Sandra and Samantha were amazing. Above and beyond my…read moreexpectations. Saving the reputation of BMV everywhere.

I had an approval from the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs to get Hoosier Disabled Veteran…read moreplates. I had the correct form. The date that I had originally written on the form before sending it to the VA was too sloppy. So, now I get to go do this over again.

Big disclaimer. Libraries are for people, and university libraries are really for students, and I…read morewandered in with no intention of studying or getting information -- only to gawk and admire a showy display of botanical books as I kicked around campus. Given that the Lilly Library is set aside for rare books and special collections, it's probably not the favorite of most students. But this little place is a beaut, and we waltzed in, were greeted with nothing but smiles, and I just stumbled right across the room and there was that Gutenberg Bible staring right back at me, flanked by John Ford's Oscars and lovely Audubon prints and plenty of other nice items set out to tickle my fancy. Libraries should be publicly funded, not propped up by endowments from pharmaceutical companies, and that includes showy little libraries. But there are worse things you can do with a big pile of pharma money than to build a little palace for the people.

What an incredible collection! Free, and a true campus gem.read more

This is a stunning law library. We have been going around looking at law schools with our daughter…read more Visited Indiana University Maurer Law School and ran across their library...WOW. When you walk in the law school in Baier Hall, the law library is on the right...everything else (classrooms, faculty, administrative offices, etc.) is on the left. The library is five stories tall and wrapped around an atrium of the same height. There are soaring windows on the first two levels (mostly looking out onto peaceful Dunn Meadow), loads of various seating on all the floors (carrels, large tables, soft cushy lounge seats, etc.), small breakout rooms seemingly everywhere, and, of course, ranks and ranks of shelved books. The whole place is wired for easy connectivity and when added to their computer room, this library has everything the budding lawyers need. This law library is an attraction all by itself. Exceptional.

Gorgeous. Seriously beautiful campus/building. Helpful staff. Near Starbucks, if you like your…read morecaffeine. As is the case on most campuses, parking is tricky.

After finishing a trip to the Mathers Museum of World Culture, my wife and I selected a doorway…read morethat leads to the museum portion of the IU Archaeology department. They share the same building and although there is a separate entrance from the outside, we found it easiest to simply go through the doorway. Note that we didn't see anyone monitoring the museum during our visit, so we just browsed on our own. The museum is part of a larger area which includes a research library and even more exhibits in the central lobby area of the upstairs portion. (Note we did not explore the lower floor which looked off limits.) During our visit, we saw a lot of informational window booths with facts and artifacts that have been gathered from our state. There is a strong connection between this facility and the Angel Mounds in Evansville. There are several displays with information about the Angel Mounds and other mounds which were shaped like snakes, or marching bears. There are also windows with info on artwork inspired by animals, stands showing tribal shields with info, and science facts about animals that have lived in our state. The museum is unique in what it offers, but I understand that it won't appeal to everyone. But considering it is free and puts things into understandable relationships, it does offer value to those who may be interested in local history and/or nature. Review #2205

The archive a the Herman B Wells Library is an absolute gem. It is located on the 4th floor in the…read moreWest Tower. I cannot laud the staff enough for being so kind and communicative to visitors. While their collections are in great shape, I especially love what they have done to market themselves and the collections. They have all kinds of magnets and bookmarks, but the best part are the recipe postcards. These are recipes from the archives that have been published in postcard form for people to take. Way to make the past come to life!

Wells is a good place to go- usually. There are busy weeks (finals, Icore, midterms) where I…read morewouldn't recommend going because it's hard to find a place to do any work. They have group break out rooms, "talking" floors, quiet floors, a cafe, the stacks- where it's quiet individual studying, and so much more. Not to mention the books! The cafes and the food in the basement is really good! I love the little coffee shop in the basement.

I don't often review 'non restaurant' locations, but my experience at the Southwest branch of the…read moreBloomington library today left me needing to give rave reviews. It's been forever since I've been in one of the local libraries because I'm such a Kindle reader. But in order to use Libby, I needed to get a new library card and signed up online. The process was simple, and ultimately it led me to the point of needing to visit the Southwest Branch (close to my house) and show proof that I am indeed me, and that I live in Bloomington. A utility bill did the trick. First and foremost, it's a beautiful facility. I didn't spend much time there, and probably won't be there often simply because I'm a digital reader. BUT let me say I may use it as a quiet space and place to read. The woman at the desk (Cathy or Cathi sorry I can't remember) was amazing. She was super helpful, friendly, and not only made my card but laughed at one of my jokes. She went above and beyond to tell me about how to use the library, explain policies and pointed out both Libby and Hoopla. She was great. I used to work part time in a library, and hold them near and dear to my heart and she's exactly what I love about libraries in general. If you're on the south side of town, stop using the downtown branch and move your library activity to this location. They have a great facility, will take anything you reserve from other branches straight to the branch, and you can pick it up there. Kudos to our town for believing in the value of these types of spaces.

Awesome Library space, friendly staff. And there's a beautiful Labyrinth and sacred space to walk…read moreoutside.

Driving home after a short stay in Bloomington and came across a sign for the Medora Covered…read moreBridge. Beautifully restored, clean, and there is ample parking and picnic tables. On most days there is a volunteer docent to talk about the history of the bridge and area. A nice spot to stretch your legs and relax.

We were traveling in the area .. I tagged along with my hubby on his work trip but the weather was…read moreyucky cold and rainy .. grey sky all day. So I was bummed and he detoured a bit to let me see this bridge. I love bridges .. and covered bridges are one so cool. They are historic and rare and romantic. This one was great ..very large and not sullied with graffiti. Wish the sky was blue for the pics but at least finally saw something on this trip that interested me.

May 3, 2025 We took the Spring Valley Trail which is a 10,8…read moremile loop. We waited out a rainstorm for about an hour in the parking lot. It had rained a lot and the trail was fairly muddy. I wouldn't want to take it in anything other than hiking boots. When we came to the fork we went to the right. About two miles in, where the trial and the lake intersect we saw a fishing camp. I think these guys leave it up all summer. They had huge coolers, cots and pop up weekenders. About a quarter to a half mile further we took a light trail to the left and found our campsite. I have zero idea how it got there but it had an actual full size picnic table. There are no labeled campsites but if you pay attention you'll spot the side trails leading off from the main trail. The trail is incredibly well marked and even if it wasn't a blind person could follow it. You could take a large four wheeler if you had to. It rained all night so the trail was wet and muddy. There are some cool rock formations, some great water features and some good views of the lake. We came across an old stone building that was pretty cool. Some interesting signs along the trail about the history and region. We didn't see any mountain bikers or horse people but there were obvious signs that they use the trail. Trail had very little trash. Hiked it with full packs and even with the mud it was pretty easy. There were only two blow downs that blocked the trail. There were quite a few streams that crossed the trail, but we only had to put on our sandals for the very last one and I imagine if it hadn't rained so much we could've crossed it in our boots. Saw a box turtle, plenty of squirrels and chipmunks. Heard lots of birds.

This huge forest has a lot to offer and doesn't charge for admission!…read more Within the last couple months, I've hiked, camped, canoed, fished. Once I got there, there was no other charge. There are also horse trails that I saw people using. There are 200,000 Acres & 266 Miles of Hiking Trails here!