Bloomington injects a liberal beat in conservative Indiana heartland

Indiana is Middle American heartland, with small towns, rolling hills, cornfields and cattle, and the “little pink houses” of which native son, John Mellencamp, famously sang.

Night ushers in soothing star-filled skies, fields of flickering fireflies, and frogs croaking loudly, and I presume, proudly, in baritone.

But on my recent visit to Bloomington, I found these charms don’t scratch the surface of this town’s attractions.

Having arrived from Los Angeles’ manic maze of freeways, smog and sig-alerts, Bloomington was a blissful tonic for me with many surprising delights. It’s a socially liberal, politically progressive, ethnically diverse, quintessential college town in an ardently red state.

Surprises

What brought me to this geographic anomaly in south central Indiana was a big family reunion.

When I announced my Bloomington travel plans to L.A. friends, they mainly just frowned, or stared quizzically. One gay friend even expressed sympathy about my destination: “I’m sorry to hear that,” Hans said, “but do be sure to say hello to the cows for me.”

Well, listen up, ya’ll: There’s nothin’ hillbilly about Bloomington. There’s something here for all ages, mindsets, and walks of life. Oh, did I mention Bloomington has the fifth-largest population of same-sex couples, per capita, in the nation? It was also recently named one of the top “Surprisingly Gay Small Town Destinations” by OutTraveler.com.

Indiana University

Bloomington is the home of Indiana University, whose influence is huge. IU, acclaimed for its music school and other programs, brings 40,000 students from all 50 states and 150 countries to a total Bloomington population of under 70,000.

As a result, Bloomington has nonstop live music, quirky shops, eclectic art galleries, outdoor adventures, ethnic eateries, and the only Buddhist temple and Tibetan Cultural Center in the United States - dedicated by the Dalai Lama himself.

My extended family all converged on the 19th Century log cabin home of Shirley Bell, a music instructor and longtime resident who’s a household name in Bloomington because of her famous violinist son, Joshua Bell. He studied music at IU and is now on its faculty.

For the music-lover, IU’s Jacobs School of Music makes Bloomington a dream destination. This school offers more than 1,500 professional and student performances every year to the public, many of them for free. This is where the legendary violin teacher, Josef Ginghold, gave lessons - so you never know if you’re going to be hearing America’s next music star.

There’s also a full season of plays in the IU theater department and three ballets each year.

Musical Arts Center

The sheer size of the stage at IU’s Musical Arts Center is staggering. The center has been touted by critics as “acoustically perfect,” and “second only to the Met in New York City.” There are eight operas performed at the Musical Arts Center every year - part of the longest-running opera season in the Western Hemisphere.

“You could fit a whole herd of horses up there if you needed to,” Shirley Bell said of the stage, as we entered the hall to take seats at a free student concert of Gershwin music.

No wonder this town is regularly ranked as a top place in which to retire in the United States - it’s an affordable paradise for concertgoers.

Other venues to hear live music: The courthouse lawn at Bryan Park, the Fountain Square Mall, the John Waldron Arts Center, and nightclubs.

Sex and other sports

Bloomington is also the home of the Kinsey Institute - named after Dr. Alfred Kinsey, the pioneering researcher of human sexuality. Visitors to the institute can see erotic art exhibitions, and attend lectures and other cultural programs related to sexuality, gender, and politics.

“Downtown traffic is bumper-to-bumper during the school year, when the population swells with students,” said my aunt, Esther Zeitlin, an artist who lived in Bloomington for many years before moving away, and who now returned for the reunion. Several of her paintings and drawings are on permanent display at the Kinsey Institute.

For sports fans, Bloomington’s also a field of dreams. Home of the Hoosiers, IU is a member of the Big Ten Conference, and local student athletes have won 133 NCAA individual titles and been named to the “Academic All-Big Ten” squad 2,280 times. Red-and-white Hoosier memorabilia are ubiquitous in storefront windows, from T-shirts for adults to bibs for babies. Even teddy bears at one downtown shop are wearing mini-Hoosiers shirts.

