Written Directions
A verbal description of how to find Connersville Indiana is as follows: Take I-70 east out of Indianapolis, IN for about 40 miles. Off of I-70, take exit #137 (Route 1) south to the town of Connersville to begin the route.
From Connersville, head south on route 121 until you get to route 52 and take that east for a few miles to the town of Metamora. From Metamora, turn around and head about 1/2 mile back west on 52 and catch state route 229 south to Peppertown, Oldenburg, and on to Batesville. Next take state route 46 east to and through Morris and on to St. Leon and continue on 46 till it meets 52. Now take 52 north on to New Trenton and up to Brookville where you want to look for state route 101 heading north. This route will take you past the Mounds State Recreation Area and the Whitewater Memorial State Park. After the town of Liberty, take US route 27 north up to Richmond. From Richmond, finish your route by heading west along US 40 ("The Old National Highway") towards Centerville.
Scenery
This ride stands out because of its great combination of beautiful scenery, plenty of amenities to get you off the bike and great rolling hills to keep you throttle wrist moving. Portions of this route travel along a section of Route 40 which has been designated by the US Dept of Transportation as an official National Scenic Byway.
Along this route you will see some beautiful river valley scenery as well as a very large reservoir. The route mostly travels through beautiful Indiana woodlands and goes through some nicely kept up old towns where you will see some exciting churches and courthouses.
Photo contributed by a visitor in July 09: "Metamora"
Drive Enjoyment
This route lies in the central area of Indiana where the state has some great hilly twisting roads ideal for those of us smart enough to ride bikes. A strong 4 by Midwest standards. Photo contributed by a visitor in July 09: "Church"
(7/10/2020 Update) North of Oldenberg, there are a lot of tar snakes that can be slippery. However south of Oldenberg and through Batesville and south the road conditions improve greatly. Greast twists and turns all the way down.
Tourism Opportunities
This route takes you to some picturesque Indiana towns with a great variety of museums, crafts, restaurants, and attractions. At the end of the route you can stop at 'antique alley' and visit some of the 900 antique dealers along this stretch of highway. Below is an overall summary of some of the highlights along this route: - Connersville is a good size town of about 25,000 with a collection of large mansions built from the prosperity that the channel once brought to this area. In this town you can take a ride on an old train following the path of the channel. The train makes a roundtrip of about 32 miles. The train runs on weekends and holidays (call the Connersville COC for more information at 765-825-2561). - Metamora. This small Indiana town has over a hundred stores and shops spread out along the canal and various streets. Here you can take a half-an-hour trip aboard a canal boat being pulled by a pair of horses. - Oldenburg - known as the 'village of spires' because of its many buildings with tall steeples. The town has some very impressive immense brick structures built by the early German Catholic settlers to remind them of their native German villages. - Batesville has the quaint little Sherman House Inn that resembles a cuckoo clock. The Sherman House offers a great German lunch buffet. - New Trenton is where you will find the Town and Country Gift Store in a building dating back to the early 1800s. - Brookville will give you access to the 15-mile reservoir known as Brookville Lake. Here you can enjoy boating, fishing and camping. - Heading north on 101 you will be able to enter both the Mounds State Recreation area and the Whitewater Memorial State Park. - In Richmond Indiana you can visit the historic district and see lovely antique homes, shops and restaurants. US 40 was once known as the National Road and runs through Richmond. In this town you can visit the Old National Road State Welcome Center and learn about the history of the National Road. - The drive from Richmond to Centerville along US-40 is loaded with about 900 antique dealers. In Richmond you can see the Lantz House Inn, which was a famous Inn that where the original owner built 'Conestoga wagons' used by pioneers heading west into the new frontier. Today this French-style brick home built in 1823 is operated as a bed and breakfast. Photo contributed by a visitor in July 09: "Flags of Indiana."
Oldenberg is an interesting thriving community. Saw a local pub that looked interesting. Batesville is also a pleasant thriving town right on I-74. Lots of places to eat there. Batesville's claim to fame is that it has been making caskets since 1884. Keep the shiny side up, or you might need one of their boxes! Napoleon is on US421, so all locations are easy to return to where you started.
Metamora maintains part of the old Canal and is a very eclectic touristy town. Connersville has the Whitewater Valley Railroad and supposedly rides are available to Metamora. The area has lost of caboose, passenger cars, and engines. Most franchise restaurants are north in Connersville, but Metamora has more locally owned restaurants.
Motorcycle Road Additional info
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