It's a little bit rare that I discover a spot previously unknown to me, however, this was the case…read moretoday when I visited Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve. I was between tasks near Castleton and decided to do a Yelp search to see if I could snag a review or two during my free time. As is often the case for me, I searched for "parks" and Oliver's Woods popped up along with a review from the always dependable Nicole S. It's amazing to me that I've driven by this preserve many times without realizing its existence. In fact, even while looking for it today I drove by it a couple of times before realizing the place where I needed to turn. It's not particularly well marked from River Road. As it turns out, this is part of its charm. Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is a 56-acre preserve owned by the Central Indiana Land Trust. It includes 16 acres of woods, 37 acres of prairie-savanna restoration, and a mile of White River frontage. As is true for most preserves under Central Indiana Land Trust, Oliver's Woods is fairly light in development but a fairly nice effort toward some ADA accessibility is noteworthy. It's not perfectly accessible but, let's be honest, nature seldom is perfectly accessible. As Nicole S. notes, this is a rather sublime weaving together of urban and nature. In fact, I really expected this to be more like a pocket park considering it's situated so close to an office park, apartments, and a nearby shopping center along with the highway. Remarkably, this is simply a well preserved area of nature amidst it all. In terms of accessibility, the accessible parking is by the Daugherty house. Oliver Daugherty, who passed away in 2009, donated the property to Central Indiana Land Trust and some unexpected funding received allowed for increased development of it in 2017. The accessible parking spot allowed for access to a .6 mile trail made of crushed gravel. I'm a wheelchair user and had no issues with it. However, it's worth noting that parking in the usual parking lot is more difficult because the gravel isn't quite as crushed. While the preserve is open daily, there are specific times when a volunteer docent is available to give a tour of the preserve. There is a canoe launch available for any craft legally allowed on the water in the city of Indianapolis that you can carry to/from the river from the drop-off area in front of the Daugherty House. The southern half of the Town Run Trail Park also runs through this property with an agreement that was made between Indy Parks and Daugherty himself. Volunteers have helped plant native trees and plants and to remove invasive species. "This special care is allowing native species like wild ginger, Virginia bluebells, waterleaf, wild hyacinth and trillium to flourish," according to the CILT website. Because this is so wooded and you are along White River, seeing wildlife is also a strong possibility. This is not a "recreational" preserve other than the ability to launch a canoe. This is a wonderful preserve for enjoying nature, appreciating White River, and enjoying a short but nicely done trail. There are signs around the preserve explaining the preserve (including at the Daugherty House). Quite honestly, I'd have loved living here. I saw one other vehicle while I was here, though I never saw the person associated with that vehicle. I did hear traffic and the highway, though on a warm and sunny Fall day it all felt really perfect. Now that I know this is here, there's no doubt I'll return!

Oliver's Woods Nature Preserve is truly an urban oasis. You can see and hear the vehicles roar by…read morefrom I-465, just a short distance away. You walk through tall grasses as you walk past billboard signs. I love the city and I tolerate nature, so this place is a great combination of both for me. There are hiking trails here, but they're not clearly marked, so as we were walking and enjoying nature, we encountered several mountain bikers who raced past us. There must have been some sort of mountain biking thing going on, because there were a lot of bikers at the park. We must have been on the biking trail, because we didn't see any other walkers, just bikers. The path is super slim, so we had to duck into the brush whenever we saw a bicycler, which was every three to five minutes. Eventually, we headed back and found an actual walking path. All this to say: If you find a dirt path that is jutted, it's probably not the walking path -- it's the biking path. Once we found the walking path, it was very pretty and peaceful. The hiking / walking path will take you to the boat launch, where you can take your boat out onto the White River. It will also take you to the Daugherty House, which is a house that belonged to the original owner of the property, Oliver Daugherty. You can't go inside the house, but you can look at the outside, and there are signs and QR codes that give you more information about it. We found a lot of native plants here, including wild raspberries that were ripe and ready for picking. We also saw a beaver (!) and trekked across a stream that fed into the White River. This is such a cool place, and it's a true Indianapolis hidden gem.

