By Kath Usitalo, contributing writer to Midwest Living

A center for environmental learning opens a wholesome food store.

A steady stream of shoppers traipses in and out of Earthworks Market in the nondescript building—a former car dealership—on busy East Jefferson Street in Plymouth. Some are regulars who stop for freshly baked goods and a cup of fair-trade coffee. Others, like the young couple I meet, are here for the first time and sample cheese while a man selects a prewrapped cut of locally raised meat from the cooler.

There’s lots of laughter and chitchat between customers, staffers and volunteers at Earthworks Market, an outlet for locally grown and produced foods and fair-trade goods. It’s an offshoot of an effort by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ to encourage sustainable and responsible lifestyles through educational programs about the environment.

While I check out the chemical-free soaps and lotions, brown rice and small selection of vegetables, a woman watches as I consider chunks of beef in a can labeled “Holy Cow, It’s Good.” She raves about the canned meat and offers, “I heat that up, serve it with Amish noodles and a vegetable, and I’ve got dinner.”

I peek into the commercial kitchen where Tom Keb, Earthworks’ bread baker, turns out 150 hearty loaves each week. His wife, Jeanine, is mainly responsible for the scones, pies and other sweets disappearing from the market shelf. Tom and Jeanine are also beekeepers who make the honey sold at the market.

Everyone admires the monstrous eggs from a local farm that raises, it appears, some very happy chickens. I really want to bring them home, but because I’m on the road, I settle for the canned beef and a bag of Amish noodles. Hey, when I need it, I’ve got dinner.

Link:

http://www.northernindianagetaways.com/where-to-stay/venue?tokenid=6304

By Kath Usitalo, contributing writer to Midwest Living

Engaging exhibits tell the story of the South Bend family and its vehicle-manufacturing company.

With a husband and son who are dedicated car guys, our house is filled with “automobilia”—books, cars, collectibles—not to mention the 1953 Packard in the garage. My interest in wheels is limited to whether they’re round or flat. Still, I found plenty to like about the South Bend museum dedicated to the history of the five Studebaker brothers and their contributions to the transportation industry.

Exhibits and vehicles relate how the family business evolved from a blacksmith shop in 1852 to the largest wagon and buggy manufacturer in the world. Impressive Studebaker-built carriages for presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Benjamin Harrison are part of the museum’s National Treasures collection, which includes the carriage that transported Abraham Lincoln to the Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. The Studebakers purchased that historic vehicle in 1889.

Through engaging exhibits, I learn that Thomas Edison bought the second electric car built by Studebaker in 1902, and in 1904, the company introduced its first gasoline-powered model. After decades of ups (the daring “bullet nose” style in 1950, the Lark in 1959 and Avanti in 1962) and downs (organizational and economic problems) the last Studebaker rolled off the line in 1966.

In a museum filled with cool pastel wheels and hot sports cars, the vehicle that tickled my fancy was the 1951 Commander driven by a puppet in 1979’s The Muppet Movie.

Link: http://www.northernindianagetaways.com/where-to-stay/venue?tokenid=47315

By Kath Usitalo, contributing writer to Midwest Living

Nearly 90 years ago, an Indiana man sold a half dozen pigs, seven cows and some cattle in an auction that launched a Shipshewana tradition that has grown into weekly auctions of livestock, horses and antiques.

Although I don’t have a quirky assortment of vintage aprons or prized pottery collection to enhance, I love browsing antiques shops. This auction is a shop on steroids. on my first visit to the famous antiques auction at the Shipshewana Auction and Flea Market.

While the flea market operates from May through October, the antiques auction is a year-round event. Every Wednesday, the 16,000-square-foot white barn becomes a bustling, colorful and noisy scene, but the action really starts when buyers scout the goods—sparkling glassware, stacks of cigar boxes, once-loved dolls, handcrafted wooden tools, rusty signs and 1970s wedding china—on Tuesday and early Wednesday. When the bidding opens at 9 a.m., throngs of buyers circle eight to 10 auctioneers who simultaneously begin the process of selling treasures to the highest bidder.

