Indiana stretches from Lake Michigan with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to the historic areas along the Ohio River Valley. The terrain ranges from level lands in the northern and central parts of the state to the rolling hills of Brown County, where the fall foliage attracts thousands. There are swamp areas in the level lands where country roads are sometimes closed because they keep sinking, and where bone fragments of prehistoric dwellers occasionally are turned up by a plow.

The Indianapolis 500, the internationally known auto race, attracts the world's finest drivers and thousands of spectators on Memorial Day weekend.

Among Indiana's colleges and universities are such famous institutions as Notre Dame, in South Bend; Indiana University, at Bloomington, whose reputation as an academic center for music (particularly opera) has brought in noted guest instructors; Purdue, in West Lafayette, recognized as one of the leading agricultural and engineering institutions in the country; and Ball State, in Muncie, with one of the country's finest art and sculpture galleries in a school of higher learning.

Indiana is a land of many lakes, streams, and reservoirs. In addition to Lake Michigan, the state has four large reservoirs, 21 state parks, fish and wildlife areas, museums, historic sites, Hoosier National Forest, and over 145,000 acres of state forests--all set aside for vacationers to enjoy.

Numerous events, from county fairs to exciting races to the Covered Bridge Festival in Rockville in October, also add to the appeal of this fun-loving state.