Amish Country Blog

Spring break is this week for a lot of the area kids, and some you may not have plans.  Here are a few free, great local choices for you.

Bonneyville Mill has Elkhart County’s  oldest working grist mill.  Buy some local flour, bring a picnic and take a nature walk.  Great for kids of all ages.

Linton’s Enchanted Garden Gardens is Elkhart’s largest gardening center.  They have a petting zoo that is great for little ones.

Elkhart County Historical Museum will have older kids learning about our area.

Davis Mercantile for younger ones.  They can ride a 104 year old Carousel and then you can take them Jo Jo’s Pretzels for an inexpensive lunch.

Wakarusa Dime Store is great for kids of all ages.

The Bonneyville Mill Celebration was a nice event. It is touted as an old fashioned country fair. I was there on Saturday morning, and already, the parking area was filling up. If you have never been to the Bonneyville Mill, you missed a wonderful opportunity to see how it runs. Lots of people were exploring the Mill, and buying the flour. It’s amazing to see the inside of the mill and how it works. A lot of old fashioned technology went into it, and I still find myself awed when I tour the Mill.

There were a few local farmers selling produce. Apples are abundant now, and there lots of 5 pound bags of different varieties for sell. Area churches selling hot food. The parks department was selling root beer, which went fast.

They had an area for kids with old fashioned toys. I loved seeing how simple toys were, and how much more imagination kids used.

The other great thing about having the event at the park was the ability to walk the grounds after you had your fill of the events. I love walking around Bonneyville Mill County Park. It is a beautiful area.

So next year, try the Bonneyville Mill Celebration. I bet you and your family have fun.

-Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor and Visitor Center Specialist

This summer has flown by.  I think the cooler weather has made it easier to be out and about.  I know that I don’t feel the need to stay inside between the hours of 12pm and 2pm.  We have spent a lot of time at our area parks this summer.

We were at Bonneyville Mill Park this past weekend.  There were many families cooking out and getting together.  We walked to the Meadow, and then played on the playground equipment.  Another mom, being more adventurous than me, was hanging upside down on the monkey bars.  There were kids running around everywhere, and even saw three teenagers who smiled as they walked by the little ones.  Mina, my daughter, climbed up the rope ladder all by herself.   Then, she spent the next 10 minutes going up again and again.

We met with some friends, grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, and then had fun talking with the adults while the kids played and played. It was a great way to spend our Sunday Night.

So when you’re in Amish Country, go out to Bonneyville Mill Park. I know you’ll have fun.

Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor, Visitor Center Travel Specialist

Early one weekday morning, I pulled into Bonneyville Mill Park. As soon as my car door opened, the smell of the clean and refreshing air filled my senses while my eyes took in the beauty of the scenery. After taking time to learn about the old-fashioned mill from which the park is named, I chose to walk along one of the many trails that wind through the trees and along the pond. Although it wasn’t lunch time, I wished that I had packed a picnic lunch because you couldn’t ask for a better location! Yet even without a picnic lunch, the bright morning sunshine and the cool morning breeze made for a perfect start to my day!-Tasha, Amish Country Northern Indiana contributor
If you’ve been to Bonneyville Mill – tell us about it by posting a comment!