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The dominion of Notre Dame lies in northern Indiana near the Michigan border ("Michiana") in the city of South Bend. Just outside of downtown, the renowned university's sprawling campus attracts visitors with its art and architecture, including the Golden Dome, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. And of course on Saturdays during college football season, more than 80,000 fans pack Notre Dame Stadium to cheer on the Fighting Irish. Even while the Leprechaun rules the region, though, South Bend isn't exclusively a college town. The home of the defunct Studebaker factory retains its ties to automotive history with the Studebaker National Museum, and anyone with a sweet tooth will want to stop by the South Bend Chocolate Company to check out one of the world's largest chocolate museums before stocking up on truffles and fudge.

South Bend's municipal transit line, Transpo, runs trolleys inside the downtown area for fares of 25 cents. Beginning at South Street Station, the Transpo Trolley loops around downtown, making more than 15 stops and hitting many major attractions. Transpo bus routes serve all of South Bend and neighboring Mishawaka. Fares are 75 cents.

Less than five miles northwest of downtown, South Bend Regional Airport is the only airport in the nation to be served by interstate trains and buses as well as airlines. Transpo offers bus service to the city's South Street Station via Route 4. Cab fares for the trip are approximately $15.

Cheer, Cheer For Old Notre Dame
The most storied program in college football history hasn't added to its 11 national championships since 1988, but the Fighting Irish are an institution in South Bend. Even if you can't land tickets to a raucous contest at Notre Dame Stadium, there's still plenty of tailgating to be done on game day, or as an alternative, head out in April, when the Irish have held their annual Blue-Gold Game since 1930.

Peruse College Football History
The College Football Hall of Fame moved to South Bend from Kings Mills, Ohio in 1995. In addition to honoring the legends of the college game, exhibits include great rivalries and moments in college football, evolution of equipment in the game and a practice field where visitors can test their own passing, blocking and kicking.

Sample Some Golden Dome Hoops, Too
Basketball is a decided no. 2 to football at Notre Dame, but the roundballing Irish have a pretty good history, too. The men have scored many huge upsets at home over the years, most notably when they ended UCLA's 88-game win streak in 1974. The women own a national championship from 2001. The student section is generally pretty raucous at the Joyce Center, which will undergo a $25 million renovation in the near future.

Paddle A Kayak Through Artificial Whitecaps
The East Race Waterway in the St. Joseph's River is one of only six artificial whitewater courses in the world, with wild rapids that can be controlled depending upon the experience of the rider. The course hosted the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials for canoe and kayak slalom and is open to the public for rafting or kayaking on weekends throughout the summer.

Head To The Cove For Midwest League Baseball
The South Bend Silver Hawks, named after an old Studebaker model, play their home games at the 5,000-seat Coveleski Regional Stadium ("The Cove"), which was somewhat of a design trendsetter among minor-league parks when it opened in 1987. The single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks won their league championship in 2005.

Watch (Or Compete In) Championship Whiffleball
The World Whiffleball Championships have been held annually at Rose Park (with 22 fields, it's "the world's largest whiffleball complex") in nearby Mishawaka since 1980. The event, put on in July and open to any teams that want to enter, is now known as the Wiffle®Ballin' for Kids Charity Tournament and benefits the Children's Campus, an affiliate of the Family & Children's Center.

College Football Hall of Fame
111 S. Saint Joseph St., South Bend, Ind. 46601
800-440-FAME (toll free) or 574-235-9999
Where better to locate the College Football Hall of Fame than South Bend, the capital of college football? You'll find plaques honoring NCAA's greatest stars and coaches, as well as artifacts celebrating the sport's history (Knute Rockne's sweatshirt, Red "The Galloping Ghost" Grange's jersey). Don't miss the Strategy Theater, where you can select plays in five historic games and match wits with the greatest coaches of all time.
http://collegefootball.org/

Studebaker National Museum
525 S. Main St., South Bend, Ind. 46601
888-391-5600 (toll free) or 574-235-9714
Fifty years ago, South Bend-based Studebaker manufactured its last automobile. That year, the company donated its collection of cars to the city of South Bend. Today, the museum showcases artifacts dating to the 1890s. Don't miss President Lincoln's Studebaker carriages or the company's farm wagons and World War I military vehicles.
http://www.studebakermuseum.org/

Northern Indiana Center for History
808 W. Washington St., South Bend, Ind. 46601
574-235-9664
There's a little bit of everything in this museum -- a variety of exhibits that celebrate the history of Northern Indiana. Some are sports-oriented (a history of Notre Dame, the All-American Girls Baseball League). Others are geared toward architecture and state history. All are housed in a 38-room mansion that dates to 1896.
http://www.centerforhistory.org/

2001 Notre Dame (women's basketball)
1988 Notre Dame (football)
1977 Notre Dame (football)
1973 Notre Dame (football)
1966 Notre Dame (football)
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1947 Notre Dame (football)
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1943 Notre Dame (football)
1930 Notre Dame (football)
1929 Notre Dame (football)
1924 Notre Dame (football)