Brownstown Again

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

On our way back from Madison, we tried a different route.

We took IN-7 north out of Brownstown until it connected with IN-250.

Then we took IN-250 into Brownstown.

IN-250 was the road we'd been looking for.  Lightly travelled and featuring graceful sweepers and riverside running -- it was everything IN-256 hadn't been.

From Brownstown we took IN-135 North, past Story, IN, to Nashville, IN.


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Nashville Indiana describes it self as an artist colony. At the very least it's a "local" tourist destination drawing day-trippers from Indianapolis and points south. It features antique shops and restaurants. However, Mrs. Rat and I have spent many hours in Nashville, Indiana, and have no interest in another visit this trip.

After a brief stop to stretch our legs we hop back on the bikes and head north on IN-135.


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Retracing our steps, we catch IN-44 east and head into Franklin.

Hanover College

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Madison is just two miles from Hanover, IN, home of Indiana's oldest private college. A friend and colleague of mine is a graduate of Hanover College, and has told of about its beautiful campus. We were so close, how could we not check it out?

We rode two miles west to the entrance to Hanover College. I was blown away by the twisty, tree-lined road which led to the park-like campus.

Though no summer classes were in session, we toured around the dorms and halls which overlooked the Ohio River. The scenery rivalled Clifty Falls State Park, and in fact the acreage surpasses the size of the State Park. The College president's home enjoys a river view unspoiled by coal-fired power plant or any other industry.

I snapped a few photos to prove I was there, but wish I had snapped a few more.

The Red Pepper

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Seven years ago, when we made our first pilgrimage to Madison, IN, in the days before we were riding our motorcycles on long trips, my wife and I stumbled upon a great local restaurant. Upon our return we were happy to see the place was still in operation. We made sure to visit it again.

I don't know the history of The Red Pepper, but the building looks like it used to be a classic service station from the 1950's, turned into a restaurant. It has a diverse menu, and good food. We enjoyed our sandwiches immensely as we sat and talked and listened to the music playing. The sun streamed in the windows and we enjoyed our place in the sun.

Coal-Fired Plant

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

Clifty Falls State Park's shortcoming . . . if it has any . . . would be the coal-fired power plant which sits between it and the Ohio River.

This isn't an issue for most of the park acreage, as it is rugged and wooded and vast . . . So much so that unless you visit the Park's extreme southern end you may be unaware of the power plant's existence.

To visitors of the Inn, however, the power plant is inescapable, since its smokestacks occupy part of the River View afforded by the Inn's spot on the hill. This bother some folks more than others.

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I'm among those who didn't find it objectionable. There were no filthy clouds of smoke. No raining of ash. The most noticeable aspect of the power plant, aside from its twin smokestacks, was the muted sound of heavy equipment loading coal from huge riverside stockpiles into conveyors, which I presume fed the great beast its steady diet of fuel.

Thankfully the din had subsided by evening.

Perhaps coal is only moved during daylight hours.

This photo of Clifty Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Madison River Front

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

After dinner at the Broadway Hotel, my wife and I strolled down Broadway Avenue toward the river. We passed coach houses with walled gardens, and a historic swimming pool built in the 1930's. The riverfront was alive with people enjoying the pleasant summer evening.



Looking around it could easily have been a scene from the 1950's . . . Before cell phones, before video games, before all manner of digital entertainment turned our entire culture inward, indoors. Here was a baseball game being played. Here were picnics overlooking the river. Here were kids on bicycles.

We watched the sunset along the river, and snapped a few photos.  No photo could capture that hometown feeling.

Though the light was fading I snagged a couple of photos of the fountain outside the First Presbyterian Church.  The steeple of this church is easily discernible from our balcony view at Clifty Inn, a mile to the west and a hundred feet higher on the hill. 

We milked as much enjoyment out of that day as we could, until the light was gone. We mounted our bikes again, pointed them West out of downtown and toward Clifty Falls State Park. Mindful of the twisty roads, and the nocturnal beasts which night at any moment emerge onto the roadway in front of us, we tiptoed back to the Clifty Inn for the night.

The Broadway

Trip To Madison, IN
My wife and I took a motorcycle trip to Madison, IN in early June. This blog post is part of a series which presents each step of our journey. If you missed the beginning, the story starts here.

After catching up on my sleep, we geared up, got back on the bikes, and rode into Madison (which is just a mile down the road from Clifty Falls State Park).

Madison has a quaint and historic downtown with lots of old buildings turned into restaurants, antique shops, and bookstores. 

Madison's location on the Ohio river made it an important trade center in the early 1800's. Goods and passengers bound for Indiana arrived by riverboat, and transferred to stage coach or train at Madison.

As other forms of transportation took over, Madison's importance in industry diminished. Today it survives as a tourist destination nestled along the beautifully wooded banks of the Ohio River. The town has preserved many historic buildings and converted them to shops, restaurants, and hotels. The architecture of a bygone era and the small-town feel make it an enjoyable weekend get-away.

We parked our bikes in free parking along main street, walked along the shop until we spied The Broadway Hotel, which claims bragging rights as Indiana's oldest continuously-operated Inn. Former patrons include John Wilkes Booth.

The food was delicious and plentiful. The staff was friendly. My wife and I ate our fill for under thirty dollars.