Category: weekend getaways

Historic Downtown Madison, Indiana – Part 2

Historic Downtown Madison, Indiana – Part 2

Food is a huge part of any travel experience, and it’s no different in Madison. Despite the fact that Madison is a small town, it is big when it comes to its cuisine. Again, since the town is divided into hilltop and downtown, we will also do so here for simplicity, and since our focus is mainly on the historic downtown district, we’ll begin our entrée explorations there.

Downtown

Fine Dining

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Madison amazingly has several excellent fine dining options. At the top of the list is Crystal & Jules. Located at 709 West Main Street, the restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m.

This place is popular! So you’re going to want to make a reservation so you can make sure to have a table. Just give them a call early in the day – the day before is even better – and they will gladly hold a table for you and your favorite meal companions.  The number to call is 812-274-1077.

Chef Andy offers a variety of exciting entrees which change with the seasons. My husband and I recently dined there to celebrate our anniversary, and everything sounded so luscious, it was really hard to make a choice.

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I ended up getting the roasted duck with creamy polenta, Brussel sprouts and roasted cauliflower. The duck was succulent with perfectly crispy skin. The Brussel sprouts were cooked perfectly (and I usually don’t even like Brussel sprouts!). The cauliflower was tender with a little bit of kick from spicy seasoning. My husband went with the breaded chicken stuffed with spinach, onions, cheese and other yummy stuff, accompanied by very tender asparagus and a side of pasta. Both selections were beautifully presented by very efficient and friendly waiters.

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The restaurant offers an extensive wine list and also features a full bar. Great food, combined with a beautiful atmosphere, makes Crystal & Jules a wonderful choice for a special occasion. However, it is on the higher end of the price scale, with most entrees costing $20 or more. If you’re visiting Madison as a vacation destination, Crystal & Jules would be a perfect place for that last night celebration dinner.

Other fine dining options in downtown Madison include:

Bistro One – Located at 122 East Main Street, Madison, Bistro One offers French, Mediterranean and Greek cuisine. From freshly made hummus to decadent desserts, Chef Nick serves nothing but deliciousness at his place. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:30 to 9 p.m., reservations are recommended by calling 812-273-9448.

Key West Shrimp House – Located at 117 Ferry Street, Madison, the “Shrimper” is a tradition with the locals. Overlooking the Ohio River, the atmosphere is pleasant, making it a great place to gather with friends. The restaurant features a full bar, and its specialty is seafood. Seating is on a first come basis. The Shrimp House is open Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m.

Casual Dining

So those three choices may be a little more money than you are wanting to spend every night of a vacation, especially if you have kids along, so here are a few more casual and more economical options for dining in downtown Madison:

The Downtowner – Located on Main Street, the Downtowner offers a variety of sandwiches, salads and soups. They also offer some of the best cakes and cookies on the planet!

Red Pepperoni – Located on the corner of Main and Cragmont, the Red Pepperoni offers a delicious assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, wings, and salads. It also offers an impressive assortment of beers and wine.

The Off Broadway Tap House – Located on the east end of Main Street, The Off Broadway Tap House offers a variety of bar foods. Make sure to visit on Taco Tuesdays for great tacos and the open mic night! (Age 21 and older)

The Historic Broadway Tavern – Located on south Broadway, this place is another local icon. The tavern has three areas of service: the bar, the dining room, and the porch. Food offerings range from burgers and fries to a very excellent chicken marsala. Also, don’t forget their homemade potato chips!

Shipley’s – Located on south West Street, Shipley’s is famous for their Shipley burger, grilled and piled high with all the fixings. (Age 21 and older)

Hinkle’s – Located on west Main, Hinkle’s is a Madison tradition. If you like White Castle burgers, you’ll love Hinkle burgers (with pickle and onion) and home fries on the side. Wash it all down with a creamy Milkshake – there are dozens of choices! This place is cheap and good.

Hong Kong Kitchen – Located on the corner of Main and West, Hong Kong Kitchen offers a variety of delicious Chinese dishes at extremely reasonable prices. Dine in or take out.

Shooters – Located across the street from Hong Kong Kitchen, Shooters is a lively sports bar that offers a variety of foods from pub-style sandwiches to seafood and steak.

Hilltop

If you’re visiting Madison, but your hotel is on the hilltop, you might want to find dinner a little closer to the home-away-from-home. Drive along Clifty Drive on the hilltop and you’ll find the typical chain fast food restaurants – Wendy’s, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza joints, etc. However, if a burger or slice are not on your mind for dinner, here are a couple places that just might put a smile on your face!

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The Sushi Bar, located at 630 Clifty Drive, this restaurant offers an excellent selection of sushi and Japanese cuisine. The outside of the building has the look of a fast food place – it used to be a Wendy’s – but the interior is pleasant and upscale. Family owned and operated, you can expect friendly service and amazing food.

The sushi rolls are always beautiful and delicious. I especially like the 2016 roll, which features tempura shrimp – so yummy! If you’re not into sushi rolls or sashimi, check out the noodle dishes (the soba yaki is so delicious) and the teriyaki bento boxes.

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Other places to consider:

Harry’s Stone Grill – Across the street from The Sushi Bar, Harry’s is a full service steak house. Eat in one of the dining rooms or on the open-air patio. A full bar is also available.

The Fresh Cut – Located a bit out of the way on SR 62 between Madison’s hilltop and Hanover, the Fresh Cut is worth the drive. Chef Wade offers a variety of sumptuous entrees, including steaks, shepherds pie, shrimp and grits, and gourmet salads. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Boneyard Grill – Located in Clifty Plaza on Clifty Drive, the Boneyard offers a full bar, steaks, wings, burgers and more.

