Morton J. Marcus is an economist formerly with the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. His column appears in Indiana newspapers.

          Autumn is moving south through Indiana, transforming the green of summer to gold, red, and orange. The beauty of the state, evident in every season, is heightened by the special palette of on-rushing October.

            Our outdoor delight began this year with a visit to Goose Pond, an Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) treasure centered on SR59 south of Linton in Greene County. Although commuters passed by, the many areas set aside for bird watching and enjoyment of the wetlands were empty at both sunset and sunrise. Every subtle variation of color was revealed by the late and early rays of the sun just above the horizon.

            From Pokagon State Park north of Angola to historic Angel Mounds and Harmonie State Park near Evansville, Indiana is blessed with distinctive opportunities for relaxation, recreation and education. These amazing resources do not get the attention and funding they deserve. But then, what aspects of our state’s assets get the attention and funding they deserve?  

            Your best introduction to the riches of DNR is their website (http://www.in.gov/dnr); a quick, but lesser alternative is the Indiana state highway map from the Indiana Department of Transportation. Every Hoosier car should have a copy of this map in the glove box.

            Recently I picked up a copy of the Official 2015 Roadway Map at a rest stop on I-65. There is I-69 complete from the Ohio River in Evansville to southern Greene County at U.S. 231 near Crane. There is the U.S. 31 Kokomo bypass on the map as further evidence the most cynical among us can be wrong.

            Yet this most-up-to-date map shows the new U.S.31 between South Bend and Plymouth under construction when it actually is now complete. We imagine the map went to press before the road was finished. But why put out the 2015 map so early in 2014? Is INDOT imitating the auto industry?

            What I find objectionable about our state road map is the replacement of city maps with tourism advertisements. Gone are the individual maps for Ft. Wayne, NW Indiana, South Bend, Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Bloomington, Jeffersonville-New Albany, etc. Only Indianapolis is still shown in any detail.

            Yes, the state gets money from these ads. Yes, that money helps defray the cost of printing and distributing the maps. Bully for the state’s fiscal conservatism!

            However, we lose a valuable feature of the old state road maps which helped us navigate our way in the larger metro areas. Naturally, some will insist on-board navigation and mobile devices have superior map services and paper maps are inadequate relics of a fast disappearing past.

            I suggest that paper and electronic maps serve different purposes. Little serendipitous discovery can occur with electronic maps. Those are wonderful to find specific places; they are not stimulants to the wandering spirit.

            Indiana is a great state to explore. Let’s have a road map that facilitates that activity, rather than one devoted to commercial boosterism.