Field Trip - Shipshewana, Indiana

We're going on a field trip this morning and I'd like to thank everyone for arriving on time. I will be checking those permission slips as you enter the bus, so have them in hand.

Unfortunately, this morning we're facing a typhoon. It's a real gullywasher out there and I hope you've brought your umbrellas and rain ponchos. We're going to need them.

Everybody on the bus.

It's a fairly long ride to Shipshewana, about 3-1/2 hours. I don't think we'll have any trouble finding things to talk about during the ride.

As we enter the town you'll notice all the quaint shops lining the main highway. Be on the lookout for Amish buggies carrying families into town.

I'm happy with the fact that the bus driver as decided to drop us off in a large parking lot some distance from town. Gosh, we're going to have to walk in the downpour. Don't take you cameras out of your purses because they'll get soaked.

There's a buggy. Hop over that puddle



Let's make our way into the Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery. Maybe the deluge will let up while we're having some lunch. We've entered the door to the restaurant and look what greets us.



Cinnamon rolls with lots of gooey frosting and pecan sticky buns.

Congratulations to everyone who guessed the photo in yesterday's post. It is indeed a meringue pie - lemon meringue to be exact. This is the epitome of meringue swooshing talent and it's baked to an evenly brown perfection. I don't know how they do this. Mine gets those extra brown areas.



We're going to have a hearty Amish-style farmhouse lunch including fried chicken, pot roast, real mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans and those terrific homemade Amish noodles coated with chicken sauce. Yum. The noodles are exceptional.

Omigosh, the rain has passed and the sun has come out. Hooray! Hopefully we can dry out.



The story behind the Blue Gate is that supposedly when a young Amish man would wish to ask for a young woman's hand in marriage, he would go to the girl's home and paint the front gate blue. Is the legend true? Probably not, because if you roam the Amish countryside you will never spot a blue gate. Nice legend though.

Buggy rides are offered all over town.



Some of the buggies are small two seaters and some are quite large, holding whole families.

Look at this colorful planting across from the restaurant. I love the cart.



Meet the other members of our group today.......


Susan, Lynn, Ellen and Donna.

There are Amish working all over town. This man is making popcorn for sale.



Here's a large, fully-enclosed buggy.



More buggy rides being offered. Go ahead and take a ride, I've already been out.



A convertible Amish buggy with bucket seats.



Their animals are stunningly beautiful and very spirited. They are not spooked by the traffic.



Yes, they get stuck in traffic.



Parking lot at the animall auction barn.



Let's go into Yoder's because there's something special going on today.

Yoder's is a food/department store. Think an Amish Super Target. It's so cool. There's food on one side of the store, including that awesome Amish peanut butter and apple butter.

The other half of the store is dry goods and fabric. Tons and tons of fabric. I need to come back with more money.



There's a quilt show in town and Yoder's is hosting a book signing. There's Eleanor Burns, author of many quilt books, signing for her fans. She was selling A LOT of books. Good for Eleanor.



Look up. Flying high above the town is a vintage windmill. It's a Aeromotor, made in Chicago, Illinois.



This man is preparing the buggy to take his family back home.



It's time for us to leave also. I leave you with this.



Indeed.