By
Sally Campbell Grout
In Northern Indiana, you'll find a plenty of fun spots to visit, with very little drive time between them. Here are some great examples..
Peaceful,
pastoral, and pleasant.
Perhaps it is the Amish peoples' commitment to "love thy neighbor"
that makes them so hospitable. You're welcome to get a taste of Amish life in
Elkhart and LaGrange Counties (Phone Toll Free: 800 860 5949), home of one
of the nation's largest Amish settlements.
Whether you want to experience Amish food, crafts, or transportation, you'll find it in Northern Indiana .On the Amish Furniture Crafters Tour (Phone Toll Free: 800 278 9332) you can cruise Amish back roads to meet true furniture craftsmen. Das Dutchman Essenhaus Village in Middlebury (Phone Toll Free: 800 455 9471) is the ideal place to see why no one leaves an Amish dinner table hungry. Just a few of the items on the menu at the Amish Country Kitchen: fresh-baked bread, homemade pies, homemade noodles, "real" mashed potatoes, roast beef, chicken, and dressing. Need a little something for the road? Pick up some English Muffin Bread, Apple Butter and Cookies at the Essenhaus Bakery. Visit the Essenhaus Village Shops for Amish dolls and handmade quilts.
In Nappanee, Amish Acres (Phone Toll Free: 800 800 4942) offers a chance to see the Amish peoples' heritage of hard work. This farmstead listed on the National Register of Historic Places features tours and buggy rides. Stroll through the main house and barn and see how lye soap, quilts and candles are made. Time your visit for a performance of "Plain and Fancy," one of the shows in the Round Barn Theatre repertory. It's a musical about Amish life.
The town of Shipshewana is known nationwide for its flea market and auction. But it's also a great place to take in the Amish experience. Menno-Hof (260-768-4117), an interpretive center, presents the history, beliefs and lifestyles of the Amish and the Mennonites, who share similar beliefs. At the Riegsecker Martketplace Shops (Phone 260 768 5725), take a private ride aboard an Amish buggy and shop for everything from handcrafted furniture to 75 lines of collectibles.
What would you expect to find next to a great lake? A great beach, of course. In
Northern Indiana, the warm sand of the Indiana Dunes (Phone Toll Free: 800
283 8687) rolls along the shores of Lake Michigan to offer the ideal place to
sunbathe, picnic, build sandcastles, and do all the very best beach-type
stuff.
But the Indiana Dunes is so much more than a beach. Filled with interesting combinations of plants and trees (including arctic and desert vegetation living together), birds, bugs and various assorted other critters, it's an ideal place to discover some of Mother Nature's finest handiwork. One of the most fascinating sites is Mount Baldy, the area's largest "wandering" sand dune. You can find plenty of additional information at The National Lakeshore's Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitors Center and the State Park Nature Center.
To see the sights, take a hike along one of the trails. The 4.1-mile loop through Cowles Bog allows you to see wildlife and unusual native plants. The Ly-Co-Ki-We Trail is a more challenging 10-mile walk. Save time for the Bailly Homestead & Chellberg Farm, which offer a look at 19th century duneland life. Can't fit everything into one day? Camp at the Indiana Dunes State Park or the Dunewood Campground.
Sure, there are malls in Northern Indiana. But to find those one-of-a-kind
treasures that make perfect souvenirs, visit some of the area's charming small
towns.
September visitors to Chesterton (Phone Toll Free: 800-283-8687) know the town for its annual Wizard of Oz festival. But year-round visitors (and residents, too) keep rediscovering the boutiques, antique shops, and art galleries in historic buildings. Here's a little more history: Chesterton was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
The focal point of Crown Point (Phone Toll Free: 800-ALL-LAKE) is its
storied courthouse, affectionately called the "Grand Old Lady." Here,
Ronald Reagan got married, Rudolph Valentino tied the knot, and John Dillinger
spent some time behind bars (until he escaped!). Today, shops in an out of the
courthouse feature antiques and other specialty items.
One of the treats you can buy in LaPorte (Phone Toll Free: 888 493 5349) won't last (except, unfortunately, on your hips). The Temple News Agency, an old-fashioned soda fountain, has been serving yummy treats since 1918. Pick up your favorite magazine to read while you eat. While you're in town, look for historic homes and a round barn.
Maybe they didn't have cable. But the beautiful 19th century Victorian, Queen Anne and Italianate mansions in New Carlisle (Phone Toll Free: 888 792 7687) offer plenty to see. In fact, the town is on the National Register of Historic Places. Take a walk; then sit down to a home cooked meal at Miller's Home Café.
If you come to Plymouth (Phone Toll Free: 800 626 5353) over Labor Day Weekend, you'd better love blueberries, because the town's four-day Blueberry Festival is sure to be in full swing. Come any other time of year to shop in the shops along tree-lined Michigan Street downtown.
Winona Lake (Phone Toll Free: 888 560 4463) is certainly appropriately named. Filled with ponds and fountains, and located along a peaceful waterfront, the town is a relaxing place to spend the day. A shaded seating area downtown provides a perfect spot to sit after a day of browsing the shops in restored homes. 16 local artisans' works are showcased in the nationally registered Historic District.
Indianapolis isn't the only place with a Monument Circle. Angola (Phone Toll Free: 800-LAKE-101) has one in the center of town, where there are also plenty of shops. And as the home of Tri-State University, Angola also has that college town charm.
Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame. (Whether you're at a game or not.) There are no truer fans than Notre Dame fans, especially during football season. And while Saturday afternoons in the fall are pretty incredible here, they're just a small part of the picture. The University of Notre Dame (Phone 574-631-5000) is filled with a rich tradition not only in sports, but in academics, art, and spiritual enlightenment as well.
Highlights of a tour of the 1,250-acre campus include the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Log Chapel, and the famous Golden Dome. Save plenty of time for the Snite Museum of Art. Inside, more than 700 paintings, sculptures and decorative works are on display. And the university's ongoing commitment to research and academic growth is truly apparent in the Hesburgh Library.
But if no trip to Notre Dame would be complete without paying homage to athletics, don't limit your "fanship" to football. Certainly, the Notre Dame Stadium, also known as "The House That Rockne Built" is impressive, especially with a recent renovation and expansion. However, the Joyce Center and the Eck Baseball Stadium are worth visiting, too. And women's athletics have given the school some bragging material: the 2000-2001 women's basketball team took the NCAA Division I Championship. Anxious to get a little exercise yourself? Play a round at the William K. and Natalie O. Warren Golf Course, designed by Ben Crenshaw and his partner, Bill Coore.
To complete your Northern Indiana tour….
Pick up some information on these additional Northern Indiana spots on enjoyindiana.com.
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