Planning a trip to Indiana? Here are a few free mobile apps to check out!
-
Visit Indy-Wondering where to stay, where to eat and what to do in the Indianapolis area? The Visit Indy app has you covered!
I found the app quite comprehensive and easy to use. The search function worked well for me, whether I searched for something via a broad category, or searched for a specific attraction or business by name.
Be sure to check out coupons with the app to save a few bucks on things like attraction admissions, shopping, or meals.
There are also nearly 30 short audio tours you can play as you tour the city to learn more about some of the most iconic structures and interesting attractions like monuments, gardens and memorials in downtown Indianapolis.
-
Indiana Wines-This app from the Indiana Wine Grape Council acquaints visitors with the state's wine scene with links to Indiana's wineries and a handful of wine trails.
Links to the individual wineries include information like the winery's hours, amenities and links to their individual Web sites.
You'll also find information about Vintage Indiana events and learn about Traminette, Indiana's signature wine.
You can also use the app to keep a record of your favorite Indiana Wine discoveries.
-
Children's Museum of Indianapolis-Planning to visit the Children's Museum? This handy app contains lots of helpful information like museum hours, admission fees, accessibility, directions and museum amenities.
You can explore the museum's current exhibits and check out upcoming exhibits with this app or check out the museum's latest posts at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
-
Indiana Department of Natural Resources-This is a great tool for the outdoor enthusiast planning a visit to the Hoosier state. You'll find information about camping, fishing, hunting and links to each of the Indiana State Park facilities that include historic sites and State Park inns.
You'll also find maps, state park rules, events, reservation information and more with the DNR app.
This app does need an update as there were a number of links to the historic sites on the State Park list that didn't work, although I easily found pages for the individual sites online with slightly different URLs.
Gene Stratton-Porter Historic Site -
Indiana Guide-This app from Triposo creates interactive travel guides using open source content and linking to sites like Wikipedia and Yelp.
While this guide collects information across different sites and sources in a quickly accessible format, I do find the depth of the material lacking because of its reliance on crowd sourcing.
You may be missing lots of information because someone has yet to review it or write about it on an open source site. The app's hotel and restaurant listings, or the listings of cities, seemed hardly comprehensive because of this sourcing model.
The search function worked well. I typed in "Fort Wayne" to see what the Indiana Guide had about that city and found a list of suggestions for sites to check out that included the classic Embassy Theater (which I'd love to tour), the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and the Johnny Appleseed Park. Links to individual attractions pulled up links to sources like Wiki Yelp.
The app also did curious things like link to "Cerealine" in its list of Indiana regions and cities. Never having heard of such a place, I checked it out and found that the link led to a story about a brand of breakfast food or corn grits manufactured in Indianapolis during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. Interesting enough stuff, but it didn't belong here.
Do you know of any other useful mobile travel apps focusing on Midwestern states that I should check out?
© Dominique King 2014 All rights reservede
Comments