Dec 16, 2020 14:46:45 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Is Larry Bird still in French Lick?  That would be a bit off the path for your son but not too far off.    I went to seminary in southern Indiana so been through Terre Haute lots of times, nice little city.   He could drive up to Cleveland behind the storm and maybe explore the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  

Someone I work with said French Lick is about an hour away. 😉

I love the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame idea! You must be a Jesuit. 😉

Google says the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is temporarily closed. The Pro Football Hall of Fame isnt too far from there and seems to be open.

[TheOtherMe]

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been closed for months now.

[Opti]

Dec 16, 2020 12:10:01 GMT -5 Regis said:

I live in an Indy suburb and work in Indy.  If he's wanting to be near the airport, the Holiday Inn is new and in a great, safe place.  Not lots of opportunities to walk to get meals.

North side of Indy is nice.  Most of the hotels near I-465/Meridian are good.  Drury is a good choice, and has a nice restaurant on the same property.

I have friends I stay with in NW Indy if I am driving through to the rest of the family. I was going to post NW Indy seems fine and safe but I've never stayed in a hotel in that area. Just gone to restaurants and shops.

[Opti]

Dec 16, 2020 13:30:51 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

Dec 16, 2020 13:16:15 GMT -5 CCL said:

How's your son doing? I don't know why I thought he was flying in, maybe just too late at night for me lol? Hopefully he's safely on his way home.

Thanks, ALL!!! ❤️

LATE last night He decided to stay in Terre Haute for the night. He’s now trying to figure how far East he can get today or tomorrow. It’s looking like he could get to Pittsburgh without too much trouble. We’re trying to avoid getting him stranded on a Pennsylvania highway — remember last year or two ago when hundreds were stranded outside Chambersburg for days? 😱. We’re also weighing the pros and cons of having him come up 95 through New York and New Jersey rather than risk poor conditions through the Poconos.

Timing is everything in life. 😂 By Friday, the sun will be out and the roads cleared. In the meantime, he gets to explore an area he would have otherwise just driven by. You’ve got to find your adventures where they appear. I’m trying to convince him to go find Larry Bird’s house. 😂

What's his ultimate destination? Getting stuck on I-80 is something you want to avoid if at all possible. I swore off TG and Christmas drives after my last experience.

[nidena]

If he's on I-70, there are some good hotels in Washington, PA.  I've stayed at the Hampton Inn there.  

[irishpad]

Dec 16, 2020 15:37:34 GMT -5 CCL said:

It's farther than an hour. More like 2 hour, in good weather. I can't recall ever driving from Terre Haute to French Lick, but some of those roads down there are winding and hilly. I wouldn't drive down in the snow, myself.

Yeah, those county roads in Indiana sometimes are crazy.   Not sure if they know what a straight line is!   (of course I come from an area that is very flat, settled with the homestead act so everything is squared off, a road every mile, looks like a patchwork quilt from the air.  lol)

[irishpad]

Dec 16, 2020 16:11:50 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been closed for months now.

Oh, that's too bad.  I didn't think of that.   I like CCL's suggestion of the Hall of Fame stop if he is into sports.  

[irishpad]

So not completely off topic (but close) one of my favorite performances at the Rock and Roll induction ceremony.   Of course it helps that I'm a MN guy and a fan of Prince.    George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".  Prince does an incredible guitar solo.   He was inducted the same year and yes that is George's son in the background.  

[busymom]

Dec 16, 2020 18:27:00 GMT -5 irishpad said:

So not completely off topic (but close) one of my favorite performances at the Rock and Roll induction ceremony.   Of course it helps that I'm a MN guy and a fan of Prince.    George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".  Prince does an incredible guitar solo.   He was inducted the same year and yes that is George's son in the background.  

     Love this performance!  I'd already saved it to one of my YouTube music lists.  

[Regis]

Dec 16, 2020 18:20:06 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Dec 16, 2020 15:37:34 GMT -5 CCL said:

It's farther than an hour. More like 2 hour, in good weather. I can't recall ever driving from Terre Haute to French Lick, but some of those roads down there are winding and hilly. I wouldn't drive down in the snow, myself.

Yeah, those county roads in Indiana sometimes are crazy.   Not sure if they know what a straight line is!   (of course I come from an area that is very flat, settled with the homestead act so everything is squared off, a road every mile, looks like a patchwork quilt from the air.  lol)

The Homestead Act was just a way of distributing land to homeowners.  The basis of the roadway system every mile comes from the United State Public Land Survey System, mostly through Tiffin's Instructions to surveyors in 1815.  Indiana was surveyed under that system and only the southern third of Indiana has terrain that doesn't allow for roads every mile.  You just didn't travel far enough from St. Meinrad.  

[irishpad]

Dec 18, 2020 12:11:06 GMT -5 Regis said:

Dec 16, 2020 18:20:06 GMT -5 irishpad said:

Yeah, those county roads in Indiana sometimes are crazy.   Not sure if they know what a straight line is!   (of course I come from an area that is very flat, settled with the homestead act so everything is squared off, a road every mile, looks like a patchwork quilt from the air.  lol)

The Homestead Act was just a way of distributing land to homeowners.  The basis of the roadway system every mile comes from the United State Public Land Survey System, mostly through Tiffin's Instructions to surveyors in 1815.  Indiana was surveyed under that system and only the southern third of Indiana has terrain that doesn't allow for roads every mile.  You just didn't travel far enough from St. Meinrad.  

Thank you for this info, I didn't know all of that!   Cool that you figured out where I went to school and yes, about the only other traveling I did in Indiana was going up Hwy 41 on my trips back and forth from school.  Southern Indiana terrain wise is my more like Kentucky.