All of us born-and-bred Hoosiers know the beauty of the city and the surrounding neighborhoods. The secret spots, the hole-in-the-wall diners, the most detailed murals by a local artist.
We pass these spots daily as part of our routine, but what if we stopped and looked? What if we really took the time to see these parts of the city?
“Indianapolis Scavenger: The Ultimate Search for Indianapolis’s Hidden Treasures” takes these charms of the city and turns them into an interactive workbook for Indy-natives or those unfamiliar with the territory. Featuring 19 of the city’s neighborhoods and all the unique fixtures in each, the book makes for a fun scavenger hunt across central Indiana.
Author Katy Mann curated the sites across the city to form a spiral-bound collection of places to explore. Mann is the creator of Indy with Kids, an online publication that showcases events for Indy families, and used her experience to center her book around family-friendly finds.
Originally from Southern California, Mann’s family frequently took trips near and far. She’s been to Africa, South and Central America and Europe. Her time spent traveling led her to publishing her first book, “Indianapolis Scavenger” to emphasize her love of exploration in her city.
The first scavenger hunt book for Indianapolis, the book is separated into different neighborhoods, each with several short, rhyming riddles and photos of local places. The over 300 hidden-in-plain-sight locations are all out in the open, making the book very accessible to those looking for an adventure.
The book is a great way to entertain a house full of kids eager to release some energy over summer break. All the sites are outdoors, so readers should be mindful of the weather when embarking on their adventures. Many of the sites can be found near one another, and some feature places readers can go inside and grab some lunch or have a coffee.
In addition to providing a fun afternoon for children, the book makes for an entertaining date night. Explore unfamiliar territory and see what’s happening in the area. Who knows, you might stumble upon a festival, new bar or a concert you had no idea about.
For those who would rather fly solo, the book is a perfect walking companion for finding new favorite spots around the city. Taking selfies in front of murals and sculptures or grabbing a solo baked good is a great way to spend a summer afternoon downtown.
Each page also provides readers with a couple lines to jot down your finds. Since the clues are easy to follow, readers could solve all the riddles for one neighborhood in a single afternoon, taking family pictures along the way.
Mann’s quirky rhymes are creative and sometimes tricky, so readers could spend the entire year trying to cross off each location. A fun and useful activity, “Indianapolis Scavenger” is so much more than just a book.
It’s an adventure.
Mann is scheduled to have a book signing of “Indianapolis Scavenger” on Saturday, October 19 at the Indianapolis Public Library. For more information or to buy the book, visit indywithkids.com/indianapolis-scavenger.
Contact Staff Writer Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
