By Ron Carter, F455925
June 2017
Over the years, my wife, Barbara, and I have come to cherish two activities: camping in our motorhome and riding our tandem bicycle. Our love of bicycling came long before we bought our coach. For the better part of three decades, we have particularly enjoyed riding on rail/trails, those linear parks that have sprung from abandoned railroad lines all across the country.
Back in 1996, because of our love for rail/trails, I decided to run for city council in Carmel, Indiana. Carmel is an Indianapolis suburb of nearly 90,000 people. An abandoned rail line, which I called a “linear junkyard,” ran right through the center of our city. Turning the abandoned Monon Railroad into a rail/trail was the central theme of my first campaign.
After years of work by many people, we were successful in building the linear park, now called the Monon Trail. At nearly 25 miles long, it connects the urban glitz of downtown Indianapolis with Carmel’s Arts & Design District and the city of Westfield. The Monon, which is used by about 1 million people a year, has been recognized by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy as one of the top 25 trails in the United States. It also has contributed to Carmel’s success. Now in my sixth four-year council term, I have seen Carmel garner numerous awards. Most recently, the number-one spot on Niche.com’s 2017 Best Places To Live In America list.
Most important for FMCA members is the fact that the Monon Trail runs through the Indiana State Fairgrounds, site of FMCA’s 96th International Convention and RV Expo July 12 through 15. FMCA could not have chosen a better convention location for those who like to ride bikes.
From the fairgrounds, it’s a 5-mile ride south to downtown Indianapolis, where the Monon connects to Indy’s Cultural Trail. You can follow that trail through nearly a half dozen distinct neighborhoods. These neighborhoods boast shops, great restaurants, museums, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Heading north from the fairgrounds, the trail passes through the Broad Ripple neighborhood, with its shops, restaurants, bars, ice cream stores, and galleries.
Ride farther north and you will enter Carmel at 96th Street. The tree-lined trail passes quiet neighborhoods until it reaches Central Park. Within the park is a playground, walking trails, and a water park with a lazy river water ride and a FlowRider surf simulator.
Past the park, the trail leads to the Center for the Performing Arts. Its Center Green is the site for the Carmel Farmers Market. Here, you’ll find dozens of vendors selling their products — including some of the finest tomatoes and sweet corn. The market is open 8:00 to 11:30 on Saturday mornings from early May through September.
Ride north another 2 miles and you will come to Carmel’s Arts & Design District, which includes nearly a dozen art galleries, along with restaurants, shops, and ice cream stores. Outdoor bronze sculptures by artist J. Seward Johnson Jr. are displayed in front of shops and along sidewalks throughout the district.
Barbara and I urge you to bring your bicycles to the convention. You may not find another opportunity to attend a convention that offers such a wonderful environment in which to bike. We are so proud of what our communities have done to build this wonderful amenity for our neighbors and visitors.
In order to better show off the Monon Trail, Barbara and I are planning several organized rides. There is a possibility for a dinner ride for those attending the convention. Look for additional information about these rides in your confirmation packet and on FMCA.com as the event draws near. We hope to see you at the convention and on the trail.