Get a solitude adjustment

Brown County, Indiana

Distance 270 miles
Travel time 4 hours
Don’t miss Candlelight dinner at Story Inn

Twin Oaks Lodge, Brown County, Indiana

Photo: Courtesy of Twin Oaks Lodge

You’ll find a crackling fire and freshly baked cookies at husband-and-wife–owned, six-bedroom B&B Twin Oaks Lodge (7939 S Mount Nebo Rd, 812-988-1759, twinoakslodge.com; $89–$179/night). The place is even better than the pictures on the website suggest—it’s a country cabin with all the classic fittings, such as quilts for sale, bird-watching books and a half-finished puzzle in the sitting room.

For dinner, try the Story Inn (6404 State Rd, 800-881-1183, storyinn.com) down the road in Story (population: about 23). Farm tools adorn the whitewashed, wood-paneled walls; general-store goods fill the shelves; and the fine wine selection is displayed in a deli case. Best of all, classical musicians serenade your locally farmed, candlelit meal.

Charged up for a night out? Mosey in to Mike’s Music & Dance Barn (2277 State Rd 46 W, Nashville, 812-988-8636, thedancebarnlinedance.com) for line dancing.

Story Inn, Brown County, Indiana

Photo: Jessica Herman

Ease into the morning in the downstairs dining area with a carb-loading breakfast of fresh biscuits and granola before taking a hike in the Brown County State Park (1405 State Road 46 W, 812-988-6406). In the winter, the place is virtually deserted—a tad unsettling if you’ve seen too many murder-mystery flicks—but the fresh air and sweeping vistas of barren trees will calm your nerves.

Before heading home, check out the colony of artists’ studios and galleries populating the nearby town of Nashville (see browncounty.com for a listing of locations), or, if you’re an architecture junkie, take a 30-minute drive to Columbus. This burg is packed with public art by folks like Henry Moore, as well as a range of buildings from 19th-century homes to sleek and modern civic structures.

—Jessica Herman