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Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau |
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1. b on the River
(574) 293-9333; b-OnTheRiver.com Open year-round, Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Sundays noon to 8 p.m. (but call ahead for closing time). Fill up with gifts, many created by local artisans, and delicious food at this new boutique shop along the lovely Riverwalk in downtown Elkhart. You'll find paintings, pottery, pillows, metalwork, jewelry and embroidery. After you shop, indulge in a fancy coffee or smoothie, along with breakfast or lunch while you watch the river roll by. Breakfast features pastries, such as cheese claws, an oatmeal bar and quiche, plus breakfast sandwiches on artisan breads. For lunch, choose from delicious soups, perhaps tomato basil or pot roast stew, as well as fresh paninis, salads, quiche and amazing flatbread pizzas. Top it off with homemade ice cream or gelato. |
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2. Bonneyville Mill
(574) 535-6458; ElkhartCountyParks.org Open May-October; Wednesday-Sunday 10am to 5pm. More than 150 years ago, this water-powered mill began producing quality flour in the Northern Indiana region. It still operates today and visitors experience the rustic charm of Indiana's oldest continually operating grist mill. Staffers share the mill's history and give demonstrations of grinding grain. Purchase stone-ground flours such as wheat, rye and buckwheat at the mill. In the gift shop visitors can purchase Bonneyville Mill souvenirs, cookbooks, cast iron cookware and other historical, environmental and natural items. |
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3. Bradley Vite Fine Arts
(574) 293-1616; BradleyViteFineArts.com Open year-round, Monday-Friday noon to 5 p.m. This classy gallery, in business since 1980, specializes in 19th and 20th century paintings, watercolors and historic prints, as well as creative framing and appraisals. You'll love perusing original prints of John James Audubon. The gallery also features the works of Brown County artists. Brown County in southern Indiana is a long-time haven for artists and the gallery displays some of the best, with works that depict harvest times, creeks, rivers and ponds. The creations of local artists also are available. A John Mishler sculpture is on display in front of the gallery, and you can order one of his works here. The gallery director has assisted both museums and individual collectors and can help you start your own collection or add to it in an elegant, yet relaxed atmosphere. |
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4. Country Victorian Bed & Breakfast
(800) 262-7829 or (574) 825-2568; CountryVictorian.com Open year-round; Check-in 4pm to 6pm unless other hours requested. Rest, relax and refresh at the Country Victorian B & B where comfort, value and friends come together. You might feel as if you're in another century when you stay at this lovingly refurbished Queen Anne Victorian-style home along quiet Middlebury's main street. In the heart of Amish country, visitors explore the area by day and return to one of five antique-filled guest rooms. Relax on the front porch as Amish buggies clatter by. Morning brings the best surprise of all with a scrumptious breakfast that may include baked French toast with pralines and maple syrup or a garden vegetable omelet. |
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5. Dutch Country Market
(574) 825-3594 Open year-round; Monday-Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm; Saturday 8:30am to 4pm. You can watch the bees at work in an observation hive before you purchase honey from local hives at this old-fashioned country store run by an Amish family. Norman Lehman, his wife and six children put the bees' work to good use, making nine flavors of whipped honey, peanut butter/honey spread, soaps, hand creams and beeswax candles. You can also see a noodle-making demonstration and take those goodies home, as well as jams, salsas and fruits and vegetables preserved in glass jars. |
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6. Home Style Furniture Shoppe
(574) 773-3685 Open year-round, Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Glen Schmucker takes great pride in featuring furniture in his store created by local Amish crafters whose family businesses are in shops on their homesteads. Many specialize in one type of furniture, which Glen believes makes them even better experts. In his shop, you'll find an array of cabinets, chairs, tables and more made of solid woods such as oak, cherry and maple. There are many finish colors to choose from. In fact, you can bring in a color from your décor at home and they'll mix a stain to match. The shop also features fully-upholstered loveseats, recliners and chairs. |
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7. Kercher’s Sunrise Orchard & Farm Market
(574) 533-6311; KerchersOrchard.com Open year-round; Monday-Saturday 8:30am to 5:30pm; also noon to 5pm Sunday in May, September and October. For 89 years, the Kercher family has farmed here and there's a good chance you'll meet one of them when you stop to shop for locally grown and locally produced products such as fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, maple syrup, noodles, tempting baked goods, popcorn, flowers and morel mushrooms. In the fall, enjoy a free hayride and fresh pressed cider. You can pick your own apples in the orchard or choose the perfect pumpkin right off the vine. |
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8.Goertzen Pottery
(574) 534-1162 Open year-round; Monday-Saturday 9am to 5pm. You can shake the hands that throw the pots in this working studio, with more than 3,000 handmade creations for sale. Watch the artisans at work making bowls, vases, and an array of functional and decorative pieces. Owner and potter Mark Goertzen specializes in functional glazed ware and one-of-a-kind wood-fired pottery. He and other potters take pride in explaining the process to visitors. You'll also find wooden accessories to go along with your finds. |
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9. McKenzie House Bed & Breakfast
