Brown County, Indiana

 

October 15, 2020

Brown County, Indiana

If it is fall in Indiana, that means one thing. A trip to Brown County, one of the top destinations to view fall foliage in the United States and a special place that I have been visiting since the early 1970’s when my mother ran a small shop in popular Nashville, Indiana which to this day is a tourist mecca. Brown County was just my first stop in a leisurely fall drive from Indianapolis to Winston-Salem where I was to visit my mother, then home to Key West.

 

Actually, my first stop was just off of downtown Indianapolis where I wanted to check out a couple of graffiti murals including a well-known Kiss cat mural. It was just a brief stop to check out the funky area just east of downtown that I had never seen before. It was just a moment to check it out before heading south along SR 135 the traditional road to Nashville that I have been traveling for years. The road traverses a lot more developed areas than it once did, but there are still a few stretches of rural, old school Indiana along the route.

 

 

I arrived in Nashville to find the place totally packed and while mask wearing and social distancing were in evidence, I did not feel all that comfortable among the masses so I visited only a couple of shops that I recall from my past that are still operating much the same. My favorite is the Jack and Jill Nut Shop with its screen door pretty much unchanged and the delightful smell of fresh roasted nuts wafting onto the sidewalk. I love that place and bought a variety of tasty nuts to take with me on my travels.

The massive crowds had me worried as the Covid-19 numbers continue to grow in what has long been feared as the fall surge. There are currently 8,154,595 cases of the coronavirus in the United States with 219,674 deaths. In Monroe County where we live the case total rose to 2022, with 926 of those being in Key West and the death toll standing at 24. Needless to say, I wanted to avoid crowds as much as possible so I left Nashville and headed to the nearby and beautiful Brown County State Park.

Personally, Brown County State Park is my favorite park in Indiana and I have tons of wonderful fond memories of being there multiple times since I was a kid. It was a total departure from the throngs and hysteria of Nashville and was quiet, beautiful and serene. It was just what I needed. The fall colors were not at peak, but it was a stunningly beautiful day and enough had begun their transition to make it pretty awesome.

 

 

While visiting the park, I decided to call my friends Reverend and Breezy, who make up two thirds of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band who live along 135 in beautiful Bean Blossom just north of Nashville. They spend part of every year in Key West when not touring and generally when I am visiting Indiana, they are touring so I don’t get to see them. Sadly, like most musicians, their livelihoods have been put on hold due to the pandemic and there are just not many chances for them to play out.

I have always wanted to see their home and property, they live in an amazing rustic old cabin that dates to the 1800s and once stood on the land that is currently the state park. All the cabins were moved out of the park when it was established and they are fortunate enough to call one of them home. To maintain social distancing our visit was outside where Rev had built a campfire and the three of us sat around and caught up. Rev is one of the greatest story tellers that I know and it was just a joy to be able to spend time with them and see them on their home turf. I also got to meet their incredible cat, which was a bonus.

While the pandemic has eliminated their touring, they have made the best of it. Rev says he has written his best stuff ever for their upcoming new CD release and they have had the rare opportunity to be around family for an extended time. Being the awesome people that they are, they have continued to pay their road manager and merch people in spite of not being able to tour. They have tried to make up for a little of the deficit by hosting free live concert broadcasts and asking for donations, which have been amazing. Check out their website to find out when the next one is happening.

After an amazing afternoon, I said goodbye and checked out the nearby Bean Blossom covered bridge and then watched the sunset from the renowned Bean Blossom overlook before heading south to Louisville where I would spend my first night on the road.

 

https://www.bigdamnband.com/