Amish Country Blog

I took a much needed break this weekend.  I stayed at the Staybridge Suites, and it was a wonderful experience.

The front desk attendants were friendly, and helpful.

I enjoyed the room layout.  I had a full kitchen, with a full fridge.  That was a convenient since I didn’t want to leave the room that weekend.  I had two flat screen TV’s in my suite–one in the common room and one in the bedroom, both flat screens.  The rooms was quite, I couldn’t hear any outside noise although the property is by a major road.

For breakfast, there were lots of choices, from hot items to fruit and cereal.  They didn’t have hot tea, but I muddled through without it.  It was a good way to start my day.

I had the pool to myself for most of the weekend.  Because this property is new, most travelers don’t know to stay here yet, and I got to take advantage of lots of pool time.  The property also has a theater room, and a workout room, neither of which I used.  There is also on site guest laundry facilities.

So when you want a good place to stay, check out Staybridge Suites.  I’m sure you’ll enjoy the property.

Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor and Visitor Center Specialist

The Elkhart County Historical Museum invites girls to bring their American Girl Doll to the museum and learn together what life was like for children growing up in the 1970s.  On Saturday, Februrary 27th the museum will host “The Groovy ‘70s: Featuring American Girl Julie!”

The program will focus on some of the things that helped define the ‘70s.  One example is the environmentalist movement which made great strides in the 1970s.  1970 marked the first celebration of Earth Day and the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1972. “In recognition of the environmentalist movement, the girls will be making kites just like Julie did in her book Julie and the Eagles,” says Oestreich.  “Julie made and sold the kites to try and raise money to save endangered bald eagles.”

Girls will also be making projects featuring some of the fads of the 1970s. “Two of the more famous fads are lava lamps and pet rocks,” says Oestreich.  “So each girl will get to make a lava lamp and pet rock to take home.”  Other fads included roller skating, homemade ribbon barrettes, and pong.  In addition, many girls in the seventies read Judy Blume books and watched Little House on the Prairie.

Girls are welcome to come dressed in seventies inspired attire.  For girls this means bell-bottomed pants, platform shoes, turtle neck shirts, and flower prints.  Hair for girls switched from long and straight in the first part of the decade to more loose and feathery like the hair of Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcet in the latter part of the seventies.

Several American Girl related prizes will be awarded to participants including a grand prize of the Julie doll.  Additionally there will be prizes of American Girl story books, activity books, and clothing.  If anyone is interested in donating items to allow for more girls to go home with prizes please contact the museum.

While the bringing of an American Girl Doll to the program is encouraged it is not required.  Everyone is welcome to attend the program whether or not they have a doll.

The cost to attend “The Groovy ‘70s: Featuring American Girl Julie!” is $3/girl. Participants may choose from a morning session from 10:00 to 12:00 or an afternoon session from 1:30 to 3:30. Pre-registration is required.  To register or for more information, please contact Rebecca Oestreich at 574-848-4322 or Rebecca@elkhartcountyparks.org.

Rebecca Oestreich Elkhart County Historical Museum

I love watching the Olympics, and the ice skating competitions are my favorite.  After that I love watching speed skating.  It’s amazing how much talent these athletes have in working a thin little blade against ice. After every jump, spin and dance I wonder how they stay upright.   Then, I want to go out and try these moves myself.

In Elkhart, we have a great facility for working on all your ice skating dreams.  The NIBCO Water and Ice Park is open through March.  It is a beautiful facility on the Elkhart River.   It has a rink, but the best part of the rink is the ice path that goes out of the rink.  I love this feature.  It makes me feel like I’m a great skater…There are no sides to hold onto on this path.  I feel like an Olympic Skater after completing it and not falling down!

I hope when you visit the NIBCO Water and Ice Park you enjoy your moments on the ice.

Mindy, Amish Country Northern Indiana Contributor and Visitor Center Specialist

The ECCVB has long recognized the importance of cultural and heritage travel and developed the Heritage Trail to increase visitor volume, diversity, spending and economic impact for the entire destination. It’s the cornerstone for many programs. The nationally recognized route, along with a self-guiding audio tour, takes visitors into the downtowns of our cities and towns and along country roads introducing them to the area’s history, heritage, and people while directing them to must-see attractions. It’s dynamic; it’s popular; and it’s free. In 2009 alone, we’ve distributed over 3,200 Heritage Trail CDs. Add to that over 3,000 audio downloads from our website. When you consider our average visitor spends $52 per day and stays 2.8 days, then multiply that by an average 2.5 persons per vehicle, the economic impact of heritage travel is significant

-Diana Lawson, FCDME, ECCVB Executive Director

Have you driven the Heritage Trail Audio Driving Tour? Leave a comment and tell us about your experience.

Linton’s Enchanted Garden is one of my most favorite places in Amish Country. There is so much to look at, and many things to do there. The garden center is packed full of items for the house. There are always unique and lovely things to help make the inside of your house beautiful, especially during this time of the year. They have lots of fall and Christmas decorations. The Garden Center also holds the floral shop, so you can pick up your fresh flowers too.

