A visit to charming Nashville, Ind.

Indiana residents well know the charm and allure of Nashville, Ind., the seat of Brown County.

Nashville has long been known as an artists' colony, and its quaint, orderly collection of novelty, knick-knack and artisan shops; sundry restaurants; and even local representation of at least three Central Indiana wineries attracts a regular stream of visitors and tourists throughout the year. That stream evolves into a river come autumn, when Brown County and its namesake state park bring in even more people eager to see the leaf change-of-color spectacle in the densely wooded areas nearby.

I'd been to Nashville at least a half-dozen times over the years, but the last time had been a decade or so ago until I drove down last Saturday. And this was the first time I bothered to bring along a camera to take pictures. For this shoot, I used my Canon 7D and Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD lens.

The primary objective for the trip wasn't photography, but I stopped and got about five dozen shots along the way, and that's what this post is about. When I return there some day, I plan to take the camera again and add to my Nashville profile, which I've begun in the communities section of my site at SmugMug.

Leading off the post, and the first picture below, are closeups of some glazed ceramic foot planters situated outside the shop pictured in the second frame below.

As always, click on any image to view a larger, sharper version.

Above: One of the few interior shots I dared to take during the afternoon.

A look down one of the main thoroughfares (above), and a side view of the Brown Count Courthouse, where the local fire department was holding a fish fry fundraiser this day on the backside of the structure (to the right in this view). Yes, I partook. Fish fries are a big thing in Wisconsin, where I grew up, so I like to drop in on one whenever I can in Indiana.

Above: There are several clusters of shops -- sort of mini-strip centers -- in Nashville, and this sign shows what businesses are in this cluster.

Above: The town isn't without its sense of humor. Years of experience -- and many husbands and significant others driven to boredom and beyond -- no doubt spawned this idea.

Above and below: A closeup and full-view look at an institutional sculpture outside the visitors center.

Above is a view of the town a few blocks from the beaten path, which shows that if you don't get there early, your parking options become a sort of hunting game in the surrounding neighborhoods. Some home and business owners charge anywhere from $3 to $5 to park on their premises or lawns. One visitor (below), who looks like they were making a stop in Nashville after a biking outing, found street parking on the southwest end of town.