Seniors Check Out Fishers

Fishers, Indiana, population 84,000, formerly known as Fishers Station and originally as Fishers Switch, came into being in June of 1872 when Salathiel Fisher divided his land into town lots. Senior travelers will find Fishers about 20 miles northeast of Indianapolis on I-69.

In those days it was common for new communities to spring up along railroads and Fishers was no exception, hence the early reference to a train station or ‘switch’. The railroad quite naturally drew residents and businesses to the area, the first of which was a gristmill and sawmill located approximately where the Nickel Plate restaurant is today.

Fishers was named the number one city for families by The Learning Channel and was selected as a Green Community by the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. The city also got the honor as the safest in the nation in 2011 and again in 2012.

 Seniors Enjoy Living History Museum

Fishers has a rich American history and was first settled by William Conner way back in 1802 as a trading post along the White River. Home to the Conner Prairie Living History Museum, senior visitors can be immersed  in a 19th-century village and interact with the people, animals, objects and routines of life in Central Indiana in 1836.

Senior visitors can study in the one-room schoolhouse, and earn wages to spend at Whitaker’s Store. You’ll also meet the residents of Prairietown as they go about their daily lives. You’ll learn new skills and they might even tell you stories and share some local gossip.

The highly acclaimed Fishers Freedom Festival is an annual parade and festival. The Fishers Renaissance Faire packs the house with jousting and swordplay. Another major draw in the area is a 34-year tradition that continues each summer with Marsh Symphony on the Prairie, said to be the best value in central Indiana for outdoor music and entertainment.

 Seniors Find Fishers Enjoyable

TripAdvisor likes homemade ice cream at Handel’s and then Jack’s Donuts of Fishers, another foodie delight. Seniors, if you enjoy watching old WWII airplanes fly overhead, the Warbird Expo is an awesome airshow that takes place at the Indianapolis Metro Airport in Fishers.

One just does not see a Ford Tri-Motor airplane anywhere, but there it was flying overhead last year. The Tri-Motor aircraft, nicknamed “The Tin Goose,” is American three-engined transport aircraft that was first produced in 1925 and designed to build another new market, airline travel.

Fishers has nine parks and several popular golf courses. The Morse and Geist Reservoirs are nearby  and provide facilities for water recreation like boating, fishing and swimming. Get to know some of the locals and you will find them very accommodating and willing to go the extra mile to make your stop a memorable one.  -jeb