Samantha Penney
USDLA Board Member
Director of Distance Education
Indiana State Online
For more than a century, Indianapolis has been famous as the site of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” – the Indy 500. In 2017 the city adds another important event to its calendar: The USDLA National Conference! Running from April 30th to May 3rd, the conference is the premier gathering of distance learning professionals in the world.
Indianapolis used to have a sleepy, roll-up-the-sidewalks-at-night kind of reputation. No longer. The travel guide site Lonely Planet terms Indy as “America’s most surprising city.” It is now known as a friendly, approachable city with a vibrant cultural community, urban walking trails in all directions, and world class cuisine that holds its own with anyone.
Our National Conference venue is located in the block between the State Capitol building and Monument Circle – the heart of downtown. Below are some things you may found interesting, all pretty much within easy walking distance of the conference venue.
History buffs
Check out the Indiana State Museum in White River State Park just .7 of a mile away about a 14 minute walk. The museum is located at 650 W. Washington St. They have way more in the museum than just things on Lincoln. Check out the current exhibits on Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters or Ice Age Graveyards.
Another spot about 1.5 miles away, 30 minutes walking, is Benjamin Harrison’s Presidential Site. The home of the 23rd president and a National Historic Landmark. This artful Victorian home is currently exhibiting a display on Presidential Pets.
Indianapolis is second only to Washington, D.C. for the number of war memorials that honor our nation’s fallen. The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is only a 3 minute walk from the hotel.
Food and other
City Market is at 222 E. Market St. only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and has over 30 local artisan booths. Great place to pick up a gift and grab a bit to eat.
Indy also has a lot of great restaurants. Here are a few within a 15 minute walk of the hotel.
- Bru Burger – 410 Massachusetts Ave. It’s a great place to grab a burger (anything from veggie to ahi tuna) and a beer. Check it out if you are craving a great gourmet chef burger.
- Scotty’s Brewhouse on 1 Virginia Ave. It’s a local sports bar that made the top 25 restaurants in Indy. They are known for their 7 Tidals Buffalo Chicken Dip, their burgers and their local beer.
- Café Patachou on 225 West Washington Street. This is a great farm to table restaurant and the food is marvelous. The breakfast is great but so is everything else.
- St. Elmo’s Steak house is on 127 S. Illinois St. It was founded in 1902 and named for the patron saint for sailors. It has a national reputation for exceptional food and wine (20,000 bottle wine cellar). They are known for their navy bean soup, their famous steaks and fabulous shrimp cocktail.
- 1933 Lounge is on the second floor of St. Elmo’s Steak House. They have some great cocktails and ambiance.
- Napolese Pizzeria on 30 S. Meridian St. . They have amazing pizza. They cater to all types including gluten free. Their menu is ever changing but always great. You really have to try their Margherita pizza, you can get it regular, buffalo, with quail eggs or with a whole egg.
- Ball & Biscuit on 331 Massachusetts Ave. It is a speak-easy style pub for prohibition cocktails with a tapas menu. It is a favored gathering place. It also topped Esquire Magazine’s “America’s Best Bars”.
Family
White River State Park is America’s only urban state park. It includes several museums including the Indiana State Museum and the Eitelijorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. It is also home to the Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens. Most of the museums are within walking distance of about a mile or less. If you are walking prepare to walk a bit as the park is over 250 acres.
If you have a car or can take a taxi, check out the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is within a 10 minute drive. They have one of the largest collections of adult and juvenile dinosaur fossils. They also have Dale Chihuly’s 43 foot tall Fireworks of Glass sculpture. The address is 3000 N. Meridian St.
Here are the other reasons to attend the 2017 USDLA Conference
USDLA 2017 National Conference
April 30 – May 3, 2017 in Indianapolis, IN
The USDLA 2017 National Conference is the premier event for professionals in the distance learning industry. This year’s conference celebrates USDLA’s 30th year and promises to deliver an action-packed agenda that will bring together distance learning practitioners from across the country and around the world.
*Click here for more information about this USDLA signature event.
Join the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is a non-profit association formed in 1987 with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. The association reaches 20,000 people globally with sponsors and members operating in and influencing 46% of the $913 billion dollar U.S. education and training market. USDLA promotes the development and application of distance learning for education and training and serves the needs of the distance learning community by providing advocacy, information, networking and opportunity. Distance learning and training constituencies served include pre-k-12 education, higher and continuing education, home schooling as well as business, corporate, military, government and telehealth markets.