The 4th of July is a great holiday with parades, concerts, picnics, and fireworks!  Lafayette-West Lafayette has all of these and you can check out our calendar for details, but here are some facts about the 4th that you may not know:

So put on your red, white, and blue and join in our celebrations—complete with fireworks, cannons and a drum roll!

In July of 1894 The League of American Wheelmen held a convention at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds.  Bicycle riders from as far away as Cleveland, Buffalo, and New York City came to compete.  There were about 3,000 people in attendance so it must have been the general opinion that the Lafayette-West Lafayette area was "bicycle friendly"!

We still are—we even have an award that says so. Hiking/Biking trails are available throughout the area and you can find out about them on this web site by going to Recreation Activities and clicking on biking.  You will find a map of the county with 5 area biking loops listed. You can also check out the parks and recreation departments in Lafayette and West Lafayette because all of their paved trails are open to bikes.  Indiana’s newest state park, Prophetstown (www.in.gov/dnr or 765-567-4919), in nearby Battle Ground offers bikers a chance to experience prairie, fens and seeps—a unique environment for all to enjoy.  The park is also a good place for camping or picnicking and you can visit Historic Prophetstown (www.prophetstown.org) to see how the land has been used over the decades with the prairie, Native Americans and agriculture.  While in Battle Ground, include a visit to Wolf Park (www.wolfpark.org) 765-567-2265).  The facility is dedicated to gray wolf research and provides an unusual opportunity for wildlife education.  So get your bike and come see us…and if you include Wolf Park in your travels, we can promise you a “howling” good time!