One of my travel goals for 2017 was to spend more time exploring my new(ish) home state. So I was thrilled when Visit Fort Wayne invited me up to discover Indiana’s second largest city. We had a great weekend checking out Fort Wayne’s food and entertainment offerings.

On Saturday morning we started our day bright and early with brunch at Junk Ditch Brewing Company. Heaping plates of delectable fried eggs and chicken and biscuits – plus a gooey cinnamon roll to share – were exactly what we needed to fuel up for a long day of exploring.

After breakfast, we headed to the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. I always enjoy checking out art museums, but I was especially excited to learn they had a major exhibit focusing on studio glass, one of my favorite media. The museum also has a nice collection of modern art.

Our July visit to Fort Wayne coincided with the Three Rivers Festival, a sort of mini-State Fair with fried food, rides and concerts. As part of the festival, the Art Museum was hosting a “chalk walk” right outside, where individuals could sign up to decorate a small section of the street. We had a blast walking around and checking out all the creative designs. I wish I had gotten more photos of the squares up close, because there were so many talented chalkers.

From the art museum, we walked a few blocks over to the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, conveniently located downtown as well. I love visiting botanical gardens, and this one was no exception. The conservatory is on the smaller side but admission is affordable (only $5 for adults) and it’s a very pleasant way to spend an hour or two.

After a delicious dinner at Don Chava’s Mexican Grill (the fact that I have no photos from this meal should only be interpreted as a reflection on my appetite, not the quality or appearance of the food), we headed to Parkview Field to watch the Fort Wayne Tincaps take on the Lansing Lugnuts (don’t you love minor league baseball team names?). It was a beautiful night for a game.

After the game, we stopped for dessert at The Yummi Bunni, a local shop that sells ice cream sandwiches made with hot, fresh glazed doughnuts. It seems like such a simple concept – a doughnut, two scoops of ice cream and a free topping of your choice – that I’m surprised I haven’t seen it before, but I never have. And even though doughnuts are generally pretty low on my list of preferred desserts, I was crazy for these sandwiches. Something about the combination of warm doughnut + cold ice cream that was irresistible.

Visit Fort Wayne welcomed our entire family, including our dog Dancer, on this trip. Since Saturday’s activities hadn’t included the furry one, we decided to spend Sunday morning in nature, so Dancer could have some fun (and so us humans could work off all the cinnamon rolls and doughnuts). We headed to the Bicentennial Woods, a free nature preserve outside the city with a two-mile trail that welcomes leashed pets. It was a great balance to the indulgences of the previous day.

After a stop at the cozy (and pet-friendly) Firefly Coffee House for lunch and coffee, we hit the road for home. Thanks again, Visit Fort Wayne, for a fun weekend!

Disclosure: My family and I were hosted by Visit Fort Wayne on this trip. As always, my opinions are entirely my own.