monumental efforts - View this location on map start at monument circle in the heart of downtown with a cup of coffee ($1.43) and a fresh-baked muffin ($1.79) from the chocolate cafe (317-951-4816) and head to the soldiers and sailors monument (1 monument circle, 317-232-7615). inside the base of the 103-year-old, 284-foot tall obelisk, look over the civil war museum that chronicles the lives of hoosier soldiers, then take the elevator or brave the 330 stairs to the top. a few blocks north is the freemasons' scottish rite cathedral, above (650 north meridian street, 800-489-3579; open monday through friday and the third saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. only). take an hourlong guided tour. the cathedral, a 76-year-old gothic structure believed to be the largest devoted to freemasonry, is used as a meeting hall rather than as a house of worship. with its 212-foot tower, 54 bells, 2,500-pound gilded bronze chandelier, cavernous oak-paneled halls and stained-glass windows depicting the 33 degrees of freemasonry, the cathedral is a tribute to the masons' devotion to the arts, sciences and religion.'' New York Times 20 north meridian street, Indianapolis, IN Local spot, Historical, Cultural, Restaurant

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