Hoosier Daddy? - NORTHEASTERN INDIANA

On Thursday, May 23, 2013, we arrived in the Amish community of Shipshewana, IN, in LaGrange County, in northeastern IN.  A couple of years ago we visited Shipshewana with our friends, Ray and Louise DeCarlo, and enjoyed the area thoroughly.  This visit has allowed us a sliver of down-time and an opportunity to visit some of the sights we enjoyed -  like handcrafted items, handmade furniture, Amish-inspired baked goods, and heirloom quality antiques.  About 200 years ago German and Dutch descendants migrated to the area in order to pursue their religion and lifestyle.  Approximately 43% of the LaGrange County population is Amish.  Our arrival is a little earlier in the season and that means the flowers and produce are not as prolific.  It is raining as I write this, and has been for most of the week.  The farmer's are rejoicing because they are in the middle of planting season.

Amish Countryside - Shipshewana, IN

Shipshewana Farm

Be careful!

Today is Washday

Flower Quilts have just been planted - 2013

Why wouldn't anyone want to visit this area where traditional Amish food is the lure?!  What I don't need is the drop-dead- delicious carb-rich diets acquired by the Amish population!  You can't walk enough to get rid of the impact of a sit-down dinner!  A nap is in order after one of those delicious all-you-can-eat Amish-style feasts!  After a delicious meal it is hard to resist a generous slice of made-from-scratch pie (over 30 varieties at Essenhaus, for instance).  If you want to take a slice (or an entire pie) home with you stop by the bakery on the way out.  Oh, and if you haven't heard, the Amish peanut butter and homemade apple butter is great on that hot homemade bread they bring when you are seated at your table.

A Wonderful Amish Tradition since 1971

Another Traditional Amish Restaurant

Would you like to take a pie home?

It is an easy side trip to visit such areas as Elkhart, Wakarusa, Mishawaka and especially South Bend.  We enjoy riding through the beautiful campus of Notre Dame and other parts of downtown.

South Bend, IN

University of Notre Dame - South Bend, IN

Touchdown Jesus - University of Notre Dame

While we were in Shipshewana our Tiffin friends, Jon and Jane Unger from Muncie, IN, visited us for a couple of days at the Shipshewana South RV Campground.  RV and Jon toured the Entegra Coach Manufacturing Plant, in Middlebury, IN, where they were most impressed by the craftsmanship of the Amish and the quality of the Entegra coaches.  Jane and I spent a good part of a day at the Midwest's Largest Outdoor Flea Market in Shipshewana, where we found fresh morel mushrooms priced at $35.00 per pound and fresh Michigan asparagus for $2.00 per pound. 

As we leave Shipshewana heading to South Haven, MI and surrounding areas for the next month, we look forward to exploring the coastal towns and cities along Lake Michigan.