Indiana has long been known as the "Hoosier State, a nickname whose origins are uncertain. It is also called the Land of the Indians, a designation that lives on in the official state name. With access to the Great Lakes and miles of cornfields, Indiana appears to some to be a quintessential mid-Western state, but tourists staying in Indiana vacation rentals will be quick to realize that the state has a lot more to offer than the kinds of images that tend to dominate postcards.
Indiana, for example, is home to a thriving domestic winemaking industry. The Oliver Winery outside Bloomington not only makes and sells wines, but also offers tours of the facility, some of them conducted by family members who have been involved in the winemaking process as long as the family has been in the business.
While visiting wineries may not be an activity that thrills young children, the large city of Indianapolis features a large number of tourist amenities that are appropriate for the entire family. These include the Caribbean Cove Water Park, which has more than 50,000 square feet of facilities, and the Indianapolis Zoo, which includes not just the common land animals one might expect, but also sharks and dolphins, making it a zoo and major aquarium rolled into one. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis provides children and adults with hands-on learning opportunities on topics as diverse as dinosaurs and outer space.