First, the bad news: I was biking with my six-year-old, Zoe. We were racing and she fell off her bike and broke her arm. She got a cool purple cast and I got a serious case of fatherly guilt. I needed redemption.
Now, the good news: Indianapolis offers lots of ways for daddy’s to charm their daughters. I decided a date night in the city was just what the doctor ordered (pun intended). This ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. As a busy professional and family man with two kids I rarely take the time to spend an evening one-on-one, but after this experience I’ll be doing it again soon. Here was the agenda:
Dinner at Iozzo’s Garden of Italy: For my money, nobody is doing authentic Italian in Indy better than this relative newcomer. Located just south of Lucas Oil Stadium on Meridian Street, Iozzo’s has a great story to go with their incredible food and atmosphere. The spaghetti and meatballs were a hit with Zoe, and myself, and the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming.
Exploring the 92-County Walk at the Indiana State Museum: If you haven’t seen these sculptures, embedded in the walls and ground surrounding the museum, you need to. We did a complete loop, debating which were our favorites and seeking out our own county. I would theorize my very literal interpretation of each artwork and then my daughter would provide the kid version (hers were always better).
Watch “Wild Ocean 3D” at the IMAX Theater: Lots of theaters now run 3D movies and some use the IMAX name, but trust me, the 6-story tall screen at the downtown IMAX dwarfs those experiences. The new movie was great, too. It explores the topic of overfishing and protection of the ocean’s resources through an incredible feeding frenzy that takes place once a year off the coast of Africa. Zoe was reaching out to touch the dolphins that seemed to be swimming right in front of us. It was incredible!
Our night was done and as we pulled up from the parking garage beneath the museum Zoe let out a breathy “whoa!” as the lights of the city greeted us. It was a perfect ending to a perfect night.
