Fall Colors ? Check out Story, Indiana
Story, Indiana, adjacent to Brown County State Park, is a great place to see fall colors.
Story, Indiana – gateway to the best-ever fall colors
Brown County State Park in Southern Indiana is my favorite place for autumn leaf peeping. The trees here turn magnificent shades of red, gold, and burnt orange in late September or early October and stay that way until winter arrives.
Many “peepers” stay in nearby Nashville, but that’s way too touristy for me. Instead, I recommend Story, Indiana – gateway to glorious fall colors – because it’s small, authentic, and adjacent to Brown County State Park.
Even in summer, when the trees are uniformly covered in green, Story, Indiana, is well worth a visit.
More than just fall colors – Here’s the story on Story
The town was founded in 1851 when President Millard Fillmore granted a land patent to Dr. George Story, who came from a family of timber harvesters. It its heyday (1880-1929), it was the largest settlement in the area and supported two general stores, a church, schoolhouse, sawmill, grain mill, and post office.
However, during the Great Depression, residents abandoned the town and went in search of work in more populous areas. In 1960, Story’s access to nearby Bloomington (home of Indiana University) was cut off when the US Army Corps of Engineers flooded the low-lying land, creating Lake Monroe.
The entire town of Story, Indiana, is a bed and breakfast inn. Fall colors and wine and beer festivals are seasonal attractions. The peace and quiet of the 19th century is available year round.
No new construction has taken place in Story since that event – which means the original buildings were spared the misfortune of modernization, and Story, Indiana, remains the best preserved example of a 19th-century small town in the American Midwest.
Rick Hofstetter, current owner of the town, which covers 23 acres and includes numerous quaint buildings, majored in history at Indiana University and went on to Duke Law School. He bought the town at a sheriff’s sale in 1999.
These days, the entire town is a bed and breakfast inn that offers imaginative cuisine, as well as lodging. Hofstetter is quick to point out that only Dr. Story’s house is a true Victorian. “The others are an architectural style called ‘vernacular’ – a poor man’s Victorian.” He also acknowledges that the buildings have been “renovated, not restored.” Some of the 18 rooms and cottages have hot tubs and kitchenettes; all come with private bathrooms and air conditioning; none offer TVs, clocks, phones, or radios.
The Story Inn
The Story Inn – one inconvenient location since 1851.
Story’s Old General Store, complete with its creaky wooden floors, pot-bellied stove and long-retired Standard Oil pumps, is now a popular restaurant known as the “Story Inn.”
Here, many of the ingredients for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners come from the extensive herb and veggie garden on the premises. Other produce comes from local farmers who “just show up at the door with whatever they have.” The result is a menu that changes frequently, which reminds me of another favorite spot – Sooke Harbour House . If you want to enjoy a meal at the Story Inn, I suggest you make reservation in advance – especially when the town is boasting its best fall colors.
When we ate there recently, I loved my artichoke croissant (creamy artichoke hearts blended with parmesan, white cheddar, garlic, and dill), and my husband enjoyed a Brown County pork blackberry BBQ sandwich. The pulled smoked pork shoulder was cooked in the secret Story barbecue sauce.
Best-ever fall colors? Check out Brown County, Indiana.
Horses, weddings, wine, and beer
While good food lures many guests here, the proximity to Brown County State Park is another big attraction. The town and the park share a 1,000 foot boundary near the horseman’s camp area and many guests ride the trails and then stable their horses in Story – at what Hofstetter calls his “horsey hostel.”
I wasn’t surprised to learn that Story is a popular place for destination weddings, but I really thought I had heard Rick wrong when he said that more than 5,000 people attend their annual Indiana Wine Fair every spring. Story also hosts the annual Hoosier Hops & Harvest gathering.
Want to visit the best preserved example of a 19th-century small town in the American Midwest? You’ll find it roughly equidistant between Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati – or as Rick Hofstetter likes to say “One inconvenient location since 1851.”
And that’s often the case with un-touristy places. They’re a little hard to find, but well worth the effort. I think you’ll like Story – whether you go for the fall colors, the beer, the wine, or just a chance to live in the peace and quiet of the 19th-century for a few days.
Best,
Photo credit: Doug Hamilton and ADAMS / HANSEN STOCK PHOTOS.
Category: fall colors, USA Midwestern States
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