Welcome to winter in Boone County. A time when snow falls, temperatures plummet and many folks choose to stay home rather than risk the freezing outdoors.

We get calls at the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau asking, “What’s there to do in Boone County this time of year?” And we answer with a long list of things you can see and do – inside where it’s warm.

Here are some suggestions on easy day trips to take in Boone County.

Boone County Art:
Have you ever visited the Sugar Creek Art Center? If not and you like original art, you owe it to yourself to head over to Thorntown and spend some time viewing both the artists and the art they produce at this impressive building devoted to the support of local artists.

The Sugar Creek Art Center will be sponsoring a Winter Arts Festival on Feb. 12, 2010 and Feb. 13, 2010. Friday it’s Culture at the Creek  – Seeing Red” and Great American Date Night. There will be live music, catered goodies and a special area set up for you to purchase tins of home made sweet treat and fresh flowers will be available for your special someone.  On the first floor Art Vendors will be set up to offer you the nicest merchandise available for that special Valentine gift. 

Saturday Feb. 13, it’s “Bluegrass Music and Chili Supper”  at the Sugar Creek Art Center, with the Bluegrass Jammers in concert entertaining the public with their acoustic music.   While you are enjoying the music, why not round out the evening with a Chili Supper.  For only $5.00 you can get a big bowl of chili, peanut butter sandwich and drink.  For more information, please visit Sugar Creek Art Center

To discover how to create your own special Boone County Art Experience - CLICK HERE on our website.

Tour a Museum:
The SullivanMunce Cultural Center  in Zionsville features a wide range of exhibits, events and programs designed for anyone interested in celebrating the culture of a historic town where the past is preserved and the future is embraced. Admission is always free. For more information, please visit Sullivan/Munce Cultural Center

Visit the Lebanon Courthouse:
The Lebanon Courthouse is truly one of the architectural gems of Boone County. The Courthouse is well worth a visit for: 

•The large columns on the north and south entrances are believed to be the largest monolithic limestone columns in the world.
•The magnificent courthouse dome is the second largest stained glass dome in Indiana.
•Eight rare Hahl pneumatically calibrated clocks that still keep time inside the courthouse.

There are also magnificent quilts on display in the rotunda and, if you’d like to experience the American justice system in action, you can sit in on a variety of trials, hearings and other legal meetings that go on every week day in the Boone County Courthouse.  To read more – CLICK HERE

Take a Road Trip to a Boone County locally owned restaurant:
One thing you can count on when you visit any city or town in Boone County is you’re going to find a great down-home, locally owned restaurant or two when you get there.

Stookey’s in Thorntown features what’s said is the best catfish in Boone County while Chuck’s County Famous Breaded Tenderloins are now being served at the Pizza King in Jamestown. If you love BBQ, you’re sure to love Parkey’s Smoke House in Lebanon or if your tastes run to finer French cuisine, Bijou on the Courthouse Square in Lebanon has earned a national reputation for gourmet excellence.

 The LA Cafe in Whitestown is open again for dining amongst the motorcycles and Sigler’s in Mechanicsburg serves up down home cooking you’re sure to enjoy. The Friendly Tavern in Zionsville offers classic pub food, with great steaks and daily specials, while the Rice Cooker (also in Zionsville across from Boone Village) will cook up any Chinese meal you can imagine as well as having an extensive menu of favorite Chinese entrees.

As you can probably tell, I’m a real foodie who enjoys traveling across our great County and sampling the many delicious meals to be found just about anywhere you stop.

Of course, no column having to do with great eats in Boone County would be complete without mentioning Donaldson’s Chocolates in Lebanon. Whether you’re just stopping in for a box of mixed chocolates or have called ahead for a special tour, the hand-made chocolates at Donaldson’s are a definite must to try again and again.

You can find information about all of these restaurants RIGHT HERE on our website.

Take in some culture, experience new art and artists and enjoy a locally owned Boone County restaurant – three great things to do when it’s winter time in Indiana. I’ll hope to see you there.

If you’re like me, you’re welcoming a new year after the challenges of 2009. As with many businesses last year, the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau went through a series of changes and new appointments that has us poised to maximize tourism opportunities in Boone County.

Here’s just some of what we’re hoping to accomplish in the coming year.

MORE TOURISM VENUES – The Boone CCVB has reached out to our Boone County communities with the intent to establish additional tourism events in the coming year. We’re looking to include communities like Whitestown and Jamestown on our events calendar and will be working with their local organizations to create events that fit their location and will provide a boost to their economies.

EVEN BETTER ESTABLISHED EVENTS – Whether it’s the Zionsville Fall Festival or the Festival of the Turning Leaves, MORE is better when it comes to increased activities, shows and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy during our annual festivals.

MORE TOURISM MARKETING IN 2010 – The BooneCCVB will be extending our marketing reach to greater audiences with new advertising programs we’ll be working on with the Indiana State Department of Tourism. You’ll find more online about Boone County events, attractions and festivals – both at our www.boonecvb.com website and information posted on Indiana State tourism websites.

A TOURISM BUREAU YOU CAN FIND – With our new office on the Courthouse Square in Lebanon, IN, the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau now has a physical presence in the county where tourism organizations can come and discuss their events and how better to market them to the greater public.

WIDE OPEN THINKING – When it comes to building tourism in Boone County, nothing’s out of bounds. We’re already looking into a variety of events that could possibly be introduced as new opportunities for tourism. We also welcome any Boone County organization to come talk with us about their ideas to build tourism in this area.

A RENEWED COMMITMENT – The current board of the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau is made up of members from across the county who are committed to seeing tourism grow and succeed. Our board works very well together, with a combination of fiscal responsibility and new thinking that’s already resulted in attendance increases across the board in last year’s many festivals.

In closing, please remember this is YOUR Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau. We welcome the input, thoughts and comments of anyone interested in making tourism better for our county.

We hope your New Year unfolds with peace, happiness and good health all year long. Remember you’re always welcome to contact the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau for information about all there is to see and do in this great county of ours – all year long.

And thanks to all who have supported our efforts and helped make 2009 one of the most successful tourism seasons on record. We look forward to surpassing these achievements in 2010.