We set out at 8.30. The day began clear and sunny. First stop the town of Nappanee.
Nappanee is the center of one of the largest Amish settlements in the United States. Nearly 2,500 Old Order Amish live, work and interact with residents and visitors. In the hustle and bustle of the new millennium, the Amish connect with one another heart to heart in a way that is often foreign to the modern mindset.
We stopped for our morning latte at an Amish coffee shop. I find that the Amish in this area are much more open than the order that live in Long Prairie, my home base.
Bourbon was our next stop... the houses are just wonderful, I took photos of the houses and we drove through the centre of town just admiring the beauty of some of these old rural towns.
We drove on through the wonderful countryside. We came upon huge houses set among brown soil fields. You can tell an Amish house by the washing on the line and horses standing by the fence. Occasionally we would see a buggy or horse drawn plough. Our destination was the town of Shipshewana. The home of the famous weekly flea market and Auction.
Every Wednesday year-round Livestock and antique auctions are held and horses and ponies are sold on Fridays. The sale barns and flea market occupy over 100 acres including 60 acres of parking. In the summers, you will find cars lining the streets of the small town of Shipshewana waiting to enter the flea market, with over 30,000 people in attendance.
We ate an Amish lunch consisting of broasted chicken, beans, mashed potato and gravy and sweet potato pie... finished off with coffee and desert... I'm going to roll onto the plane I think....
The scenery is spectacular and the camera was in full use... I have put up some photos on webshots....
