Elkhart and Goshen are the industry's hometown — factory tours, the Hall of Fame, and Amish Country's farm stands and quiet roads all within a short radius. Add Indiana Dunes National Park on Lake Michigan and the north makes a full trip on its own, with Michigan minutes away.

The Crossroads of America earns the name: I-65, I-70, I-69, and I-74 all meet here, which makes central Indiana hosts the natural overnight for half the country's east–west traffic. May belongs to the 500; request race-week stays far ahead.

Brown County's hills — "the Little Smokies" — turn spectacular in mid-to-late October, and the Ohio River valley below holds winery country worth touring, plus historic Madison and French Lick. The terrain surprises everyone expecting flat.

Crossing state lines? Browse hosts in neighboring Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky.