According to the fans who frequently visit Bloomington and the University of Indiana, Terp fans should be prepared to see, arguably, the most beautiful college campus in, not only the Big Ten Conference, but the entire country. The campus boasts of being heavily wooded with unique limestone buildings and a quaint, small-town atmosphere just to the west. But, just because the Hoosier campus is as picturesque as an Ansel Adams piece, doesn't mean the students and football fans love to host a great party.

With that said, the Bloomington community is inviting all Maryland fans to come get silly with them and are eager to show the Easterners their warm, Hoosier hospitality and send them home with memories of good times guaranteed. And, hopefully, with the Terps first ever win on the football field in the Big Ten.

Finding the best place to stay which is close enough to the entire game weekend atmosphere in Bloomington should not be a problem. There are plenty quality hotels not far from Indiana's Memorial Stadium.

If you care to stay with fellow Terp fans, the Terrapin Club hotel is the Indianapolis Marriot Downtown at 350 West Maryland Street, about an hour drive from campus.

Memorial Union is in the heart of campus and a great place to stay if you can get it. Otherwise, the downtown Courtyard Marriott, Hilton and the new Hyatt are close. The Holiday inn, Days Inn, Super 8 and Quality Inn off 46 are also very close to the stadium. If you're interested in accommodations out of the limelight of downtown Bloomington, the Pointe, which is a hotel on Lake Monroe, is just a short 20-minute drive from the city.

If you get into town early on Friday or even Thursday, a good way to get a feel of the campus life for Indiana students, it's suggested to take a drive the loop. Start on Third St. turning right onto Indiana Ave past the Sample Gates. Then turn right onto 10th Street to drive past the arboretum and library. Turn right onto Jordan Ave to complete the circuit. Terp fans may also want to take a detour north on Jordan at some point to see more of Greek Row.

Maryland fans should definitely take a stroll through the Sample Gates and on the brick-lined pathways lacing through Dunn's Woods to see the historic section of campus. Then, cut through "The World's Largest Campus Student Union Building" and walk along Jordan River and Dunn Meadow underneath the towering cypress trees.

For lunch, stop in at Nick's for a Stromboli and a beer. Then entice yourself with a specialty chocolate from Blue Boy at the far end. For shopping, walk around the town square with a stop at J. Walters, among other places. The Bloomington Antique Mall is just around the corner at the northwest end. After that, you might want to duck into the Scholar's Inn Bake House for a cup of coffee and a pastry or bagel.

Other sites in and around Bloomington are, Kirkwood, Downtown Square, Lake Monroe and the Oliver Winery. An hour or so away is Indianapolis and the other way is French Lick, the boyhood home of NBA legend Larry Bird. They also have Casinos, The Dome and Golfing. Next to Memorial Stadium is Assembly Hall and next to it is the IU Basketball Museum inside Cook Hall. The atrium area in front is usually open and cool to see. Go into Assembly Hall and hope the doors aren't locked so you can sneak a picture of the swaying banners.

Best restaurants for the night before and game day are Nick's English Hut (Play Sink the Biz-whatever that is) Kilroys, Irish Lion and Crazy Horse. On game day, check out Yogi's Grill, Scotty's, Little Zagreb's (for a good steak) and Mother Bear's Pizza the night before or after game. For breakfast before the game, visit Farm Bloomington (try the Bloody Marys) and the Uptown Café.

On game day, there is plenty of parking for tailgates all around the stadium. The preferred lots for visiting teams are the grass lots (south of 17th St), also known as red lot and the new paved lots 10/11. However, it's been suggested by the Indiana fans and the folks in the Hoosier Athletics office to purchase parking passes in advance. It's cheaper than on game day and will help the flow of congested traffic. A good feature at Indiana football games is that that they give pass-outs at halftime (must show ticket stub) and its fun to walk through the west lot tailgates. It's not unusual to be able to cop a free beer from the party people. The south end RV area seems to always have the most fun.

Other than your weekly tailgate parties, another good way to experience Indiana football is by heading over to Hoosier Village. It's open to the public, and said to be the ultimate place to tailgate before the game. Hoosier Village features live entertainment, food and beverages, Kids Zone, live pregame radio show, and plenty of Hoosier spirit to get you fired up for the game. Hoosier Village opens three hours prior to Kickoff and is located behind the south end scoreboard.

For the best BBQ the guys at the Indian Rivals website suggest getting it from the guy at 17th and Dunn and to check out the USS Indiana stuff on the West Side.

In the interest of improving flow into stadium lots, Indiana game officials request you purchase a parking permit in advance from the IU Athletics Ticket Office (866-IUSPORTS). Advanced automobile parking passes are $10; RV/Bus passes are $50. The price for automobile parking on game days is $20.

Expect traffic congestion on roadways surrounding Memorial Stadium. To avoid delays, arrive early as parking lots open a minimum of five hours prior to kick off.

If you get into Memorial Stadium early, some of the traditions you'll see is Hep's Rock (north end zone area), the 'Touchdown March' and the Bison Stampede intro. You can also experience the history of Indian football by visiting the 'Hall of Champions' which is located in the North end zone.

Have fun traveling with the Terps throughout their Big Ten stops. Next up, Wisconsin.