Road Trip

We just returned from a delightful visit to Amish country in northern Indiana. Lucky for us that son Mark's orchestra camp is held in that area! Our first night we stayed at a wonderful bed and breakfast in Middlebury. After a long day of driving it was wonderful to enjoy a stroll to the nearby downtown to window shop and unwind on the comfy porch. Innkeepers Lori and Arnie were very warm and welcoming and the breakfast souffle was yummy.

We managed to visit most of the cities in the area, stocking up on all kinds of Amish foods including homemade noodles, blackberry jam, locally produced maple syrup and a peanut butter spread. The Amish farms in the area were quite large and well kept and I really admire their industriousness.

Amish Quilt Shop

 

 

The area is also known for their beautiful flowers and we passed so many gardens with gorgeous flower borders. Our guide at Amish acres said the Amish grow the flowers to lure bugs away from the vegetables. Many locations featured quilt gardens such as these:

There are also lots of antique malls with wonderful primitives, but my favorite shop was at our last stop in Pierceton, Indiana, which is apparently the antique capital of the area. So if you love antiques, make that your first stop!

Country Heritage Primitives is one of those shops where you walk in the front door and know you've found a special place. So many special, handcrafted treasures! And the creativity extends to the garden next to the shop.

And to top it all off, we spent the evenings listening to wonderful concerts from talented young musicians from around the world. The trumpet ensemble played their final piece on Sunday and now I'm sure everyone is catching up on their rest after a busy month!