Shipshewana, Indiana (10/18-10/22)

I stopped in Shipshewana to have some warranty repairs done on the motor home.  The Coachmen factory is in nearby Elkhart, but they couldn't fit me into their schedule.  Instead, they sent me to an independent service company run by a former employee who lives in Shipshewana.  The town is only slightly south of the border with Michigan, leading locals to refer to the general area as "Michiana".  In fact, when they speak of going to town, it's likely they are thinking of Sturgis, MI, which is the closest town of any size.

This is primarily an Amish community, and one with many unusual features.  There is a giant auction/flea market that seems to attract lots of visitors, many brought in by tour buses.  Accordingly there are numerous restaurants and touristy shops, not to mention plenty of Amish-run businesses, such as cabinet, furniture and quilt makers.  All this is surrounded by huge farms, many of which are owned by Amish families. 

Amish Farm At Sunset

 There was an almost constant "clop, clop" on the roads around Shipshewana.  Wide shoulders have been paved to allow horse drawn buggies to travel without slowing automobile traffic.  The Amish don't like having their pictures taken, but I figured it was OK at long distance.

Amish Buggy

Amish Farm At Sunrise

Amish Farm

Built in the 1920s, this was an Amish farm until 1997, when it was  completely restored for use as a Bed & Breakfast.  It seems to be highly rated, especially its Amish meals.

Meadows Inn B & B

I don't know if this farm is owned by Amish, but it made an interesting foreground against a spectacular sunrise.

Sunrise Over A Farm

All the area farms seem to have lots of horses.  Certainly, that is true of the Amish, who use horses to pull their buggies, and probably other chores.  I liked this paint because it reminded me of some of the horses we saw in Lexington.

Pretty Horse

With so much of the land taken up by farms, there aren't that many trees around.  These two are right in the town of Shipshewana.

Trees In Shipshewana