One of two areas in Metro Indy specifically designed for mountain bikers, Town Run Trail Park is…read more127 acres of beginner and intermediate level of trails offering an approximate total of seven miles worth of trails. The first thing worth pointing out, though it has been said in other reviews, is that this trail system is truly devoted to bikers. While hikers and walkers are allowed here, the bikers have the right of way and the trail itself is truly developed with bikers in mind. I've done my share of wheeling, I'm a wheelchair user, on difficult trails but having visited again this afternoon I was again reminded that even the easiest spots here are truly not designed to be accessible. Even if you have off-road wheelchair tires, there are lots of twists, turns, inclines, places to fall, and places where you could easily get stuck. While there's a decent chance you'll run into someone on this trail, I think the vast majority of wheelchair users should steer clear of Town Run Trail Park. Town Run does offer the possibility of other activities including fishing, kayaking/canoeing, and observing of nature. Because it truly is more of a natural trail, nature is much more likely to be here. The Hoosier Mountain Bike Association is involved with the trail and assists with upkeep and installation. The beginner features include a bridge and subsequent single track, dirt rollers, and a rock garden. The advanced features include North Shore Ladder, shoots, bridges, table top jumps, and dirt jumps. If you can't jump, then you're going to have a hard time doing the entire trail. There is parking nearby and the area has been kept fairly natural even around it. This is a great area that's really right around Indy, Fishers, and Carmel but this actually falls within Indy Parks. I enjoy coming here to just hang out and observe, though I definitely don't venture too far into the park because there's simply too high of a risk of injury, getting stuck, or having a fall. This is especially true considering my last amputation. However, for its intended use it's quite the beautiful park and for mountain bikers I'll definitely give it a thumbs up. It's also, in my opinion, one of Indy's better maintained parks.

This 7ish mile trail is an oasis on Indy's North East Side. The trails are well maintained and…read moreeasy to navigate. It is setup so bikers of all skill levels can ride. For example, when there is a big drop, there is a sign posted stating a drop is coming and there is an easy to follow path around the drop so you don't have to soar 8 ft. in the air if you don't want to. I read a review about mountain bikers being elitist here. I find that preposterous. I started riding off road in September 2015. Brand new to it, I went out on my own. I found many bikers on the trail who were nothing but friendly and helpful. I have also been riding when there are runners on the trail. It has always been met with cooperation from both. Much of the trail is in the woods, but there is a big stretch that is out in the sun (so you may want sun screen). The entrance can be tricky to find, but it is on 96th street near Allisonville road, just east of the river. I love the place!

This is a very interesting park. It is a nature/sports park. It spans 66 acres and has a decent…read moreamount of parking available. The is a restroom facility, and port-a-potty available if you need it. You will find a huge patch of green space that have a couple of pair of uprights that could be used for a football or soccer field. There are a few small bleachers that overlook the field. There are also 4 multi-purpose fields with backstops that can be used for baseball, kickball, or softball. However, a permit is required to use any of the fields at the park and the Carmel Dad's Club gets first dibs, from what I gathered. There is also a playground at the park, that is inspired by the area's archeological background. That is where you will find a tree trunk chopping play set, a sand pit, a small fort built on a hill with a slide, ropes and rock climbing, and a small play gym inspired by the rattlesnake effigy. There is a very nice interactive display in a small building over in that area as well. You press a button and the displays inside the building come to life, somewhat, and a narrator provides some details and background. I have never seen anything like this at a park. It is educational and very nice. The park also features a few trails. There are natural trails, near the playground area that wind through the prairies and a large paved trail that goes around the parks fields. That trail is a fitness trail and has a few pieces of equipment, with instructions place along the circular route. The park is very well maintained, especially considering its size. because of the tons of green space, this park is popular among people who want their dogs to free roam and run around. I really like this park. Even though, I did not see any picnic shelters, it still has a lot to offer. I just won't picnic there. It is emaculate and very well maintained. I highly recommend checking this park out.

