Rural Beauty and Small Town Charm on This Western Indiana Road Trip

Enjoy the colorful roadside wildflowers and pollinator plantings along Mongtomery County backroads this summer on a Western Indiana road trip. I recently took a beautiful drive to explore the beauty of rural Indiana and the small town charm of Hillsboro.

Lunch in Hillsboro

From Shades State Park, slip a few miles west into Fountain County and head north to Hillsboro for a taste of small town charm. Enjoy lunch at Richard’s Nifty 50’s Soda Shop. Next door is the charming Myers Dinner Theater. Dinner and shows like “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Driving Miss Daisy” are very affordable. Group rates are available, and shows are scheduled throughout the year.

Lewis & Clark expedition member

After lunch, stop by Old Pioneer Cemetery east of Waynetown. Here you’ll find the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition buried in Indiana – William E. Bratton. Bratton was with the expedition 1803-1806, after joining in Clarksville. He served as blacksmith, gunsmith and hunter as the group made their way West. Bratton fought in the War of 1812. By 1822 he and his wife were in Waynetown. Bratton and his wife Mary had 10 children. He held various county and township offices after moving to Waynetown.

Wine and sweet treats

Coal Creek Cellars Winery is between Waynetown and Crawfordsville. Sample some of the 15 wines in a 100-year-old barn. Then head to Darlington Covered Bridge, one of only two covered bridges in Montgomery County. If you didn’t have a milkshake or sundae in Hillsboro, stop by The Sweet and Salty ice cream shop in Darlington for a frozen treat.

Darlington Covered Bridge

The Darlington Covered Bridge sits over Sugar Creek on the west side of town. Built in 1868, the white bridge has a brick floor. A trail next to the bridge leads down to Sugar Creek for a better view of the 169-foot double span.

If you visit Lake Waveland Park, be sure to stop in Waveland. The beautiful history mural is next to the town’s Carnegie Library.

Crawfordsville, the county seat, has numerous restaurants and points of interest. Plan a day or a weekend. Wherever you stop, Montgomery County has beauty and history, food and places to explore.