Hiking and More in Brown County

I completed my final hike for 2021! At the beginning of last year, I decided to complete all twelve of the hikes recommended by Only in Indiana, and I am proud to say I successfully finished the task.

My final hike of the year took me to one of my favorite Indiana State Parks, located in Nashville, Indiana. I have visited Brown County State Park many times, and no matter the time of year it is always a new and fun adventure.

To celebrate the culmination of my year-long hiking expedition, I decided to do more than just hiking. I invited my parents along for this adventure, and we spent the night at the Abe Martin Lodge inside Brown County State Park.

With two days in Brown County, in addition to hiking, I had lots of time to take in some of my other favorite activities in Nashville!

Shopping

Not to be confused with Music City in Tennessee, Indiana’s Nashville is a quaint small town with tons of shops packed into eight easily walkable blocks.

Nashville can get super busy with eager shoppers throughout the year, but my visit fell on a drizzly day between Christmas and New Year’s so the crowds were minimal. Unfortunately, several shops were closed, but I still managed to find plenty of stores to browse and unique finds to purchase.

With more than 100 local boutique shops (no chain stores here!), you can easily find one-of-a-kind gifts or something special for yourself.  Several shops carry women’s fashions, home decor, unique crafts, jewelry, and artwork, often with a Midwest flair.

You can also find tons of specialty shops focusing on just one type of signature item. Be sure to check out the sock shop, the spice store, the scrapbook and rubber stamp store, and the two storefronts that carry a huge line of Life is Good apparel.

Sprinkled throughout you will also find plenty of cozy restaurants and shops selling savory and sweet treats. My parents took time for a leisurely lunch at Out of the Ordinary, but I was restless and ready to visit as many shops as I could!

If you want to grab a quick treat, you will find shops scattered throughout town selling fudge, a variety of candy, baked goods, flavored popcorn, and more.

On day two I did take time to slow down a bit in Sweetea’s Tea Shop. I savored a vanilla chai tea latte that rivaled any hot beverage I’ve ever had (delish!) as I relaxed in a cozy chair and got lost in a good book.

Wine Tasting

Nashville also boasts several wine tasting rooms, so I was happy to break up my two-day shopping spree with three unique wine tastings. First up, I opted to visit the Brown County Winery just a few miles from the entrance to Brown County State Park. (They also have a tasting room in the heart of the Nashville shopping district).

Wine tasting is complimentary, and there is a wide selection to choose from. I tend to stick to the sweet and semi-sweet varieties and found many I really liked. Given the season, I ended up purchasing a bottle of their Spiced Red Wine, which is perfect served warm on a cold Indiana night.

I also ventured into Country Heritage Winery, which is near the Nashville Visitor’s Center. Here you can try six wines for $5. I again indulged in several sweet varieties and tried their wine slushie. Yum! If you are in Nashville on the weekend you may even get to enjoy some live music as you relax in the tasting room.

While I enjoyed each variety, I fell in love with the packaging on the Winter White, which displays a beautiful red truck in a wintery scene. Buying this bottle of wine was a win-win as I walked out with great-tasting wine and a decorative bottle that will add to my holiday decor!

Finally, I popped into the Cedar Creek Winery tasting room. I visited this winery in Martinsville a few years ago, which also houses a brewery and distillery. Now I was excited to reacquaint myself with their sweet wines.

I indulged in another free tasting as I chatted with the knowledgeable server. More fabulous wine, but it was the Blue Velvet that won my heart. It was unlike any of the other wines I had tasted, so it was an easy decision to bring this bottle home.

Abe Martin Lodge

After an eventful first day of shopping and wine tasting, my parents and I were ready for a relaxing evening at the Abe Martin Lodge.

Tucked inside Brown County State Park, the lodge includes a small gift shop, an indoor water park, a full-service restaurant, an arcade/game room, two cozy living rooms, and 90 guest rooms.

I enjoyed sitting by the fireplace in one of the living rooms and also curled up in a comfy chair in the other living room for some uninterrupted reading. That’s what I call a relaxing vacation!

Later in the evening, it was hot tub time. While the water park is perfect for kids and those seeking water-themed adventure, I was happy to simply soak in the adults-only hot tub!

Dining

While there are several stellar restaurants to choose from in Nashville, we opted to eat both dinner and breakfast the next morning in the Little Gem Restaurant inside the lodge.

The menu (which is the same at each Indiana State Park Inn) was extensive and included many typical comfort foods found in the Midwest. It was a difficult choice, but for dinner, I went with the fried cod, which was pretty tasty.

But it was breakfast that really won me over! Again it was hard to choose from all the options, and I struggled to settle on a sweet or savory start to my day.

In the end, I chose both! The biscuits and gravy were fabulous as was the french toast. I thoroughly enjoyed this hearty breakfast…and even shared some with my dad.

Fire Tower

Back to the original intent of my trip to Brown County…hiking! According to the article by Only in Indiana, my task for December was to venture up the Fire Tower.

This may not be the best adventure for those who are afraid of heights! But if an amazing view of the Indiana landscape is something you wish to see, I highly recommend a trek up the Fire Tower. It is nearly 100 steps up the single file stairs to the top platform, so I took my time and appreciated the view from every level.

I chose early morning for this expedition and was greeted with a lovely sunrise and the peace of nature just starting to stir in the woods.

After appreciating the beauty from high up, I carefully descended the stairs. Take your time and be careful!

Having spotted a small cabin not far away I decided to check that out as well.

It’s worth a quick side trip to check out this little rustic cabin in the woods called Hoosier’s Nest.

While my heart and my calves got a bit of a workout going up the Fire Tower, I also wanted to get in some traditional hiking. Trail 10 is at the base of the Fire Tower and is a great option for someone up for a rugged 2+mile hike.

I’ll come back and do that one another time!

Trail 1

Since my mom also wanted to join me on my hike, we opted for Trail 1 instead.

This loop trail is just under a mile and can be found right behind the lodge. While there are a few stairs to navigate and some inclines, we found it to be a fairly easy trail. And it was well marked, so I didn’t get lost this time!

For December in Indiana, the weather was pretty mild. Still, we bundled up and managed to stay quite toasty for our trek through the woods. If you plan to hike in Indiana in the winter months be sure to check the forecast as you could be in store for a snowy, blustery hike!

No snow for us though…just peaceful, beautiful nature in the height of its annual slumber!

That’s a wrap on my hiking adventure in 2021!

If you have missed any of my previous hiking expeditions, you can read all about them here: hike 1, hike 2, hike 3, hike 4, hike 5, hike 6, hike 7, hike 8, hike 9, hike 10, and hike 11.

Thanks for following Traveling Tanya as I treked all across Indiana this year!

Now stay tuned as I plan to share all the lessons I learned after a year of hiking in Indiana!

Wherever the road takes you, make it a joyous journey,
Traveling Tanya

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