After a long week at work, I decided I would spend some time today inside area parks. I focused…read moremost of my time in Fishers and Carmel and tried to visit some parks that I've either never actually visited or never actually really experienced. One such park is River Road Park. It's a park I've driven by many times, but I've never actually stopped and enjoyed it. River Road Park is a 62 acre park. Right off the bat, River Road Park presents a bit more uniquely as most area parks because in learning the history of the park we end up going way, way back. In fact, we go back to 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. when the park area is noted as having been inhabited by what we call the Moffitt Village. It was home to the Early Archaic and Early and Late Woodland people and then later occupied by other prehistoric and historic Native Americans. Woodland people were characterized by ceramics, food production and mound building. Hunting became less main stream and the use of plants for food became more popular. The park has really been developed as a way of acknowledging this history. Moving toward modern times, the park was purchased from Kosene & Kosene in 1992. The River Trail was constructed in 1998 as a joint project between Carmel Clay Parks and Hamilton County Parks. The park's ancient history is captured in an award-winning interpretive exhibit created in 2002 along with a complementary historic play area. The exhibit really covers pre-historic Native American culture from about 700 years ago. Today, the park includes paved trails, prairies, a White River overlook, wetlands, soccer and softball fields, and lots of green spaces. River Road also has one of Central Indiana's most unique playgrounds. The playground is equipped with slides and a handicap accessible sandbox with artifacts and rock climbing structures. River Road also features an interpretive building designed to educate visitors about Native American life hundreds of years ago and the historical significance of the local area. They are in the process of adding a canoe launch (signage is already up). There's a bike trail, nature trails, and the park does have public restrooms. While the park is certainly not one of Hamilton County's fanciest parks, River Road Park is unique in that it combines education and play quite beautifully. It also allows for children with disabilities to join in for some of the fun (not every feature of the playground is disability friendly). Being close to the river, the trails here do have some gentle inclines/declines, but they are for the most part quite manageable. There's also plenty of parking here, though a nice job has been done in balancing convenience with maintaining a certain rustic quality within the park's grounds. If you haven't been here, it's certainly worth your time. While smaller children may not stay busy for long, children who can really embrace the educational aspects of the park will have much to appreciate.

Great staff in the store! Very helpful and knowledgeable about bikes! Great shop overall definitely…read morerecommend

Lack of integrity. I listed a bike on the marketplace and was told by John and Taylor that they…read morewere purchasing it for personal use. John tried to lowball and bundle parts I wasn't selling to make money, insulting me. They both specifically asked for the original cockpit so it would be an easier resell. Next day, they relisted the bike to flip it for 1500 above what I sold it for. Sure, you might get what you're looking for here, but they'll pull out any story out to seal the deal. I got my asking price, just major lack of honesty here.

Beautiful trail that leads to a cake shop. It was so pretty during the fall season. You can see all…read morethe foliage. Great way to get your steps in.

The City of Carmel has injected a bunch of fun activities and art along the Monon Trail in area…read moreknow as Midtown. The trail splits in this area with bike/running paths and pedestrian paths. In the medians between, there is a artsy splash pad/fountain, good for a quick cool down on a hot day. One area has a fun climbing structure for kids. There is even a colorful ping pong table, complete with paddles and balls. I even saw a bocce ball and shuffle ball courts - completely equipped! The setup is perfect for a date night or family fun. There was a temporary photo backdrop of splashing water commemorating the local swimmers going to the US finals and Olympics. Along the trail are several sculptures and murals that keep the trail interesting. There are benches and tables periodically to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or socialize. The landscaping is lovely. The area is kept immaculate. The maintenance staff is super friendly. There is some street and garage parking nearby. The pedestrian traffic gets congested during peak times. Pro tip: Early morning walks are quiet and there is plenty of parking.

Loved the tasting experience with Avery. We learned a lot and laughed a ton! The bourbon was…read moreamazing!

Take your e-bike to a different shop!!! David, the owner of Future Velo, is not an honest business…read moreowner. You will be taken advantage of, threatened to take down bad reviews, and talked down to. My experience with the David made it clear that he doesn't respect women or his customers. He promised to refund half of the bogus "diagnostic" test. We did NOT receive a diagnosis. We did NOT have any proof of what was done to "diagnose" anything. David talked down to me in the store, belittling me like I didn't know what a diagnostic test was. That will never be something I am willing to take from anyone, especially not you David!!!! Stop taking advantage of people and then threaten them to take down honest reviews!!! Most recently, this clown threatened my wife to only return half of the money if a different review was removed. (Google) Not going to happen, bud. The truth hurts sometimes, David. Honest reviews are the consequences of being a shady, dishonest, misogynistic business owner.

