Staying Fit
Taking a leisurely road trip through small towns along the Amish Country Heritage Trail in Northwest Indiana feels a bit like time travel. Horse-drawn carriages move slowly along country roads, and what those roads lack in conveniences like gas stations or fast food they more than provide in serene views.
There are many Amish communities in the U.S., but the state boasts the third-largest population, about 60,000 residents. Their way of life is traditional: Amish families don’t use electricity, phones, cars and other such modern amenities; their livelihood is based on farming and sale of home grown food, baked goods, and handcrafted artistry such as rugs, quilts and woodworks.
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You may meet Amish families, taste Midwestern wine, bike a nature trail and eat made-from-scratch pies on this four-day road trip. Although the mileage is minimal, temptations to stop are many as you make your way through towns where American flags wave on the front porches of Victorian homes.
Prime time to make the drive is during the free Quilt Gardens event, held annually in Elkhart County from late May through mid-September to honor Amish quilt-making traditions. More than 15 giant gardens with over 1 million blooms planted by more than 200 volunteers replicate classic and modern quilt patterns.
Wellfield Botanic Gardens
Everyday Artistry Photography / Alamy Stock Photo
Day 1: Elkhart to Middlebury (17 miles)
Start your day 111 miles east of Chicago in Elkhart, the region’s largest city (population: 54,000), at the confluence of the St. Joseph and Elkhart Rivers. For your first taste of the culture, eat breakfast at Baker’s Nook Cafe downtown where you’ll find bacon biscuits, fluffy pancakes and apple-bread French toast.
Energized for the day, you can drive a mile north to the city’s Garden District for docent-led tours of two historic home museums on Beardsley Avenue. First visit the 1848 Italianate home of Havilah Beardsley, Elkhart’s founding father who built the area’s first flour and sawmills and brought the Michigan Southern Railway to town. Then wander through the 1910 Beaux Arts mansion of Havilah’s nephew, Albert Beardsley, who helped establish Elkhart’s Miles Laboratories (which invented Alka-Seltzer). See the family’s extensive Tiffany glass lamp, art and antique car collections.
On Main Street, less than a half-mile north of the two homes, explore Wellfield Botanic Gardens, an active well site providing Elkhart’s water transformed into a lush sanctuary. Paved promenades wind through sculpture-studded flower gardens, a Japanese garden and a children’s garden. While resting on pathside benches, listen to birdsong and the sound of flowing water in fountains. Check the schedule for guided bird walks.
Break for lunch downtown at the Vine bistro-wine bar (artisan pizzas, entrée salads) or Electric Brew coffee shop (paninis, wraps and homemade soups).
Now make your way to Middlebury, driving east on Indiana State Road 120. But about nine miles down the road in Bristol, take a slight detour for a quick stop at Fruit Hills Winery and Orchard, two miles south on Indiana State Road 15. The tasting room pours wines made from the 170-year-old family farm’s homegrown regional grapes and fruits. Pick up a bottle for sipping at sunset when rural skyscapes transition from robin egg blue to hydrangea pink and golden honey hues.
