Windows To The Past: Indiana's Amish Country
RV Travel in Indiana's Amish Country
Article Date: December, 2011
Article and Photography by Mark Quasius
Middlebury
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In addition to being home to the massive Jayco and Entegra Coach complex, Middlebury is also the
location of Das Dutchmen Essenhaus, one of the biggest tourist attractions in the area. Das Dutchmen Essenhaus features
an inn and conference center, as well as a restaurant and bakery. The restaurant serves home-cooked meals from the menu
or family-style dinners using traditional Amish recipes.
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Family-style Amish meals are served up with liberal portions of good home-cooked food.
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The bakery is always my favorite stop and it's not uncommon for us to leave with some Amish pies to take
back to the RV. Home-baked breads and cookies are present in the store, as well as cheeses, syrups, preserves, and noodles. A
classic car cruise-in is featured every Thursday night during the summer, drawing 100 to 400 cars.
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Guggisberg Kasse Haus Cheese is another well-known stop. This is where Baby Swiss Cheese originated.
Visitors can watch local cheeses being made and choose from a wide selection from their cooler displays or deli counter. Even
though we're from Wisconsin, we still manage to bring some of the local cheeses home with us.
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You can watch cheese being made at Guggisberg's Deautsch Kasse Haus and load up your cooler or fridge with a great
selection of locally made cheeses.
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Shipshewana
Shipshewana is best known for its flea market. Billed as the Midwest's largest flea market, it runs every
Tuesday and Wednesday from May through October. It's located right off the main street in town and close to nearby quality merchants.
Yoder's Meat & Cheese Company is one of them. We always load up our freezers with good, naturally-raised meat when in the area. A
wide selection of cheeses and homemade sausages are available, and samples are freely displayed.
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Shipshewana is also the home of the Blue Gate Restaurant and Theatre. Dinner shows featuring Amish
cooking are well attended, so it's a good idea to make a reservation during the busy summers. Within easy walking distance
are plenty of shopping possibilities. From Yoder's Hardware to the many smaller shops in Riegsecker Marketplace, you can be
assured to find a store that sells a gift for anyone. On the top floor of the Davis Mercantile, a large carousel will make
a big hit with the younger RVers.
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The Menno-Hof Visitors Center will take you on a journey from the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement in 1525
Switzerland to the present day.
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E&S Sales is where many of the locals, as well as well-informed visitors, shop. E&S is a bulk-food store
that offers a huge selection of spices, flours, and baking supplies. I didn't know that many different kinds of wheat, grains,
and sugar existed until I browsed through E&S. This can be a real gold mine for anyone who cooks or bakes.
The Menno-Hof Information Center is the best place to learn about Amish and Mennonite history. Interpretive
exhibits will take you through their beginnings in a Swiss courtyard in 1525 up through today. It's located right across the street
from the flea market.
Nearby Communities
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Wakarusa is the home to a Monaco Coach facility, which offers tours to the public. Also, Spartan Chassis
is relocating its motorhome chassis business to town and is scheduled to be operational by mid 2012. The Wakarusa Dime Store is
home to the giant jelly bean, as well as a large quilt made out of jelly beans.
In nearby Nappanee you'll find Newmar Motorhomes, where daily plant tours are given. After the tour, be sure
to stop at Amish Acres for a meal. This historic farm features lodging, old fashioned Threshers Dinners, and entertainment.
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Das Dutchmen Essenhaus is located in Middlebury and is one of the premier stops for any visitor.
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Goshen is home to a number of RV businesses. When driving through the historic downtown section, watch for the
police guard tower erected during the Depression to protect the banks from robberies by Bonnie and Clyde, Dillinger, et al. The heavy
bulletproof glass and rifle ports protected the guard from any return gunfire.
The South Side Soda Shop and Diner has enjoyed increasing popularity since being featured on the Food Network's
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It's a throwback to the past with a '50s-era soda fountain and a great grill. Oh, and the desert tray is
irresistible.
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