BROWN COUNTY— School may be back in session for most students, but there’s still time to squeeze in a weekend trip — and Brown County offers the perfect mix of adventure and charm.
The first stop: a zip-lining and paintball adventure at eXplore Brown County.
Owner and “chief adventurist” Gary Bartels has been in the adventure business for 27 years.
“We knew we were going to inherit the property, so I sat my boys down and said we could subdivide it and retire or I'm thinking of building this adventure retreat, so if you agree to help me, we'll build it," said Bartels.
Since then, Bartels has expanded the property to include campgrounds, a banquet hall for art shows and weddings, “aero tag,” paintball, and a zip-line course.
“It’s like a work of art,” Bartels said. “My wife and I are both artists, so you’ll see a lot of re-purposed items and creativity here.
If outdoor thrills aren’t your style, Brown County offers a different kind of treasure hunt at Route 46 Vintage, located in the Brown County Antique Mall.
"I’ve been slinging vintage wear since the ’90s, so I wanted to bring in stuff for the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s," said Tonya Ballew, the owner.
She says she wanted to bring something in for the locals.
“Brown County is known as a tourist town, but locals don’t have a lot of places to shop without going to Bloomington or Columbus,” Ballew said. “I wanted something for everybody — grandmas, high school kids, people my age.”
Each piece in the store is one-of-a-kind, and Ballew often helps style customers for a personal touch.
“It’s more interesting than things that are new,” she said.
