Southern Indiana’s Brown and Orange counties promise autumn travelers a palette of colorful experiences.
By Suzanne Corbett

Drive the southern Indiana counties of Brown and Orange and you’ll quickly discover more than spectacular fall foliage. Each county possesses a colorful mix of history, art and entertainment. Stand-alone destinations framed by picturesque surroundings, Brown County’s hillside villages and Orange County’s retro resorts compose a palette of experiences to discover.

Above: Artists Colony Inn offers guests charming accommodations at a convenient Nashville location. Suzanne Corbett photo Below: The magnificent atrium of the restored West Baden Springs Hotel rests under the property’s 200-foot free-span dome. The beautifully restored French Lick Springs Hotel is nearby. Chris Smith photo

Brown County

Brown County’s villages resonate country charm, especially in Nashville, the historical county seat. Known for its crafts shops, rustic inns and festivals, Nashville has drawn visitors to Indiana’s southern hills since the early 1900s.

“People come to bask in our small-town atmosphere,” said Brown County’s Director of Communications Debbie Dunbar. “Our county became popular with outsiders thanks in part to the artists’ colony that flourished here and to cartoonist Kin Hubbard, creator of the Abe Martin cartoon strip.”

Each September, Abe Martin’s wit and wisdom is celebrated in Nashville during Abe Martin’s County Picnic & NASHCAR Outhouse Race (Sept. 18 and 19). The festivities along West Main and Jefferson streets include NASHCAR practice rounds, community pig roasts and live music.

Brown County has a good deal of pioneer history, and visitors can learn more about the past in a conversation with Jacob Brown, portrayed by Pete Sebert. Meet him at the Pioneer Village Museum or sign up for one of his tours.

Brown’s bluegrass mecca

Five miles north of Nashville on state Route 135 is America’s bluegrass mecca, the town of Bean Blossom. The Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Country Star Museum is at the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground (5163 state Route 135 North). Monroe, considered the father of bluegrass, fell in love with the Indiana hills after an appearance with his Bluegrass Boys in 1951 at the Brown County Jamboree. In 1955, he purchased the property that became home to the Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, said to be the oldest-running bluegrass festival in the country.

The 34th Annual Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Uncle Pen Days Festival will be held Sept. 23–26. Thirty bands are scheduled to perform, and musicians will be inducted into the hall.

Plein aire painters and more

The hundred year legacy left by the Hoosier Group of American impressionist plein aire (open air) painters led by renowned Indiana artist T.C. Steele still inspires. Amateur and professional artists come to the T.C. Steele State Historic Site (4220 T.C. Steele Road) in Nashville to paint the same landscapes he sketched and painted at his beloved retreat, the House of the Singing Winds. Those arriving without paint and brush are welcome to tour the site’s historic buildings and gardens.

Original artwork is plentiful and available for purchase during the Back Roads Artists Driving Tour throughout October when more than a dozen celebrated Brown County artists and craftsmen open their studios and galleries to the public. Previous artwork displayed has included paintings, pottery, photography, furniture, stained glass and jewelry. The self-guided tour and map are free.

Hoosier bed and board

Square meals built on down-home cooking paired with comfortable accommodations epitomize Hoosier hospitality. Fried chicken, smoked ham, fried biscuits and apple butter are the signature vittles at Brown County Inn (51 state Route 46 East).

Thirteen miles south of Nashville is The Story Inn (6404 South State Road), advertised as one inconvenient location since 1851. An unlikely location, the Story Inn is an upscale inn and gourmet restaurant whose menu brings unexpected culinary pleasures, such as lamb chops with olive tapenade and pan-seared scallops with champagne grapes and toasted almonds.

Back-to-basics cuisine rules at the Abe Martin Lodge in Brown County State Park where visitors and guests can get their three squares, seven days a week. The Abe Martin Lodge was built in the 1930s using rustic architectural elements of hand-hewed logs and native stone. Modern comforts, such as a restaurant, WIFI (wireless free Internet) and an indoor water park, were added for guests to enjoy.

Orange County

About 80 miles south of Nashville via state Route 37 and U.S. Highway 150/state Route 56 is Orange County, Brown County’s alter ego. Since the 1840s, Orange County’s mineral waters spawned the tourist trade, resulting in the construction of opulent Victorian resorts and pre-prohibition art-deco casinos. Today, the French Lick area has embraced its historical and bawdy past with extensive renovation and reopening of its luxurious resorts, a Main Street outdoor artisans market and championship golf courses.

Favored by mobsters, politicians and movie stars, the French Lick Resort and Casino (8670 West State Road 56) remains a favorite haunt of 21st-century celebrities.

“Celebrities still come but it’s fun to look over the resort’s historic guest book,” said Dyan Welsh, resort public relations manager. “Al Capone, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and FDR–they all stayed here and reveled in the luxury that made French Lick famous.”

Brought back to its gilded glory as part of a $450 million restoration and expansion project, the French Lick Springs Hotel (AAA four Diamonds) re-opened in 2007. Its sister property that also holds four AAA Diamonds, the West Baden Springs Hotel, is just a mile down the road. When it first opened in 1902, the unique hotel was considered the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World due to its free-span 200-foot atrium dome.

Both resorts feature famed mineral spring spas with a diverse selection of health and beauty treatments ranging from hot stone massage and hydrotherapy to French manicures. After the spa, consider a round of golf, a trail ride or simply stroll and tour the resorts’ surrounding sites and gardens.

Orange’s other diversions

Beyond upscale resorts, Orange County’s natural beauty continues to bring visitors back for outdoor recreation, fall foliage tours and festivals. Fish, boat or ski Patoka Lake. At the Indiana Railway Museum, climb on board the French Lick Scenic Railroad for fall foliage tours. Kick back and sip a glass of wine at the French Lick Winery, part of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail.

The new Valley of the Springs Resort with its indoor water park, Big Splash Adventure, is a good choice for traveling families. The water park is inside a glass structure with retractable roof.

Plan your trip to include one of Orange County’s fall festivals. French Lick’s Beaux Arts Fair located at the Town Green will be Oct. 9–10 and showcases regional artists. Or join locals at the Orange County Pumpkin Festival (Sept. 27–Oct. 4), which brings a carnival atmosphere to the streets in French Lick.

Family friendly festivals and fall foliage aside, after visiting these Indiana counties, your favorite colors may well become orange and brown.

Suzanne Corbett is a contributor from St. Louis, Mo.