Wagon wheels, a commercial sewing machine, bicycles and a model canoe attract moderate or little interest and the occasional well-tempered bidding war. Exchanges are quick, lively and good-humored. Someone walks away with a framed print for $5 (hoping, perhaps, to have scooped up a long-lost masterpiece). A woman is thrilled with a piece of nautical-looking equipment that I’m sure she’ll display in some creative way.

A rustic wooden rake sparks my interest, but I’m not certain where I’d display it so pass on bidding, which I regret later. The people-watching and energy at the auction—and the hope that there will be another handmade rake for sale—have me planning a return trip.

The antiques and livestock auctions are Wednesdays; the horse auctions are Fridays. No auctions on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Link: http://www.northernindianagetaways.com/where-to-stay/venue?tokenid=5142

By Kath Usitalo, contributing writer for Midwest Living

In the heart of Shipshewana where there’s no shortage of talent, resourcefulness and reliance on old-fashioned handwork, there is a showplace for artisans who keep historical trades alive by hand-making useful and decorative objects.

I almost miss the subtle wooden board propped against the building announcing the purpose of the handsome two-story redbrick building on Morton Street in downtown Shipshewana. Flanking an illustration of a knee-high boot, a fancy script proclaims Boots & Shoes. Fine Leather Accoutrement & Local Crafts.

As I open the creaky wooden door of The Sign of the Boot Leather Shop and Center for Traditional Arts, it’s clear why there isn’t a neon-flashing Open sign in the window. A neatly trimmed bearded man greets visitors explaining that artisans who work in traditional methods dating to the 1800s handcraft everything in the high-ceiling gallery and studio space.

Owner and boot maker, Cliff Pequet gave the boot to his career in the field of law to make fine leather footwear, belts and saddles in styles from the 1700s to today. Clad in a protective leather apron, he works amid a jumble of hand tools, forms, and storage shelves groaning with the leathers and supplies he uses to create shoes and boots.

He established the center to preserve and showcase a wide variety of trades by a number of artisans, from metal- and woodworkers to quilters, blacksmiths, and candle and rug makers.

I resist the temptation to touch the gleaming silver and copper pitchers and platters, carved wooden utensils, and marbled papers that are on display and for sale. The selection at the center changes, but typically you’ll find an assortment of tin and other metal wear; hand-dipped candles; quilts; wooden boxes, locks, puzzles, toys and furniture. It feels like a museum—one where you can not only admire, but also take home, these carefully crafted pieces of the past. (Cliff readily demonstrates two types of wooden padlocks that have been cut away so visitors can see how the hand-carved pegs ingeniously fit together inside of the smooth wooden cases.)

Note: At times you can catch artisans at work in the center, which also hosts occasional traditional music and storytelling performances. The center is open Monday through Sunday year-round.

The Center for Traditional Arts

160 Morton St.

Shipshewana, IN

574/596-1022

Links:

http://www.centerfortraditionalarts.org/

By Kim Ranegar, Midwest Living contributor

Housed in the former Furnessville schoolhouse built in 1886, the Schoolhouse Shop is a collection of boutique shops offering clothing, gifts, gourmet food, kitchen accessories and even a florist.

The Schoolhouse Shop building began as a two-room schoolhouse on a sand dune; today, it makes the grade as a quaint shopping destination in Chesterton. Located along a rural road, it’s a cute place to spend an hour—and not-to-be-missed if you’re visiting nearby or staying at the Dunes Walk Inn.

Shiny Christmas ornaments and decorations fill the Seasonal Room just off the entrance. Other rooms overflow with gift finery, such as pottery, hand-dipped candles and hand-blown glass, starting at $5. The Furnessville Gallery and Card room is a tribute to local subjects and artists, and you can spend as little at $2 on a greeting card or up to more than $2,000 on original art pieces. Climb three steps to the Tree House Toy Room where a life-size stuffed Elmo ($195) greets customers. Colorful books, stuffed animals and the kind of toys that don’t require batteries surround him.