Outside, are all the plants, trees, shrubs and flowers you could want. At this time of the year, there are also pumpkins, and you can get whole or half bales of hay. I bought 3 small pumpkins, one medium, and a half of bale of hay. I don’t know if we’re going to decorate the pumpkins, but it’s as festive as I’ve gotten in five years.

October 24 and 25 is Spooktacular. You can save on plants and flowers, and the kids get treats too.

So when you need that plant or flower, go to Linton’s. You’ll find the perfect plant, and a few other things to go along with it.

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

Local history enthusiasts will not want to miss the current maps exhibit at the Elkhart County Historical Museum.  30 seldom before-seen maps from the collection are on display until March 5, 2010 in the museum’s temporary exhibit gallery.

Elkhart’s earliest known plat map completed in 1832 will be among the highlights.  The map was signed by Havilah Beardsley and included land along the Elkhart River from Washington to Jackson Streets.  Among the earliest plat maps to be shown will be Crane’s Addition to Goshen along Rock Run Creek (1832), Plat of the Town of Benton (1834), and a traveler’s pocket map for the Midwest (1834). Also included in the exhibit will be a collection of map-making equipment used by Ambrose Bierce during the American Civil War.

Surveying equipment and map drawing tools will be displayed alongside the maps.  The equipment will demonstrate how surveying and map drawing was completed throughout history.  Visitors can try a reproduction of a surveyor’s compass that was commonly used in the 1830s.

Children are welcome to attend and put their mapping skills to the test by creating a map of the museum’s second floor.  The maps will then be put on display in the exhibit.  At the end of the exhibit’s run, one lucky map maker will win a prize!

The museum’s regular hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.  There is no charge for admission, but donations are accepted.  For more information, please call the museum at (574) 848-4322.  The museum is located at 304 W. Vistula (SR 120) in Bristol.

- Rebecca Oestreich, Elkhart County Historical Museum

It was a drizzling, wet day on Saturday, and I almost didn’t want to go out, but Arts in Bloom and Taste of the Garden was happening at Wellfield Botanical Gardens, and so I went.  I figured since it was raining, I would quickly look at art, and then go home. I love art shows.

The event started at 11am, and at 11am, parking was already getting full.  Some of the artist were getting out their rain gear, but they were happy to see everyone still showing up despite the rain.  I looked at most of the booths.  Dismas House of South Bend had bracelets and key chains that residents made, and I now have a new keychain.

Then after the art booths, I took walk around the pond at Wellfield.  It is a lovely place, with the creek running on the backside. A lot of work has gone on the east side of the pond to make it a beautiful resting place. With waterfalls, walk paths, and a flower garden, it is an ideal spot to spend time outside.

I did not eat, but by noon, most of the table seating under the tent for the Taste of the Garden was full.  I know the food was great, but I was a more soaked than I wanted, so I decided to go home.  It was a great event, and I can’t wait for it to happen again next year.

We had a slow weekend.  I had great plans to get 100 different things done, go to this or that place, and find time to do something interesting to write for my blog.  None of that happened.  Saturday started out hopeful, but then the rain came, and it just made me stay inside and curl up on the couch.

So Sunday, I was determined to get outside.  My family went to Walker Park in Elkhart.  It’s located on E. Bristol Street.

They have two playgrounds – one for little kids and one for older kids.   The playground for the older kids has a huge contraption, I don’t know what they call it.  Kids climb on it, and there are chairs in the middle of it that they can swing on, but it’s attached to the contraption.  There are two mini merry go rounds that holds one rider, and another climbing structure that has a small rope swing in the middle of it.  It encourages kids to be very active.

The playground for little kids has two bobble things that the kids use to bounce.  Then there is a small rock wall with a slide.  On the other side of this is a ladder rope and another stable fixture.  I think the child is suppose to go from the stable fixture to the ladder rope and then get to the slide, but for little ones, it’s a little much.  So my daughter and many others stick to the rock wall and slide park of the playground.  I wish it was more toddler friendly.

Walker Park does have a great green space, and a ¼ mile loop for walkers, runners, and skaters, and dog walkers.  On the loop there is a 3 tier drinking fountain, one for adults, kids and then dogs.  Lots of families come and spend time together here.  There is a Yoga class that meets out in the middle of the green space during the week.   Groups come to picnic, and play football, soccer, or Frisbee.  So, when you’re out and about in Elkhart this week, stop by Walker Park, and let me know what you think.

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

Each month this summer we’re giving away a special prize to someone who posts a comment on the Amish Country Northern Indiana blog.
This month’s prize is a Perkins Restaurant & Bakery $10 gift certificate.

No one goes away hungry from this welcoming eatery. Tender, giant muffins and mile-high pies fill its bakery case. Start your day with a hefty, fresh-from-the-griddle breakfast and endless cup of coffee, then end it with one of their mouth-watering dinner selections. Of course, there are plenty of tasty options in between!

Post your comment below for your chance to win today!

The winner will be drawn on September 2. The winner will be notified by email and their name posted here on our blog. We look forward to hearing about your favorite things to see and do in Amish Country!

This $10 Perkins Gift Certificate is redeemable at the following locations only:
107 Northpoint Blvd, Elkhart, IN
423 South Dixieway, South Bend, IN

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