DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN BLOOMINGTON, IN

Limestone quarries ring this college town of 86,000, where Indiana University's 48,000 students create a cultural oasis in south-central Indiana's rolling hills. Four distinct seasons unfold—winter lows around 22°F with occasional heavy snow, humid summers climbing into the mid-80s—with 47 inches of annual precipitation. The university's influence pervades everything from demographics to local economy, creating progressive politics and cultural offerings unusual for a city this size in Indiana. Wooded hills and scenic lakes contrast with flat farmland just miles away.