The second October trip to Nashville was just as enjoyable for me as the first, and it included a stop at the Holly Shop, one of the shops I best remembered from my half-dozen or so previous jaunts to Nashville, but one that time and fatigue prevented me from seeing the previous weekend.
Nashville and its arts and crafts shops have evolved from what I remembered of it when I was last there, which was probably around 2002 or so. For example, You can pick up promotional material about the community at the visitors' center in the heart of downtown -- Van Buren (Ind. 135) and Main streets. The literature contains maps of the merchants' district that shows where most of the shops are. It's possible the visitors' center and such literature existed in 2002, but if it did, I don't remember it.
The second October trip also included a stop at the Nashville House restaurant, the town eatery I'd heard most people talk about through the years, largely because of its family-style meals and fried biscuits and apple butter. But while searching online before leaving Indianapolis for Brown County, I read what seemed like many more raves about the Hobnob Corner restaurant across Van Buren Street from the Nashville House.
On this day, the Hobnob was packed by the time I got there, while the Nashville House was just opening for lunch, so I went to the latter and was seated right away. Within 15 minutes, that place was packed, too. Alas, the lunch I had at the Nashville House was not served family style; apparently that is reserved for dinner time.
After the trip to the state park the previous day, I'd dined at the Brown County Inn, where I would stay the night. I'd ordered the fried chicken at the Brown County Inn (it was good, but nothing out of the ordinary), so rather than do chicken again, I had the roast beef at the Nashville House. It, too, was nothing out of the ordinary. Best part of the meal were the fried biscuits and apple butter, but I only got a couple of those.
The town has a tour "train" (a train body on motor vehicle axis and wheels, actually) called the Nashville Express, which swings through the motels and hotels to pick up lodging guests and takes them to the merchants' district on a short, indirect route during which the driver points out significant areas of the town and provides appropriate history. Guests pay $4 for the ride (it will take them back to their rooms for no extra charge). As it turned out, most of the trip was spent getting to and leaving the motels/hotels, but it was still enjoyable to see more of the town I might not have seen otherwise.
Back to the Holly Shop, which I'm featuring in my lead photos ... the shop that specializes in Christmas and winter holiday decor is a little out of the way -- on the north end of business district -- and can be missed easily for first-timers coming from the north because of the significant descent on Ind. 135. But on foot, the striking stream of red cocksomb flowers that line the walk leading to the shop make it hard to miss.
I've added the new shots to my profile of Nashville, Ind., at my SmugMug site.
Above: The visitors' center.
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