Find affordable fashion for both men and women, from jeans to dress up, including jewels and bags, in Dunes Clothiers. I found familiar names like Pendleton alongside new designers like Dream Sacks (bamboo clothing) and Coussard (gauze and cotton). The Magic Pantry is chock-full of goodies for foodies, including salsas, vinegars and pestos, plus chefs’ tools and textiles. I found sparkling stemware, tasty teas and the coolest hand-painted drink tureens—perfect for tailgating ($144).

Lake Effect Florals makes arrangements for delivery and offers baskets and bouquets for cash-and-carry. Also downstairs is a small selection of antiques, ranging from primitive wooden dippers ($28) to ornate cathedral candlesticks ($168). The Schoolhouse Shop is open daily except Tuesdays.

By Kit Bernardi, Midwest Living contributor

A woodsy couple’s retreat, Songbird Prairie is an elegant Federal-style, all-suite B&B serving a gourmet, garden-fresh breakfast almost too pretty to eat.

Lovebirds like to nest in the luxury suites at Songbird Prairie B&B located in Valparaiso, an hour from Chicago and 90 minutes from Indianapolis. The romantic inn—run by Barbara Rivera and her husband, Efrain—caters to couples seeking a pampered getaway in a quiet country setting. Tucked in the woods, Songbird Prairie’s five posh suites (each with fireplace, rain shower and whirlpool) promise a setting for romantic pillow talk.

We stay in the Robin suite with a Tuscan villa decor: rich rusts, greens, gold and chocolate brown. The paisley patterns and rich shades, not to mention the flat-screen television, appeal to my husband. I’m drawn to the bathroom, which is large and luxe! I love the plush Abyss towels, comfy soft terry lined robes and spa slippers, and creams, shampoos and bubble baths. The shower comes equipped with multiple jets and good water pressure, which pleases my husband. The whirlpool looks big enough for both of us.

Lovely welcoming areas reflect a gracious home. The sitting area with updated Colonial furniture surrounds a fireplace flanked with bookshelves. The living area opens into the breakfast room, which brings the inn’s name to life with its windows bringing in views of the trees. Bird feeders and suet squares hang off the glassed-in porch. Watch birds fly in from the woods to eat, and listen to their songs (a microphone pipes in the sound). At the breakfast table, there’s a bird identifier card with electronic chirp machine to help identify the birds. Or ask the hostess, who can identify a bird by its chirp even though she’s in the Provence-style kitchen cooking for guests.

Barbara’s multicourse specialties include a glazed-poached pear, puffy French toast souffle and Bananas Barbara, a layered sweet version of bananas Foster topped with candied orange peels. Each course comes on a still-life work of art composed of seasonal, fresh flowers and leaves Barbara picks from her garden and presses between two glass plates.

Outside, a flagstone patio faces the woods. On cool evenings, I imagine guests gathering around the fire pit. During the day, plan a hike along the wooded trail through the acreage or around the mowed open field trail (bug spray and birding binoculars provided) to experience the many birds lucky enough to call this home.

By Joan Luckett, Midwest Living editor

Midwest Living editor Joan Luckett explored the back roads of LaGrange and Elkhart counties in search of “shingle shops,” where the Amish sell homemade quilts, crafts and more. She discovered beautiful handiwork, along with Amish Country’s simple pleasures—friendly people and a horse-and-buggy pace.

I find Little Helpers Quilt shop in the countryside just outside of Shipshewana. The white-frame building rests behind the owners’ home. I hear a voice call “hello” as I walk into the shop. Soon afterward, owner Carol Wingard joins me. An array of beautiful locally-made quilts hangs from the ceiling. Fabric, crafts and clocks are also for sale. A good selection of Carol’s homemade jams and jellies are available—the strawberry-rhubarb is a new combination. A small selection of attractive leather purses catches my eye. Made by Carol’s sister, they have a distinctive look I love (one almost comes home with me).

