Elkhart County, Indiana
Friday, September 10, 2010
Another bright, crisp morning at the
Patchwork Quilt Country Inn in Middlebury. We enjoyed delightful breakfast conversation with Bea and Stephanie from Kerhonkson, NY. They are on their way back from a road trip to Texas and had great praise for the
Barnhart Ranch near Goliad, TX. Although we won't be heading that far south during this trip, it sounds like a wonderful destination for those exploring the Gulf Coast Bend of Texas.
After bidding a warm and heartfelt farewell to Tammy, Ed and the rest of the Patchwork family, we resumed our exploration of the Quilt Gardens along the Heritage Trail. Our first stop, however, was not a garden at all. It was the
Coachman Recreational Vehicle Company! Headquartered in Middlebury, Indiana, Coachman RV's primary manufacturing facilities are on nearly 120 acres with approximately 11 acres under roof. These are the dedicated manufacturing facilities for Coachmen branded Class A Motorhomes, Class C Motorhomes, Fifth Wheels and Travel Trailers. It was something to see! Elkhart County has a proud history in the Recreational Vehicle and Manufactured Housing industry and even hosts the
RV/MH Hall of Fame, Museum, Library and Conference Center. Now, how cool is that?
As we continued our Quilt Gardens tour, our first garden stop was the
Krider "World's Fair" Garden in Middlebury. Tucked away on a side street, it is truly a hidden gem of natural beauty and historical significance. We were completely enchanted and this ended up being our favorite stop on the Quilt Garden tour.
We visited quilt gardens and quilt murals scattered throughout Middlebury and nearby Shipshewana, sharing bucolic country roads with countless Amish horse-drawn buggies.
At the
Dutch Country Market, we got a glimpse of the noodle-making process and we sampled a vast array of cheeses at
Guggisberg Deutsch Kase Haus. A visit to a home-based Amish bakery had a marvelous result--the best chocolate crinkle cookies we've ever had!
Wandering down one country lane, we came across a grassy airstrip with two planes preparing to take off. We think that they were crop dusters. We sat at the end of the "runway" and watched as both planes took off directly overhead. Further wandering brought us to pretty Shipshewana Lake, an unexpected treat in the middle of the farmland.
Our time in Indiana was coming to a close but not before we fortified ourselves with some hearty Amish cooking. The
Blue Gate Restaurant at Riegsecker Marketplace in Shipshewana did that job quite nicely. The Amish sampler of roast beef, fried chicken, ham, noodles and gravy, and green beans was absolutely delicious.
We also were delighted to meet Jodie and Alicia at the
Blue Gate Bakery. Jodie had a bright, generous spirit that touched us. Alecia was in the final days of preparation for her wedding and we were grateful to share a few moments of that with her.
Committed to traveling local roads as much as possible, we skipped the Indiana toll road and diverted slightly north to travel Route 12 across the southern end of Michigan. We were rewarded for this approach by coming across a giant fish sign that we never would have seen on the highway!
We also discovered the
Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, Michigan. We're not gamblers but we appreciate the design and architecture of American Indian casinos. The design elements were beautiful, we learned about the
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and we met some of the most delightful ladies. Sharing conversation with Donna at the Players Club Lounge entrance was a very special part of our day. Connie at the Players Club sign-up was a sweetheart, and Suzan at Four Winds Outfitters was a kindred spirit with her love of cats and attention to "good karma".
After our evening stop at Four Winds, we hoped onto the highway to make short order of our drive to Chicago. Besides, after dark, there's not much to see in the countryside. We arrived in Chicago in the wee hours, checked into our motel, the
Carlton Inn Midway, and eagerly snuggled into our comfy bed.
-- Ted and Laura
