“Our guests would like to try some garden tea,” our gracious hostess said to her daughter. “Bring in some peppermint and spearmint.”
Without a word the young girl found some scissors and headed out the front door. Minutes later the ThreeOlBags sat down to a wonderful cup of freshly brewed “garden tea”. Our chance to visit the tidy home of this hospitable Amish family was the highlight of our two-day trip to Amish country in northern Indiana.
Our adventure began on Friday morning when we drove the short four hours from Detroit and arrived at Market Street Guest House in Nappanee, Indiana. It’s a beautiful historic home located on the main street in town. We found our Bed & Breakfast accommodations online. We were very happy with our choice, and with our charming innkeeper, Sharon Bontrager, who made us feel instantly welcome, and gave us plenty of background information about the Amish people.
After settling in to our adjoining rooms we decided to take Bontrager’s suggestion and experience the Heritage Trail Driving Tour while listening to a CD she loaned us. The CD explained the history of the area, and interesting spots as we drove along. The drive winds through Elkhart, Middlebury, Shipshewana, Goshen and Nappanee, and takes about three hours, if you don’t stop anywhere along the way. Of course, that was not part of our plans.
We found all roads lead to Goshen, the center of Amish country. Our first stop was in Goshen, at the Old Bag Factory. With a name like that, how could ThreeOlBags resist? Formerly a paper bag factory, the building has been transformed into a specialty mall with nineteen shops and a café. We learned shopkeepers at the Old Bag Factory must meet the highest standards of their particular craft and be voted in by a seventy-five per-cent majority of existing shop owners.
We especially enjoyed our visit at the Pottery shop owned by Dick Lehman, who was happy to show us how he made his wares on an old pottery wheel. He deftly sculpted the wet clay while we chatted and soon produced an original stoneware bowl. Although most of his wheel-thrown stoneware and porcelain is sold locally, he does accept orders from out-of-towners. Lehman also pointed us toward other interesting activities in the area and shared his knowledge of the Amish culture. One important etiquette tip we learned is to ask permissions before taking pictures of the Amish.
Just across the trolley tracks from The Old Bag Factory is a restored 1837 log cabin perched on a hill. This is the home of Quilt Designs, owned and operated by Dave and Shirley A. Shenk. Shirley designs one-of-a-kind quilts, and then hires local Amish and Mennonite women to do the actual hand quilting, which can take up to two years to complete. Shenk is one of the top five quilt designers in the country. It’s definitely worth a stop to view her exquisite form of fabric art.
ThreeOlBags returned to Nappanee to spend a leisurely evening at the Guest House, and fell asleep listening to the clip-clop of hooves on the pavement outside as the horse and buggies passed by.
Our first stop on Saturday was a shopping spree at Borkholder Dutch Village in Nappanee. It claims to be the “nation’s largest antiques, collectibles and crafts mall”. Each booth contains hand-crafted items made by local residents in the area. We spoke with one woman from Hazel Park, Michigan, who said, “I come here about every two years. There are things here you cannot find anywhere else. It’s the best craft mall I have ever seen.”
We drove on to Shipshewana and found the Menno-hof, a Mennonite-Amish Visitors Center. Whether you are a history buff or just curious about learning the beginnings of the Mennonite and Amish people, this is the place to start. The tastefully done museum traces their church history back to the Reformation. “Follow the trail of a People searching for peace” is the theme of their multi-image presentation. Here you will find answers to questions like: Why do the Amish drive horse and buggies instead of cars? What caused the Amish to break away from the Mennonites in 1693? The tour takes about 1 ½ hours to complete, and is well worth the $5.00 donation.
ThreeOlBags highly recommend The Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana for the best Amish cuisine at a reasonable price. At only $12.95 per person we found it to be a bargain. The family style dinner concludes with a hearty portion of fresh baked fruit pie.
Our two-hour visit with in the home of an Amish family gave us a chance to learn that our cultures are more alike than different. Even though their choice of transportation and dress may seem foreign to us, the Amish hold dear the same family values cherished by most Americans.
The family we visited was friendly and very much like our own families. Teenagers were popping in and out, leaving with gym bags packed for a sleepover. Young boys enjoyed themselves behind the wheel of a small lawn tractor.
We began our visit a bit nervous that we might say or do something offensive to these people. We thought they lived within strange and restrictive boundaries. But, we left laughing at ourselves for being so presumptuous and deeply touched to have had the opportunity to share a little time with new friends.
We asked our hosts if it was polite to wave at the buggies that pass by. They looked at each other knowingly, and then the husband replied, “Smiles are universally understood.”
-End
Sidebar:
- Find the Market Street Guest House at www.amishcountrybb.org
- Dick Lehman Potter www.DickLehman.com
- The Blue Gate Restaurant www.riegsecker.com
- Learn more about the Old Bag Factory at www.oldbagfactory.com
Special Events Calendar
July2-4 Three Day Flea Market Aug 2-3 Habitat for Humanity Benefit Auction August 9 – 11 Amishland and Lakes Bicycle Tour Sept 21 Honeyville Quilt Auction Oct 11 – 12 Fall Crafter’s fair