Quality service, fair price. Great people who are kind and helpful. Highly recommend.read more

Always professional and knowledgeable and don't oversell you product you don't need. Great local…read morebike shop!

I bought a bike at the South location but forgot to buy a helmet, Doh!!!…read more Walked in and Seth happily offered me help in finding the perfect helmet, was incredibly kind, and fun to work with. I'll definitely be back for any bike needs I have the future! Thanks Seth! :)

I use my bicycle frequently in the warm months, so I needed it tuned up after sitting in the garage…read moreall winter long. After reading reviews and hearing good things about Gray Goat from friends, I decided to take my bike here for a spring tuneup. No appointment was needed, although you might want to call ahead and confirm - they get very busy in the spring/summer (as you can imagine). I was told it would be about three weeks, and it ended up taking about four weeks. Plan ahead if you need or want your bike within a certain time frame! After 3.5 weeks, I called to get an update, and the employee was super friendly and explained they were a bit behind schedule because of demand. A few days later, I received a text message that my bike was ready for pickup. Really pleased with my experience with Gray Goat and highly recommend doing business here! Aside from the service shop, you can come here to browse new bikes, equipment, etc. The employees seem really knowledgeable about the products and all things cycling.

Bike assembly I took my son's still-in-the-box mountain…read morebike to Bill's yesterday. Bill came referred by another gentleman that was unavailable but strongly recommended Bill. Bill was quick with responding to me texts, very polite and his rate was absolutely ideal. Amazon assembly wanted $200 to assemble this $150 bike. No way. Bill texted me the day of my appointment and said I could come earlier than our determined time and since that worked for me, off I went to Geist. Bill helped get the box out of my trunk and took it downstairs to his own bike shop. He offered my son and I a seat in his basement. I asked to watch him build the bike and he was very nice and said yes. Not only did Bill assemble this bike but he went above and beyond tweaking and fine tuning all parts of it. Even if I had attempted to build this bike, I would not have had the knowledge or know-how to do what he did. He checked the wheels, the brakes, loosened the steering as it was tight. I mean he was so professional and did an outstanding job. I can't speak more highly of Bill and his service. Though it was a 30 minute drive for me it was SO worth it. Any future bike questions or repair, I know where to go.

I am so thankful my friend gave me Bill's contact information. His business card notes to text him…read moreso I did and he got back to me in one minute. Talk about customer service! I needed my bike to get tuned up so we arranged for Bill to come to my house, pick up my bike, and bring it to his shop to get it back in working order. I thought this was the standard operation for Bill but later learned people usually bring their bikes to his garage. Again, noting his fabulous customer service! Bill texted me a confirmation text morning of and arrived on time. He took a look at my bike and realized he didn't need to bring it to his garage since it just needed air and tubes. I so appreciate his honesty and not taking me on a run for my money. He worked quickly and even test-rode my bike to be sure it was up to his standards. He went above and beyond and put air in the tires of my backup bike. He did all this work and charged me $20. I was shocked! I highly recommend reaching out to Bill for all your biking needs!

Looking for the perfect toddler park to learn colors? Check out Quaker Park…read more Super bright + colorful turf playground (perfect for color learning!) Small play structure with two slides made for littles Swings for everyone: single swings, mommy & me, circle swing & even a hammock Splash pad for summer fun Features a Sona interactive dance & play arch--scan a code to pick games or music Separate climbing gym for older kids while toddlers play safely nearby 4 pavilions with picnic tables + shaded benches for snack/lunch breaks Connected to the Midland Trace Trail that leads to the Monon Trail ‍ Such a fun, colorful, and toddler-friendly park with something for every age

This colorful little park packs a punch, offering something for everyone. There is an amazing…read moreplayground with structures suitable for toddlers as well as bigger kids. There are several swings for all ages and abilities. My granddaughters spent a long time on the splash pad. There is also an interactive movement game for the kids to play (like a Simon Says). What I like most is that there are many benches, some covered, around the park to relax and watch the kids play. For the adults, there are several pickle-ball courts and a bocci ball pit. There is open green space for football or other sport. The park has a nice (colorful) set for f rest rooms. There are four pavilions that can be used for larger gatherings and picnics with lots of tables. The walkways through the park are paved for easy accessibility. There are two parking lots that can accommodate 40 plus cars. I'll be a regular. Look for me chasing two kids.