Destinations: Nashville, Indiana

Image Gallery Enjoying the curves outside of Nashville, Ind. Photo by Zorba Rose

Ahh, the whine of the engine, the click of the valves and the growl of the exhaust note. If you crave twisty roads, they’re just minutes away from Nashville ... Nashville, Ind., that is.

A happy little tourist town 60 miles south of Indianapolis, Nashville is located in the heart of Southern Indiana. Encircled by steep forested hills, Nashville is nestled in the valley where Routes 46 and 135 meet.

On Saturdays from May to October, motorcycles line both sides of the streets. Riders relax, eat and shop between rides to Bloomington on Routes 46 and 45, or explore back roads with names like Greasy Creek, Grandma Barnes and Bear Wallow.

Nashville has ample overnight accommodations and entertainment options. It’s a few miles from the Bill Monroe Music Park and Bluegrass Hall of Fame, the Little Nashville Opry and Bean Blossom Drag Strip.

The county is also home to Brown County State Park, the state’s largest. The park is fun to putter around in while viewing the lush landscape.

One of the best Brown County rides is Route 135 south from Nashville to Salem. As soon as Route 135 splits from Route 46, there are 25 miles of curves — sweet, beautiful sweepers, S-curves and chicanes.

For the first five miles, the road runs through a deep valley following a small creek. Many homes dot this stretch of road and the traffic can be heavy, but the road becomes less populated south of Stone Head at Bellsville Road. There the road turns west and hugs the northwestern edge of a large farm valley following the wavy contours of the hillsides.

The next town is Story, and as soon as it disappears from the mirror, the road comes alive. The next 15 miles is a real roller coaster, as the road snakes back and forth, and up and down.