More Indianapolis Fun.

Wheat had Monday off, so we decided to explore a place downtown that we'd never been - the Indiana State Museum.

As part of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a few of the places near White River State Park offered free admission in exchange for canned goods. So, we picked up a few cans and headed downtown. Due in part because we'd never been there before and also because we could see a free IMAX movie, we settled on the State Museum.

The museum itself was a bit of a letdown...and definitely not worth the regular $10 admission. Perhaps I was comparing it to the Cincinnati Museum Center, but I found it a little dull. The first floor of exhibits was natural history and archeological findings. The second floor, which was my favorite by a landslide, was cultural history, complete with artifacts spanning from the 1700s to modern times. A couple highlights: antique barbershop items from the 1800s, old sports memorabilia from local teams, and old coke machines. The third floor is comprised of the changing exhibits. Unfortunately, we just missed the Star Wars exhibition and instead, we were treated to 'Ice Age Giants: The Mystery of Mammoths and Mastodons' and 'Fearless Furniture.'

By the time we found a parking spot downtown, the IMAX movies were full until 4:30, so we explored the museum for a couple hours, had lunch at TGI Friday's, and then settled in for Journey to the South Pacific 3D. The short movie, narrated by Cate Blanchett, told the story of Jawi, a boy from the island of West Papua, who takes a two-month trip aboard the Kalabia to not only learn about the amazing sealife that surrounds his home, but also the best ways to conserve it. The undersea shots were incredible and the movie ended up being my favorite part of the day.

 ...besides being with this guy, of course.