A Girls Trip to Fort Wayne With the Unexpected

How a girls’ getaway weekend turned into a story about connection, history, and surprise.

A trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana, of all places, reminded me why travel matters and how it shapes us in ways we don’t expect.

A few weeks ago, I took a girls’ trip with my mom, my aunt, and two cousins. We chose Fort Wayne because it was somewhat easy to get to, and my cousin lived nearby in Indianapolis. We wanted to spend some time together and explore a new city, and Fort Wayne seemed like a good option with opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, visit the genealogy center, and try some new restaurants.

What we found surprised all of us.

We went in with zero expectations. None of us knew much about Fort Wayne, and it wasn’t on anyone’s dream list.

When I recently asked readers where they most wanted to go, the answers included Thailand, Greece, Japan, Machu Picchu, the Northern Lights, Australia, Italy, and Croatia. Closer to home, Las Vegas, New York, and Colorado made the list, too.

Fort Wayne did not. But, it ended up being exactly what we were looking for and more, and it should be awarded a spot on desired travel lists.

In a three-night stay, this mid-size Midwest city (population: 273,425) checked all of our boxes and ones we didn’t even know we needed. We ate well, got a little silly, tried new things, and had the kind of conversations where everyone already knows the people in your stories, so you can skip the backstory and just enjoy being together.

The most surprising part of the trip happened at the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center. I have been tracing our family history and hit a roadblock. Their team, which is one of the top genealogy resources in the country, helped us break through it.

We discovered my great-grandfather’s original last name, before he changed it when he came to America, along with the names of his parents. We even saw photos of the town where they lived, then and now.

There is something powerful about sitting in a quiet library, surrounded by loved ones, suddenly seeing the names, faces, and places that shaped your family long before you or even your grandparents existed.

Who would have thought I’d find my great-great-grandfather in a county library in Indiana?

Surprisingly, though not as shocking, I was able to find yearbooks from my hometown in Texas in the expansive collection of records, documents, and books, including the edition my brother was in.

And that was just the beginning. Fort Wayne kept amazing us, one experience at a time.

With only three nights, here is what we fit into our trip:

• Guided tour at LC Nature Park, where we learned about the area’s flora and fauna, and spotted elk
• Glo Wild at the Fort Wayne Zoo, a nighttime lantern festival with 3D animal light sculptures
• Walk along the riverfront and public art trail
• Dancing to a funk band at the Club Room at the Clyde
• A pedestrian-only street lined with bars, restaurants, and shops
• Botanical gardens filled with tropical palms and vivid barrel cacti
• Latin-inspired brunch at a downtown restaurant and pan dulce from a local Mexican grocery
• A bookstore with resident cats
• A fair trade nonprofit shop featuring handcrafted items made by women
• Earth Day festival
• And of course, the Genealogy Center, which I still cannot get over

We stayed at The Bradley Hotel, designed by Vera Bradley co-founder Barbara Bradley Baekgaard. It felt chic and whimsical, like being tucked inside a cozy Vera Bradley bag in the best possible way. We all commented on how comfortable the beds were.

Even with everything we did, we barely scratched the surface. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art, the Sweetwater campus, and several restaurants are already on my list for next time.

A note on inclusion: Throughout the trip, I noticed how intentionally the city approaches accessibility. The disability-inclusive Promenade Park, the Autism Certified Zoo, and thoughtful design across attractions and public spaces showed how much intention the city puts into making people feel included.

This trip reminded me why travel matters. Travel helps you connect, grow, and learn more about yourself. Shared experiences and meaningful moments stay with you long after you get back home.

Fort Wayne showed me that meaning doesn’t only come from faraway, exotic places or bucket-list destinations. Sometimes it comes from the unexpected: late-night laughs, Mexican pastries in the Midwest, a piece of local art that supports a good cause, or a discovery you could only uncover by being there in person. That is the real gift of travel.