What You Must Do in Morristown, Indiana a.k.a Mayberry! (You won’t regret it)

Posted on 13. Feb, 2011 by Guest Poster in Destinations, Guest posts, North America

Usually I get guest post offers about all sorts of exotic destinations. This is not one of them, and I couldn’t resist some variety.  Sometimes the mundane can be pretty interesting…

Have you ever driven through a small town like Mayberry and wondered who in the world lives there or wonder what it would be like? Well, you’re about to find out.

In today’s world it’s almost unimaginable to think of a town existing without a McDonalds, a Wal-Mart, a Starbucks, or a Dunkin’ Donuts nearby. In fact, it’s almost some sort of sin, right? Well, not exactly but it is a bit odd these days which is why when I tell friends about my hometown of Morristown, Indiana, many don’t believe me.

To preface you about Indiana, it’s one of those Mid-western, corn-growing, basketball-playing, good ole’ moral value states where people often say they’ve drove through once or twice only to complete the sentence by saying how boring it was.  But outside of our corn, long roads, Hoosier basketball, and moral values is our inherent need to claim famous people: We’ve got John Mellencamp, Larry Bird, John Wooden, Michael Jackson, David Letterman, Jim Gaffigan, Bobby Knight, Jane Pauly, and Abraham Lincoln (even though that’s still being discussed…, let it go, Illinois!)

Just east of Hwy 9 & 52 is the no stop light town of Morristown, Indiana. Population: 1,218. You might be wondering what is different about this small quaint little town. Well…

We don’t have Andy Griffith, but we do have a Town Marshall named Henry (Did I mention he substituted at our high school?), a famous restaurant known as the Kopper Kettle, a town drunk who can be found riding his moped, a Three Day Fish Fry event where kids race soap box derby cars better known as Derby Days, a graduating class of about 54 students on average, and a coffee shop called the Bluebird where the local farmers meet up everyday at the “round table” (kind of like “The View” before it was “The View”). While all this is true, it’s sort of hard to believe these days.

I had the privilege of growing up in a place where everyone really does know your name (oh yea, Cheers bartender Woody Harrelson went to school in Indiana), and if they don’t they’ll find out, they will.. Gossip Girl doesn’t have a thing on this Town Gossip! So if you’re one of those city slickers who drives through small towns but has never really experienced one, take a second to stop by Morristown or another small gem. You won’t regret it!

What You Must Do in Morristown, Indiana

• Coffee at the Round Table- The Bluebird Restaurant is a small town restaurant where eating fried chicken and discussing town news is nothing but common. Sit with the men that meet at the round table daily to feel like a certified townie, but be ready to answer the question “Who the heck are ya?” So needless to say in Indiana places like Mayberry really do still exist.
• Eat at the Famous Kopper Kettle- The Kopper Kettle is Morristown’s claim to fame. Seriously, someone always knows someone who has been to the Kettle. Some of the past visitors have included Henry Ford, Rosemary Clooney, Herbert Hoover, and Richard Lugar. Order the fried chicken and buttery goodness known as the mashed potatoes!

• Come to Derby Days (Last Weekend in July)- It’s a hometown parade along with a Three Day Fish Fry Event. Don’t Miss the Boys & Girls Soap Box Derby Race on the big hill (a.k.a the only hill in Morristown)! It’s small town life at its finest.

• Friday Night Game- Almost every Friday night you can find the large Indiana high school gym filled with locals. Whether it be for a Friday night volleyball game (no, we don’t have football) or a heated basketball game with a county rival. It’s worth experiencing!

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Tags: guest post, USA