Looking for an adventure? Enjoy a day trip to Greene County, Indiana

John Decker is a regular customer at the Yoho General Store in Greene County. As a kid, he grew up going to the store. For about the past seven years, he’s visited it every day.

His favorite meals at the store are Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, usually served a few days before the holiday. But the community of people is the best part, he said on a recent Friday.

An adventure to Solsberry, Indiana, might consist of a picnic from the Yoho General Store at the Tulip Trestle, a walk through the nearby Sculpture Trails and a stop back at Yoho for dessert before heading home.

Yoho General Store

The Yoho General Store opened in 1934, according to its website, and reopened in December 2012 after a restoration. The local landmark is a place to eat, chat and enjoy company for both residents and visitors. Customers can expect southern Indiana comfort food in the dining area with breaded tenderloin, rich ice cream, delicious pies and daily specials. In addition, the store sells staples including snacks and T-shirts, as well as necessities like gasoline at the pumps out front.

On weekdays, mostly local folks come into the store, said manager Paul Wagoner. During the summer months and weekends, more travelers come to experience the old-fashioned general store and take a day to visit. The people, Wagoner said, are the best part of the Yoho General Store.

“Everybody’s much more down to earth,” he said. “We have some of the same people that come in every morning and every afternoon.”

The Florence Potbelly Stove originally sat in the middle of the store, a place where locals would gather to spend time together, share stories and gossip, Wagoner said. Today, the stove is on the side of the store, not in use, but a symbol preserving the heritage of the historic store.

Brenda Deckard, who has been working at the Yoho General Store since 2012, said she raised her kids in Solsberry. In this town, everybody knows everybody, she said, and the locals are loyal to the Yoho General Store.

“It can be snowing up to your ears, and they’re still in here,” she said.

Emily Friend has lived in Greene County on a five-acre property for a year and comes to the general store about once every two weeks. The tenderloin and the cheese curds are her favorite items on the menu, aside from the lemon meringue pie.

Friend said her favorite part of the town is the people. Once, her two horses got out when she was gone and the townsfolk were kind enough to put them up for her.

The Yoho General Store’s 10-year renovation milestone kick-off celebration will be July 23.

Oftentimes, the train traveling across the Tulip Trestle will stop at the store and the engineers will come by the Yoho General Store for lunch, Wagoner said. The Tulip Trestle, built in 1906, is the largest railroad viaduct, or bridge-like structure carrying a railroad across a valley, in Indiana, according to the website.

The Observation Deck allows visitors to appreciate a view of the trestle and perhaps partake in a picnic with a meal from the Yoho General Store.

Ed Wilkins and Traudie Wilkins from Terre Haute, both retired, pick a place to visit once a week, all around the country. Most recently, their adventure was to Greene County. First, to the Tulip Trestle and then off to lunch at the Yoho General Store.

“There’s just a lot of history around and stuff to see,” Traudie said.

The couple always dreamed of traveling after their retirement, and now they’re living the dream.

Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum

Another popular attraction, the Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum, brings hands-on sculpture workshops to the county and displays more than 100 sculptures from artists around the world, according to its website. Gerry Masse, founding director of the Sculpture Trails, said the trails opened in 2002.

The trails are free and open to the public every day from sunrise to sunset, Masse said, whereas for workshops people must sign up to reserve a spot. There is no age limit.

“It seems like 5-year-olds do just as good at it as 70-year-olds,” he said. “They all end up with the same kind of smile when they’re done.”

Folks can also book a public or private guided tour on their visit to indulge their artistic spirit. Many local groups will plan field trips to the trails, Masse said.

On July 30, there is a finale to the cast iron sculpture workshops at the trails, including iron performances, music and food for family, friends and visitors to savor all day long.

“At Sculpture Trails, really we say ‘Art is for everybody,’” he said.

Reach Luzane Draughon at ldraughon@gannett.com or @luzdraughon on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Day trip to Greene County featuring Yoho General Store, Tulip Trestle