Crown Hill

Happy Memorial Day! Sure, there is grilling to be done, pools to visit, golf to be played, and a fun to be had but we like to take some time to visit Crown Hill Cemetery around this time of year. If you think that you have no reason to visit Crown Hill just because you have no family buried there, you are missing a lot. First of all, it is gorgeous. The grounds are so lush (and sprawling) and you very well might see a deer there. Secondly, it is very humbling to walk through the Field of Valor and the Confederate Mound (where they have a Civil War Memorial Service today starting at 12:45PM). Don't think that a visit here is morbid though. The third reason to visit is the craftsmanship of the monuments. Many of the sculptures are just jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Lastly, there are guaranteed celebrity sightings and how many places in Indianapolis can claim that? Well, guaranteed to see their final resting places anyway. A stop at John Dillinger's grave is a must. You might also want to see Booth Tarkington's, Col. Eli Lilly's, and Lyman S. Ayres (yep, L.S. Ayres). At the very top, past Robert Irsay's (where we like to think that he can see the new stadium) you must go to James Whitcomb Riley's monument if for no other reason than to experience the view.