roadmaven Posted October 21, 2008 Report Share Posted October 21, 2008 For those of you here in Indiana & surrounding areas, here's a day trip that's PERFECT for this time of year. So perfect, I might be inclined to take it this weekend. This was the route we took on the American Road Forum's "Cool Roads Cruise" in November 2007. Denny's write up can be found here. From Indy, cruise south down US 31 to Taylorsville (I-65 Exit 76 area). From here, you can jump on I-65 south , OR, continue on US 31 south and hook up with IN-11 near Columbus and take it south through Walesboro, where you'll want to turn right onto CR-450 South. Take it west and once you go over I-65, it becomes IN-58. If you want to bypass C-bus altogether, you can always jump on the Evil-I at Taylorsville and take it to Exit 64 and take IN-58 west from there. 58 is the perfect two-lane, twisty road that won't put you to sleep. It cruises through some small little burgs, farmlands, and rolling hills in its trek toward Bedford. At Bedford, jump on IN-37 south for a short distance until you see the signs for IN-450 West. If you thought 58 was a joy, 450 surpasses that. A stop off at the Williams Dam in Williams for a break is a must. Just on the outskirts of Williams, a left turn onto Huron and Williams Road will take you across the 124 year old Williams Covered Bridge, which crosses the east fork of the White River. Crossing back over the bridge and getting back onto IN-450, you'll continue your cruise through some more tunnels of trees and enter the town of Dover Hill, where 450 snakes through town with seemingly endless S-curves. As 450 comes to an end, you'll enter Shoals. Take US 150 east and follow it down to the West Baden/French Lick area & enjoy a nice tour of the West Baden Springs Hotel and maybe grab a bite to eat at the French Lick Winery. I think you'll find this will be a full day of two-lane fun, as members Denny & Bliss could attest. And just for historic purposes, it was on this same route that I organized some 8 years ago for our Corvair club, that my good friend and eventual best man Pete Lapitsky annointed me "The Road Maven" for leading us on this fun backroads adventure. So there you have it folks! I would encourage anyone in the area to treat yourself, especially while the leaves are turning and falling. Nothing like blasting through a road layered with leaves, and this will provide it! And if you're a fan of the aroma of burning leaves, I can just about bet you'll get a few whiffs of that within the next couple of weeks along this route too. If you make the trip, let us know what you think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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