Los Amigos Taco Truck – Located on Vaughn Drive next to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, this truck is known for having some of the best Mexican cuisine around and for very reasonable prices! Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

These are just a few places to help you on your Madison cuisine adventure!

 

 

All photos are the property of V. Lori Hedges and may not be used without permission.

Copyright 2016 V. Lori Hedges. All Rights Reserved.

Historic Downtown Madison, Indiana – Part 1

Historic Downtown Madison, Indiana – Part 1

When you live in a historic town like I do, it is often really easy to overlook the jewel of a destination in your own backyard. So I’m kicking off my adventures in travel blogging with a series on my hometown of Madison, Indiana.

Madison is a beautiful little town located on the Ohio River about halfway between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky. It is essentially divided into two parts: The hilltop, where you can find your usual chain restaurants, Walmart, hotels and other businesses, and the downtown historic district. Also, when we say “downtown,” we actually mean DOWNtown as you have to drive down one of the four hills into the Ohio River Valley.

Madison is the perfect vacation destination for just about everyone. It has history, outdoor attractions, art, theater, nightlife, a variety of food experiences and shopping. So whether you are a family with active children, a honeymooning couple, or retirees, there is plenty to do and see in Madison!

Historic Sites Galore!

Madison’s main destination draw is its abundance of historic museum properties. Visitors often compare Madison to other beautiful historic cities, like Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. The whole downtown is considered a historic district, and sprinkled from one end to the other are museum properties which are open to the public. Here are two sites to wet your interest:

Lanier Mansion State Historic Site

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The Lanier Mansion State Historic Site is Madison’s pride and joy, and it’s constantly evolving. Over the past couple decades it has been the location of several archeological digs which has resulted in the restoration of the home’s original gardens and out buildings. So if you’ve been there before, it’s worth a trip back to see all the new things that have been discovered!

The Hours: The Lanier Mansion State Historic Site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 pm.

  • Lanier Mansion Visitor Center is open:
    • Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Saturday – Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • The site is closed on some major holidays.

Admission:

Indiana State Museum members receive FREE membership and a 10 percent discount in the gift shop.

Purchase tour tickets at the Lanier-Madison Visitor Center. Guided tours start at the top of the hour between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., except noon. The final tour of the day begins at 4 p.m.

Adults: $10
Seniors*: $8
Children*: $5
Children under 3: FREE
*Seniors: Ages 60 and older, Child: Ages 3 through 17

For more information on the Lanier Mansion or its builder, Attorney and financier J.F.D. Lanier, visit:      http://www.indianamuseum.org/lanier-mansion-and-state-historic-site

Dr. Hutching’s Office

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Back to the 1800s …

You feel as if you’ve stepped back into the 1800’s when you walk into the office of Dr. William Hutchings.

Dr. Hutchings practiced medicine from this small two story house from 1882 to 1903. Upon his death, the building was closed up as if he had simply stepped out on a house call. It remained shuttered until it was rediscovered and gifted to Historic Madison Inc. in the 1970s.

Children, as well as adults, will enjoy learning what it was like to be a doctor before the twentieth century. Get ready for a few surprises!

 

Reconnect with Nature!

If you’re the active type, there are plenty of options for you in Madison. From hiking to swimming to biking to boating, each day can be a new adventure in fitness and fun.

Hiking

Madison boasts several mild to challenging hiking trails, with one of the most popular being the Heritage Trail. Beginning in downtown Madison, the trail features several branches of varying difficulty. One branch follows the famous Madison Railroad Incline through the railroad cuts to the hilltop. For more information about the Heritage Trail visit           http://www.heritagetrailconservancy.com/

Madison Railroad Cuts and Incline

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Swimming

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It’s hot!

Don’t have a pool at your hotel? No worries! Head on down to Madison’s historic Crystal Beach Swimming Pool! It’s open daily from Noon until 8 p.m. from late May through August.

The half-moon-shaped pool is ideal for families with small children as it slopes from an easy ankle deep edge to about seven feet at the deepest. The pool is fully staffed with life guards.

Other amenities offered at Crystal Beach include the historic bath house shower and dressing facilities, a concession stand, picnic areas, and a lighted basketball court.

Admission is $4, but season passes can be purchased for $50. For more information, visit  http://www.madison-in.gov

 

More Fun in the Sun:

Boating

Got a boat? The mighty Ohio River is waiting for you! The Madison boat ramp is conveniently located on Vaughn Drive at the end of West Street.

If you don’t have a boat of your own, we have another exciting option for you: Take a spin on the Rockin’ Thunder jet boat ride! Scream down the Ohio River in the only New Zealand jet boat ride in the Midwest. It’s sure to get your adrenaline going!

For more information, visit  http://www.rockinthunder.com/

Golf

Grab your clubs and head out for a few rounds. In Madison,there are several golfing options:

Sunrise Golf Course – located on the hilltop on Michigan Road  (18 holes)

Cozy Acres – located on Old State Road 62 (a nine hole, par 3 course)

River Chase Golf Course – located on the west end of downtown Madison, off Main Street (9 hole)

Camping

The city of Madison offers camping facilities east of the bridge on Vaughn Drive.

Camping fees are $25 per night or $150 per week. An attendant is on duty daily.

For more information, call 812-265-8333 or visit http://www.madison-in.gov  and click on the campground link.

Come back soon for Part 2!

There is so much to do and see in Madison that I could never fit it into one entry, and these just skim the surface. We’re not even touching on Clifty Falls State Park – that’s a topic all its own. And the festivals – I can’t wait to tell you about those!

In Part 2, we’ll check out some of the great restaurants and pubs, both downtown and on the hilltop. See you soon!

 

All photos are the property of V. Lori Hedges and may not be used without permission.

Copyright 2016 V. Lori Hedges. All Rights Reserved.