Wikipedia:Meetup/Bloomington, IN/Wiknic/2013

This year, the Indianapolis-Evansville-Bloomington Wiknic will be held in Bloomington. Bloomington Wikipedians should discuss options for hosting it on the talk page.

Place: We met at Jordan Avenue Garage in Bloomington, Indiana. Then, after some deliberation, we decided Leonard Springs Nature Park would be a great place to have our picnic, so we carpooled over there, where we met up with a few more Wikipedians.

Time: 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

Food: "Lunch" was served at 3 EDT on the bog. We started our course with homegrown pods of peas, which was followed with a lesson on how to cut ourselves a slice of watermelon. The tradition of Evansville specialties was continued with Ski and Grippo's. Pepsi, Pringles, and baby carrots helped make it a well-balanced lunch. For dessert, we had chocolate chip muffins.

Date: 15 June 2013

Audience: Five Bloomington Wikipedians, one Evansville Wikipedian. We got a few surprise visits, including a ranger giving a tour (who didn't seem to mind us having a picnic on his grounds). He was accompanied by a sizable group of adults and young children, and we got a little chance to throw in our Wikipedia plug.

Cost: Free! (well, except getting there)

What did we do?
We hiked deep into Leonard Springs before picking a picnic spot on the bog next to a beaver dam. We observed the local bog life (including several pairs of mating odonata and even a pair of mating snakes), hiked next to a waterfall rock formation, and learned how to identify poison ivy. We had some fun discussions, too, like Wikipedians should, including Kentucky County, Virginia, the Treaty of Versailles, growing tomatoes in New Jersey, the reason celibate priests and computer geeks still exist after several generations, and (of course), the history of Bloomington. We concluded the picnic with a drive-thru tour of Vinegar Hill Historic District.

Local Wikipedians
''Local Wikipedians are responsible for planning the event and making sure it happens. For ideas, consider consulting voy:Bloomington (Indiana).
 * ''Your name here!

Bloomington

 * Ben Kovitz
 * bonewah Leave a message on my talk page if a date gets set.
 * Vmenkov - I'll bring a watermelon and some snacks

Evansville

 * I can bring a dish if needed and have a front and two rear seats for carpooling. Bob the WikipediaN (talk • contribs) 20:49, 14 April 2013 (UTC)
 * ''Your name here!

Ferdinand

 * Hoping to come but not 100% sure about our summer plans yet. If I come, I will be happy to help out with snacks/drinks/whatever necessary. Sarah 12:56, 15 April 2013 (UTC)
 * ''Your name here!

Indianapolis

 * bonewah Leave a message on my talk page if a date gets set.

Local attractions
As to the local attractions (for out-of-towners to visit and to enjoy taking pictures of) I can mention:
 * Lilly Library;
 * Leonard Springs Park (karst phenomena; a man-built reservoir with a busted dam, appropriated by beavers;
 * limestone quarries (including some that are legally accessible). -- Vmenkov (talk) 22:02, 9 June 2013 (UTC)
 * Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center. -- Vmenkov (talk) 13:34, 11 June 2013 (UTC)
 * The Courthouse square. -- Vmenkov (talk) 13:35, 11 June 2013 (UTC)