Some would say I went to Southern Indiana in search of my roots.
In my case, however, the nostalgic longing for my Hoosier roots was lodged in my stomach. Specifically, I was looking for a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, the kind with the thinly pounded meat sticking out around the edge of the too-small bun. They are best when served hot with mustard and dill pickles, maybe a slice of red onion. It used to be that you could get these wonderful country delicacies in just about any Nowheresville diner throughout the Midwest, but they are getting harder and harder to find, including in Nashville.
Its seeming scarcity was perhaps due to the fact that Nashville is no longer on the road to nowhere. Although the roads around it are littered with quaint towns with names like Bean Blossom, towns where the streets are rolled up at precisely 5 p.m. and right after church on Sunday, Nashville has managed to turn itself into a major destination, perhaps in large part due to its proximity to Indianapolis and Interstate Highway 65.
And even though it’s in the heart of some of the most beautiful country in the Midwest — a region of steep hills, the remnants of a prehistoric glacial past — most people come to Nashville to shop and eat, which is exactly what we did. There are restaurants, scores of tiny boutiques, a playhouse, an opry house and a plethora of bed-and-breakfasts to keep visitors occupied.
We arrived late on a Friday afternoon, taking the day off from work in order not to waste most of our Saturday making the roughly five-hour drive from Chicago.
Most of the B&B’s in town were booked, so we stayed at the Green Valley Motor Lodge, a family-run motel just west of town on Indiana Highway 46, looking out on the green hills of Brown County and the Little Nashville Opry parking lot.
As it turned out, this was a good choice for us. Downtown Nashville is very crowded, and we were just as glad to be a half-mile or so away from the action where the country quiet is so thick you can hear your own heart beating.
Decorated in flowery faux country chic with an ersatz canopy bed adorned by line-dried sheets, our motel room was one of the cleanest places I have ever been.
We checked in, dumped our bags and immediately went into town looking for dinner, a search that was a short one because having visited here before I knew exactly where to eat: the landmark, wood-paneled Nashville House, where else?
Arguably, it has the best food in town, with long lines on busy days, offering fried chicken, barbecued ribs, baked ham and turkey and dressing, as well as other comfort food. And there’s also a bottomless pitcher of iced tea (no alcohol served here) and the best apple butter you have ever tasted and made even better when slathered on the fried biscuits.
We then spent the better part of an hour, browsing through the attached country store, which is one of the village’s better places to shop for unique items. Among the best-known ones here are handmade country-style pottery, stoneware and iron cookware. We bought a blue spackle-ware pitcher for about $20 and a box of maple candy, the kind my great-uncle used to pass out at Christmas, for about $5.
Unfortunately, judging by the crowds in town, it would seem that most people who come to Nashville don’t spend much time exploring the spectacular hills, the Midwest’s version of mountains, that have made this town the scenic paradise attracting all sorts of artisans.
And that’s too bad. Brown County State Park — with its famed covered bridge entry — is just outside of town on Indiana 46, and it’s worth some time.
We spent Saturday morning in the park while the air was still cool and inviting. We climbed up and down ravines, watched waterbugs scurrying along the bottom of streams, admired the wildflowers and listened to the birds. Be sure to carry water and wear good sturdy shoes. The trail we took was tough on the muscles, and at the end of two hours, our flatlander legs were tired.
We had planned to picnic in the park on our leftovers of chicken and ribs and biscuits from the night before, but forgot to put the bag in the cooler the night before we had to head back into town. We had a light lunch at the Hob Nob Corner, an old building with big wooden booths, tilted planked floors and an old-fashioned counter.
We had no afternoon program. We kept talking about walking over to Nashville’s pioneer village exhibit or out of town to one of the many flea markets or into Bloomington to check out the beautiful Indiana University campus, but somehow we never got ourselves organized to do it.
A lazy afternoon meandering the streets found us eating ice cream sitting on a street-side bench, tromping through endless stores and resting at a hot dog stand listening to a couple of country boys playing a toe-tapping guitar duet.
Late in the day, we took a drive out to Bean Blossom and checked out the old covered bridge just outside of town. There is no tourist sign, but it can be found conveniently on Covered Bridge Road (what else?). Just keep your eyes peeled for the road sign as you enter Bean Blossom on Indiana Highway 135 just north of Nashville.
The next morning, after a great breakfast at That Sandwich Place, surrounded by what is most likely the world’s largest collection of Hoosier basketball memorabilia and pictures of Indiana University coach Bobby Knight, we headed out.
Our stomachs were satisfied and well-fed after a weekend of feasting, and our wallets thinner after an afternoon of buying local artwork.
And as for that breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, we’re still looking.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Weekend expenses for two:
Green Valley Motor Lodge
(2 nights) ………….. $228
Meals ………………. $132
Gas and tolls ………… $40
Park entry fee ………… $5
Total ………………. $405
IF YOU GO
– GETTING THERE
Nashville is about 250 miles from Chicago’s North Side. In Indiana take Interstate Highway 65 south to Indiana Highway 46, about 45 miles south of Indianapolis. Go west to Nashville.
– LODGING
Make reservations early, especially during the peak fall color season. We stayed at the Green Valley Motor Lodge (692 Hwy 46W, Nashville, IN 47448; 812-988-0231); 50 rooms, some with antiques. Some places that looked interesting but were booked include Sugar Cottage, 145 E. Gould St. (812-988-2881), an antiques-filled private house near the town center accommodating up to 8. There’s also the Artists Colony Inn, corner of Franklin and Van Buren Streets (812-988-0600), a small 20-room hotel with restaurant.The 160 rooms and cabins at Abe Martin Lodge, in Brown County State Park on Indiana 46 (812-988-4418), are usually booked well in advance.
– DINING
The Nashville House, Main and Van Buren Streets; 812-988-4554. A bounteous dinner for two cost about $37 in a beautiful rustic dining room. That Sandwich Place, downstairs from the Nashville House, at Van Buren and Main Streets; 812-988-2355. A hearty breakfast was about $16 in a fun place decorated with Hoosier memorabilia. The Ordinary, Van Buren Street and Old Hickory Lane; 812-988-6166. This comfortable dining room with pianist serves country specialties. Dinner for two cost about $33. The Hob Nob Corner, Main and Van Buren Streets; 812-988-4114. A relaxed and casual place with counter service. Lunch for two: $17. Brown County Inn, Harvest Room, a half a mile east of Nashville on Indiana 46; 812-988-2291. Huge breakfast buffet for two: $16.
– INFORMATION
The Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau; 800-753-3255; www.browncounty.com
