CORYDON - Extol Magazine

Story & Photos By JD Dotson

Growing up in the neighboring town of Lanesville, I spent quite a bit of my youth running around CORYDON and the hills and roads surrounding the town. I don’t remember much about the little town other than a cut-through to the parks or the Blue River, but Corydon is worth another look as there are treasures to ﬁnd in this tiny historic community. From watching glass being blown at Zimmerman’s to cave exploration and hiking trails, I found a few of my favorite spots that are well worth the visit. What better way to celebrate the bicentennial of a town than to celebrate its unique people and places.

Those who know me well know of my insatiable sweet tooth. It is a constant nagging need for anything on the dessert list. There isn’t much I don’t like, but, like my father, I have a real affinity for anything ice cream. Stepping into Emery’s Ice Cream is like A) stepping back in time, B) stepping into my favorite dream or C) all of the above. Emery’s has been around since 1937 in New Albany but has been in Corydon the last 16 years. The shop carries a massive collection of candies, chocolates, taffy and meltaways in every flavor imaginable. I tried a piña colada-flavored shake (strictly for research purposes, of course). Delicious! The decor is old-school kitsch with memorabilia and candy from a bygone era, all of which will satiate your hunger for sweets and a love of nostalgia.

EMERY’S ICE CREAM | 12 W. Walnut St. | 812.738.6047 | www.emerysicecream.com

Right across from the beautifully restored capitol building on the corner is the Town Square Gallery. The shop is full of interesting gifts, jewelry, a giant baby section and the capitol building on a t-shirt just in time for the bicentennial. The store also offers plenty of “state love” items, the popular HOME shirts and Indiana wall art.

TOWN SQUARE GALLERY | 201 N. Capitol Ave | 812.738.4147 | town-square-gallery.myshopify.com

I have an affinity for old signs, and The Old Town Store does not disappoint. This little shop is more like an artifact museum and full of history. My favorite discovery were beautiful works of found object collage art made from the insides of a piano and done nearly a hundred years ago. This is another spot to explore and easily lose yourself.

OLD TOWN STORE | 110 S. Mulberry St. | 812.267.4101 | www.theoldtownstore.com

Treasure hunters will have a field day at the Red Barn Antique Mall. The barn is split into little, gloriously stocked booths on three floors of an actual giant, red barn. It is one of those places you can get lost exploring, imagining another time and finding odd things that spark your imagination.

RED BARN ANTIQUE MALL | 215 IN-62 | 812.738.6000 | www.redbarnantiquemall.com

As a reward for being dragged to antique shops, gift stores and an ice cream parlor, I took my husband, Jon, to the Scout Mountain Winery just a few miles down the road. The only way to get him to go with me to all the other places was the promise of a wine tasting at the end of it all. We happened upon an event the wineries of the Hoosier Wine Trail and the Herb Society were putting on that paired an herb with a winery. For example, Scout Mountain was paired with basil, so along with our tasting of their wines, we had a basil pasta and a basil sangria – and left with recipes and basil plants. The owner was very kind and let us explore the land on a sunny day with the winery dogs acting as official welcoming committee and tour guides.

SCOUT MOUNTAIN WINERY | 2145 Scout Mountain Road NW | 812.738.7196 | www.scoutmountainwinery.com

Sitting at the winery, a fellow tasting customer asked if we had seen something called the shoe tree. Just a few miles down the road – our interest piqued – we set off in search of the shoe tree on a road called Devil’s Hollow. Just outside of Corydon, past the Wyandotte Caves, heading toward Milltown, the road is smaller and dense with trees and twists and turns. At the intersection of Shoe Tree Road and South Devils Hollow the sky overhead is full of shoes hanging from the branches of a huge maple tree. The shoes have spilled out to trees surrounding the main shoe tree and it is quite a sight to behold. Next time I head back to Crydon, I am packing an extra pair of sneakers in my car and adding to the legendary tree.