One of the small towns nearby with a large Amish presence is Shipshewana. The town is also the home of the largest flea market in the midwest. We're not really into flea markets that much, but everyone said this one is worth checking out just to see how big it is. We left around 10:30, taking back roads. On the way we stopped at another place we've heard we shouldn't miss, the Rise and Roll bakery in Middlebury.
It's a bakery and a deli, and they sell pastries, cheeses, breads and jams, along with sandwiches for lunch. But they're most known for their wonderful donuts and pastries.
They had samples of a cinnamon caramel donut. I tried a sample and it was love at first small bite! I bought two of them, ate one and brought the other one home. They just melt in your mouth.
Jim's favorite donut is chocolate covered glazed, and he also got two. While there we ran into Keith and Donna, two of our new friends we met at happy hour last night. It was well worth stopping, and I have a feeling we'll visit there again. :)
We continued our trip to Shipshewana. It was a wonderful ride along the 2-lane roads, and we passed many Amish horse and buggies on the way. My mom said we used to visit the flea market when I was growing up, but I don't remember it. Everyone wasn't kidding... the place is HUGE! If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you'll see how many spaces there are. Including the spaces inside the buildings, there are over 1,000 booths!
Here's Jim walking down one of the rows.
The temperature was about 75 with a light breeze, so it was a perfect day. Interestingly, the flea market is only open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the place was very crowded (we almost didn't get a parking spot). At last night's get together some folks who went the the flea market yesterday were talking about flourescent-colored bras. This is one of several booths that were selling these bras.
Wouldn't want to wear one of these under a white blouse. :)
This guy was selling remote controlled helicopters.
I really liked these bottle holders.
This a sled like I had as a kid.
We bought a few small things that will be handy in the RV. The variety of "stuff" they were selling was just mind boggling. But we both agree the strangest product we saw for sale was "goat milk chocolate soap." Say what!
Right next door to the flea market is Yoder's Meat Shoppe. Yoder is the most common Amish name in this area, and there are a lot of businesses owned by Yoders. But this meat shop is world famous for their high quality meats and cheeses. We picked up some smoked cheddar cheese and beef jerky.
On the way back home we saw this building in the middle of a field all by itself. We have no idea what it is. Jim says it looks like a spy facility of some sort. (I think he's been reading too many of his spy books.) Any ideas?
We were very tired when we got home, so we had some dinner and relaxed with TV the rest of the evening. Tomorrow we head to Warsaw to see a couple of my childhood friends.
6 comments:
Keep your white noise machine for when you get here. We have trains too!
I would have loved that flea market!
Looks like the tower we used at the fire training I took in Halifax a few years back
Chocolate soap? Why, I might take a bath more often if I had some of that! (I'd be tempted to drink the water though.)
We really enjoy that market, but seem to spend too much money there.
The women that buy those fluorescent bra's, probably WOULD wear them under white blouses!
I do not know what the building was originally, but it has telephone microwave antennas on it. Also it has a commercial 460 Mghz repeater antenna on it, perhaps for public safety, like police or fire departments.
Maybe it held grain years ago.
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