South Bend sits on the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, and it punches well above its size. The University of Notre Dame is the obvious draw — the golden dome, Touchdown Jesus, and the electricity of a home football weekend make it worth a visit even if you have no strong feelings about college sports. The broader campus is beautiful and open to visitors year-round.
Beyond Notre Dame, the city has more to offer than most people expect. The Studebaker National Museum tells the story of the South Bend automaker that built everything from covered wagons to automobiles before closing in 1963 — it's a genuinely good industrial history museum. Downtown has seen real investment over the past decade, with independent restaurants and bars filling spaces that were empty not long ago. The East Race Waterway, an artificial whitewater channel carved from the St. Joseph River, hosts kayaking and rafting in summer. The Morris Performing Arts Center brings in national touring acts throughout the year. For a fine dinner in a remarkable Victorian mansion, Tippecanoe Place — once the Studebaker family home — is the city's most memorable restaurant.