For the NASCAR set, Bloomington is about an hour’s drive to the famous Indy 500 in Indianapolis. But you don’t need to go anywhere to see Bloomington’s wildly popular “Little 500″ bicycle race on the IU campus. National Geographic Adventure magazine has called this race - open to amateur cyclists only - “the epitome of grassroots athleticism.” Lance Armstrong said it is “the coolest event I ever attended.”

Dramatized in the Oscar-winning film, “Breaking Away,” this 200-lap race attracts 20,000 spectators every spring. (Coincidentally, “Breaking Away” is making a comeback in Bloomington theaters now, in honor of the movie’s 30th anniversary.) The Laughing Planet Cafe downtown, a local bicyclists’ hangout, features Little 500 icons such as team jerseys and bicycles ridden in the race.

Meditate on this

If all the cultural happenings tire you out, you can always rest at the Tibetan Cultural Center, whose mission is to promote “the memory and culture of Tibetans, and to bring awareness to the country’s struggles.” Founded in 1979 by Professor Norbu, the brother of the Dalai Lama, its sprawling 108-acre grounds welcomes all visitors.

Here one can learn about Buddhism, meditate, or take a twice-weekly yoga class.

The center’s Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple was dedicated by the Dalai Lama - and by Muhammad Ali - to the principles of “interfaith harmony.”

When I visited, a smiling man in burgundy-colored traditional Tibetan garb greeted me at the main entrance, and soon pointed out that visitors are welcome overnight here, as well. He showed me modestly sized rooms, with names such as “the Medicine Buddha Room,” costing $63 per night per couple.

Ethnic and eclectic

If you’re hungry, downtown Bloomington - a very “walkable” strip next to the university - has dozens of eateries, from Italian to Greek to Japanese. Not coincidentally, you can also find two Tibetan restaurants, owned by the Dalai Lama’s nephew, Jigme Norbu, and the son of Thubten Norbu, a retired professor of Tibetan and religious studies at IU.

There are also several eclectic shops. At the Glorious Moments fine art store, one can find everything from Persian rugs to Russian lacquered boxes to art by Salvador Dali, Picasso, and Jerry Garcia. The store is located in an old bank building, and its vault now doubles as an extra room for varying-sized colorful stained glass windows for sale.

Family fun

Bloomington’s a family place, too. At enormous Lake Monroe, families swim at three public beaches, rent pontoons or personal watercraft, or go fishing.

The Hoosier National Forest right next door has 200 miles of trails, and there are many area campgrounds to choose from.

Indoor adventures can also be had in Bloomington, at the Wonder Lab Museum, which has two floors of science exhibits for the curious of all ages, not to mention a two-story grapevine to climb.

It’s also worth strolling around the IU campus, which was named one of the five most beautiful campuses in the country in Thomas A. Gaines’ book, “The Campus as a Work of Art.”  See a variety of limestone buildings from the elegant to the austere, all made from locally quarried stone - and don’t miss the IM Pei-designed Art Museum.

IF YOU GO

Getting there: I flew from LAX to Indianapolis’ brand-new (about a year old) and attractive airport, which features whimsical luggage-shaped benches for the weary traveler. From there, you’ll have to take a taxi, limo, or shuttle to reach Bloomington, about 50 miles away. The Bloomington Shuttle Service leaves every two hours, so plan wisely. Once in Bloomington, I rented a car to get around, and found ACE Car Rental on N. Walnut Street efficient and reasonably priced. For rental reservations, call: (812) 727-2005.

Staying there: I stayed at the IU campus’ stately Biddle Hotel, which is close to everything, and reasonably priced (my room was about $150 per night). Reservations: (812) 856-6381.

Some of my family who came for the reunion stayed at the Century Suites, 10 minutes’ drive to downtown and 15 minutes to Lake Monroe. The suites are “homey” in feel, with rates about $155-$185 per night. Reservations: (812) 336-7777.

Note: If you’re a music lover, Bloomington’s a blast any time of year. Schedules of concerts and musical events are easy to come by. Contact the Bloomington Visitors Center at (800) 800-0037, or www.visitbloomington.com.

Tags: bloomington, dalai lama, hoosiers, Indiana, IU, kinsey, SDNN, Tibetan Cultural Center

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