Fort Wayne in Oct/Nov (New Haven: where to stay, rent, hotels)

[Sonic]

My friend and I will be driving to from Chicago to Fort Wayne in late Oct or early Nov.

What will the weather be like during this time of year? Should I be concerned about icy roads?

Also, what is there to see/do ..eat in Fort Wayne? ...Any recommendations of where to stay (we'll be in Ft Wayne for about five days)?

Any and all info would be appreciated!

[Icky]

I don't know anything about Chicago weather then, but here around Ft Wayne it can range from cool-cold sunny/cloudy to warm (50's). Sun, clouds, rain, maybe some snow, but it usually doesn't last long. I don't think icy roads would be too much of a problem. What kind of accomdations are you looking for?

[domergurl]

Don't get out of Chicago much do you? You're not driving to another country ... the weather in FW is the same as Chicago that time of year.

[Sonic]

I shouldn've mentioned that I'm NOT from CHICAGO! I'm actually from Colorado and I'll be flying to Chicago where I'll rent a vehicle and drive down to Ft Wayne.

Thanks for the replies.

[AttachedToFive]

That time of year, the weather around Ft. Wayne is in the 40 to 50 degree range or a little higher if you're lucky. You typically don't have to worry about icey roads until December/January/February

I'm not really sure about places to stay. Since I live just outside FW, I have never stayed anywhere but the local Holiday Inn which is where most people probably go. Most hotels are in the north or SW part of Fort Wayne.
HTH!

AttachedToFive

[JamesinFW]

How Ironic... I want to vacation in Colorado badly... and I'm from Ft Wayne. haha

Weather will be between 20s to 50s, just depends. It's hard to tell, sometimes we have warm winters all the way up to march, and then it just drops like a stone in water.

There are hotels everywhere. Holiday inn express, mariotts, Signature Inns... take your pick upon arrival.

Things to do in Ft Wayne. What are you interested in? Off St Joe/St Joe Ctr road there's a place called Snickerz comedy club. Great comedians, there's the embassy, there's Glenbrook (coldwater and coliseum) and Jefferson pointe mall (jefferson and illinois roads).

[PaperTrail]

Gosh, all of these replies and no one has mentioned restaurants yet? I moved from Fort Wayne about two years ago, and the best thing about the city was the food. Lots of good restaurants that can fit almost any liking.

Best bar food: Henry's, which is on Main Street next door to the newspaper building. That place has awesome burgers.
2nd best bar food: Flanegan's, down the main road past Jefferson Pointe mall. Good food and great mozerella sticks.
For the hippie in you: Munchie Emporium (aka Munchies). It serves local Mad Anthony beer, which is quite refreshing. If you go, make sure you order Scoobie Snacks as an appetizer. You won't regret it. This place sometimes has live music, but there's a side room you can eat in for peace and quiet.
Best coffee: Dash-In, right in the heart of downtown, on Calhoun (I think). This is the one place I miss the most. They're grilled cheese sandwiches are the best I've ever had.
Best upscale: Cork n' Cleaver, on the north end of town. The menu is actually etched on a cleaver. The food is ideal, and there's some nice wines there.

That's just a small sampling of some of the food options. They're the first ones to pop into my mind. But I lived there for more than four years, so I've been to lots and lots of places. If you want more options, please ask. Or if you're looking for a specific kind of place, I'll see if anything pops into my mind.

[JamesinFW]

I don't really go to "fine dining" but I do know there are no 5 star restaurants in NE Indiana, let alone ft Wayne.

For some nice dining I suggest Ruby Tuesdays - on the corner of Parnell and Coliseum, Chili's, (and if you got a buck or two to spend) Steak 'n Shake (for your not so fancy sit down).

As for bar food. Being from New Haven, I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND Rack and Helen's. It's right downtown new haven on broadway across the street from the post office. (it just so happens that my office is right there too, so we eat there a lot). I know the owner personally, he's a great guy and the food is awesome. If you're in New Haven and wanna stop by, do it!

[PaperTrail]

I don't know what's officially "five star" or even who gets to be the deciding factor about that. I tried to look up Zagat's online, and there weren't even any listings for Indiana. Just because a city/state doesn't make the cut doesn't mean that there isn't some amazing food there. Don't be fooled by a rating.

If you want the best of the best in Fort Wayne, I just remembered Eddie Merlot's. Wow, it's like you've stepped into a completely different world there. It's expensive, but it is the epitome of fine dining. That's a wonderful place to take a date/girlfriend/wife.

And though I usually try to steer people away from chains to get the full Fort Wayne experience, I'd also say that Flat Top Grill in Jefferson Pointe mall is one of the really cool places that's really fun to eat at. It involves putting together your own all-you-can-eat stir-fry dishes, and it's totally worth it! This place doesn't feel like a chain, but technically it is because there are about 10 locations scattered around the Midwest, mostly in Illinois.

There are only a few things that I still look back fondly on when I think about Fort Wayne, but I sure do miss the food. It made you want to eat out all the time. The opportunites are endless, and if there was one thing I could take with me from Fort Wayne the rest of my life, it would be the restaurants.

[JamesinFW]

Yeah I'm not trying to say the food here sucks or that there's no real nice place to eat. But Fort Wayne certainly isn't known for it's food.