The Weekend: South Bend, Indiana

1. University of Notre Dame Tour The essential experience. See the Golden Dome, the renovated stadium and poignant spots like the candlelit Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes (nd.edu).

2. Morris Inn Stay on campus in AAA Four Diamond luxury. Grab a drink at Rohr's, where legendary bartender Murf loves to dish on celebs he's served (morrisinn.nd.edu).

3. South Bend Chocolate Cafe Browse cases stacked with confections, and warm up over hot chocolate spiked with cayenne and cinnamon (sbchocolate.com).

4. Cafe Navarre Local ingredients and international flavors fuse in dishes like the Amish chicken served with miso, jasmine rice and sweet curry peanuts (cafenavarre.co).

5. South Bend River Lights Interactive lights along the St. Joseph River react to pedestrians (scheduled to reopen in 2021 after construction in the area is complete; check website for updates) (downtownsouthbend.com).

6. South Bend Museum of Art Works of Hoosier Impressionism star among three stories of galleries (southbendart.org).

7. South Bend Brew Werks Pair the smooth, smoky Mr. Elegante porter with a kicky smoked brisket flatbread (southbendbrewwerks.com).

8. Circa Arts Gallery Score lovely local paintings, pottery and glassware in the artsy East Bank Village (circaartsgallery.com).

Three things you probably didn't know

1. Corndance Tavern in neighboring Mishawaka is worth the short drive for dinner (corndance.com).

2. You can catch spring's first blooms at Mishawaka's Shiojiri Niwa Japanese Garden (mishawakacity.com).

3. The Studebaker National Museum celebrates the famed car built in South Bend (studebakermuseum.org).

Photographs: Emily Berger