(574) 825-9787; McKenzieHouseBnB.com Open year-round The wrap-around porch and tree-lined property may remind you of a quieter, more peaceful era, but this bed and breakfast pampers guests with modern amenities. Five spacious suites are individually decorated, some with whirlpools and private decks. Three are in the main house and two are hideaways, including a romantic suite, tucked in the carriage house. There's also an outdoor pool and two hot tubs. Owners Sherry and Bruce provide breakfast feasts in the morning, featuring specialties such as casseroles, French toast with caramelized fruit, plus home-baked muffins and coffee cakes from local Amish residents. |
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10. Murphy Guest House Bed and Breakfast
(574) 848-4899; MurphyGuestHouse.com Open year-round Lovely garden views greet guests in each of three rooms at this 1875 Victorian home, which reflects the romantic charm and character of that time period. All rooms include a sitting area. There are always cookies sitting out in the dining room, where you'll enjoy a candlelight breakfast in the morning, which features the inn's lavender bread with lemon curd and Devonshire cream, as well as freshly-baked scones. Located in the heart of Amish Country, it's just a half-hour from Shipshewana and the University of Notre Dame. |
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11. Old Hoosier Meats
(574) 825-2940 Open year-round; Tuesday and Wednesday 8am to 5pm; Thursday and Friday 8am to 6pm; Saturday 8am to 2pm. No pre-packaged meats on Styrofoam trays here! This old-fashioned butcher shop specializes in real smokehouse products, including hams, bacon, pulled pork, ribs, ring bologna and beef jerky. Many of these products have won awards. You'll also find steaks, chops and other meats. Load up the cooler with treats to take home and choose some to snack on along the road. |
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12. Quilt Designs at the Old Bag Factory
(574) 534-5111; QuiltDesigns.com Open year-round; Monday-Saturday 9am to 5pm. Indiana fiber artist, Shirley Shenk, has been expanding the boundaries of traditional quilting concepts for more than 25 years. With several of her asymmetrical compositions actually flowing beyond their borders, you will find artistry in both color and design. Bed-size quilts as well as wall hangings are on display in an 1837 two-story log cabin on the grounds of Goshen's Old Bag Factory. There's even a welcoming committee – soft sculptured "Grandma and Grandpa" look forward to your visit. |
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13. Quilt Gardens Along the Heritage Trail
(800) 262-8161; QuiltGardens.com May 30 – October 1. Color bursts everywhere in Amish Country, where huge gardens are planted in quilt designs that are so much a part of this Northern Indiana region. Hundreds of thousands of blooms go into creating these living displays that change every year. Large outdoor quilt murals add to the experience. The gardens and murals at 27 sites are a feature of the nationally known Heritage Trail, which you can follow with a map available at the Elkhart County Visitor Center or from directions at the web site (both listed above). |
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14. Rose Lane Farm Bed & Breakfast
(574) 535-4315 or (574) 312-0445; RoseLaneFarmBedAndBreakfast.com Open year-round; check-in by 9 p.m. Guests enjoy misty mornings and quiet evenings in a country setting, overlooking Mennonite and Amish farms, within easy driving distance of Amish attractions, shops and markets. The gleaming hardwood floors and quilts on the beds make staying at this impressive stone farmhouse on 17 acres connect you with the Amish world. In the morning, the inn's fluffy French cheese omelet with veggies, ham or bacon, plus homemade muffins get you ready for a day of exploring the area or just taking a walk to nearby Yellow Creek Lake. |
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15. Schmidt Furniture, Cabinetry & Gifts
(574) 862-2200; SchmidtFurniture.com Open year-round; Monday-Friday 8am to 5pm; Saturday 8:30am to 2pm. Whether you're looking for a custom-made table, cabinets or even wooden toys, you'll find a finely-crafted piece of authentic Amish work at this shop, with a reputation for quality that stretches from Northern Indiana through the Chicago area. In business since 1976, these artisans craft their wares from mahogany, cherry, oak, ash, maple and walnut using time-tested methods of the past combined with the latest techniques. Take a tour of the job shop to find out how it's all done before you pick out your own cherished treasure. Visit our showroom and gift shop. |
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16. The Cinnamon Stick
(574) 825-7725; Open year-round; Monday-Saturday 10am to 5:30pm. Housed in a building that dates to 1897, this store is rich in Middlebury history with creaking floors and original brick walls. But the inventory is totally today! Shoppers find a wide variety of Vera Bradley purses, South Bend Chocolates, Quilt Garden merchandise, pottery, greeting cards, candles and luxurious Lollia Bubble Bath that Oprah has featured. Indulge yourself and find perfect gifts to take home. |
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17. The Teapot and More
(574) 773-3400 Open year-round, Tuesday-Friday 9am to 5pm; Saturday 9am to 2pm. Get in touch with the crafters who make this Amish area's fine products. You'll find handmade quilts, china and tea sets that the staff decorates themselves, rag and braided rugs and more. Crafters at this unique shop in Nappanee love to tell customers how to decorate china and to answer their questions about the art they sell. Plan to take your time in this relaxing atmosphere, where tea and cookies or bars are served to customers every day. |
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18. The Quilt Shop at Essenhaus
(800) 455-9471, ext. 300 Open year-round. January-March; Monday-Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 9am to 7pm; April-September Monday-Saturday 9am to 8pm October-December Monday-Thursday 10am to 7pm; Friday 10am to 8pm; Saturday 9am to 8pm. If you're looking for a locally made Amish quilt or wall hanging, you can choose from more than 100 that grace this shop, which prides itself in displaying and selling the works of local artisans and crafters. Or custom order a design of your choice. If you've had an urge to get into quilting yourself, take part in the hands-on demonstrations of locker hooking, needle felting and all kinds of other techniques, even crayon art and quilt magic. |
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