Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Nashville, IN (10/26)

I had never heard of Nashville, Indiana until the day I drove through it on my way to the campground in Gnaw Bone.  That was on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the streets of Nashville were jam-packed with shoppers and tourists.  I immediately concluded I would have to return, but during the week when there was a little less traffic.

Nashville is a quaint village in the hills of southern Indiana.  With a population of about 800, it is the largest town in,  and the county seat of, Brown County.  The area was first settled in 1809, but the town wasn't incorporated until 1872.  For some reason, the area began to attract artists in the early 1900s and still has a thriving arts community today, practicing a variety of art forms.  Several activities make Nashville a destination attraction.

Bill Monroe, known as "The Father of Bluegrass" bought property in nearby Bean Blossom in 1951 and started the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Festival in 1965.  That event had its 50th anniversary recently and is still held on the same property.  In fact, Highway 135, which runs through Bean Blossom, was proclaimed the Bill Monroe Memorial Highway in 1999.  There is also an annual Blues Festival in Bean Blossom.

In addition to music festivals and the artist colony, Brown County's rolling hills, scenic farm lands, fall foliage and antique sales attract many visitors.  Numerous B & B's, inns and hotels provide accommodations for them.  For such a small town, there are at least 26 restaurants serving the community.













This was my last stop on the 2015 summer trip.  I had plans to re-visit Lexington, KY to check out fall foliage there, but heavy rains led me to keep moving.  In fact, the rain was constant well into Georgia, so I just kept going and soon made it home.  Now I'm thinking about a spring trip, so stay tuned for that adventure.

2 comments:

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  2. Interesting info about Bill Monroe. There is an excellent Bluegrass group in Minnesota named Monroe Crossing after Bill Monroe. This postingcis a beautiful ending to your trip, particularly the first and last photos here.

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