I discover another favorite stop near Topeka. Anyone can be a kid in Owl Toycraft. Amish craftsman Owen Wingard creates tiny barns, farms animals and other child-size treasures in this off-the-beaten path shop. If the smell of pine sawdust doesn’t take you back to an earlier time, the quality of the wooden toys will.

Each detail is lovingly crafted with an unpainted simplicity that encourages imagination. Small wooden tractors roll off the one-man assembly line with axles and wheels and attach to pint-size implements that promise to “farm” longer than plastic imposters. The selection goes beyond the barnyard to include baby beds, dollhouses and games guaranteed to last for generations of play.

You have to drive out a bit on the county roads to find these “shingle shops,” but they’re worth the effort. Horse-drawn buggies of all shapes and sizes clip-clopping along the county roads set the pace—perfect for soaking in what I think of as the real Amish experience. I see a young Amish boy, dressed in traditional clothing, behind a huge push lawnmower cutting a sizable yard. An Amish couple plows a field behind a team of horses. Surrounded by lush green countryside, I find myself on an empty road following behind an Amish girl driving a mini-version of an open-bench type buggy, her two young sisters on either side. The littlest one steals several glances at my car. The scene is sweet. And idyllic, and I realize I’m not in the least bit of a hurry. And now I understand the pull of Amish Country.

By Karen Sorensen, Midwest Living contributor

Sink into a comfy chair and take a break from a busy day with a cup of steaming coffee and a from-scratch pastry from 1000 Park Bakafe in Winona Lake.

I love the building—once a huge single-family home with an old-fashioned wraparound porch—housing this part-bakery, part-cafe (thus its Bakafe name). It’s an integral part of Winona Lake’s thriving Village at Winona scene.

Living up to its name you can buy homemade baked goods, including bread and their famous Hoosier Mama Cookies, as well as coffee, tea, sandwiches, salads and pizza. The cozy setting draws me. The mix of furniture ranges from comfy armchairs to wooden bar chairs and tables. Windows provide lots of natural light, and paintings by local artists cover the walls. It makes a great spot to meet friends, use the complimentary Wi-Fi, or tuck away with a newspaper or good book.

I sink into a leather couch near the electric fireplace and sample my blackberry thumbprint cookie—a buttery, jam-filled, sugar-dusted treat. The coffee is topnotch and, unlike national coffeehouses, smooth and relatively well-priced.

I wish the weather were a tad warmer because the porch was inviting. Out there, you get more of a feel for the house’s old-fashioned architecture. Plus, from this perspective, you get a good view of shoppers checking out the nearby village stores. Had I been able to perch there, I would have stayed far longer.

By Barbara Morrow, Midwest Living editor

It was hard to decide whether to describe these culinary artists—just a few of the talented chefs working in Northern Indiana’s exceptional eateries—as “inspired” or “inspiring.” Both adjectives fit, really. They are inspired by their passion for food and fresh local bounty. They are inspiring, because each elevates our tastes and helps us feel their connection to the land and the art of food.

1. Pat Kelly Molden, Kelly’s Table

You’ll only find five entrees on the menu at this fairy-cottage of a restaurant in the Creekwood Inn, tucked into the woods near Michigan City. And, those five things—like duck topped with cherry sauce—will draw on what’s ripening in area fields and orchards. That’s hard for people to understand sometimes, Pat says. “We’re not used to being governed by the season, but the best and freshest is what is growing down the road.” The menu is limited because the kitchen is small and Pat makes everything herself. When diners ask what she recommends, the answer isn’t much help: everything.  Pat explains, “It’s personal. It’s important that I like everything that I make.”

2. Justin Venturi, Venturi

The chef at this hip new café in Goshen looks more like a college computer geek than a culinary artist. He even designed the iPhone app that waiters use to flash orders back to the kitchen. Actually, though, he studied art in college, and he and two co-owners created the abstract paintings on the wall. “I feel the connection between food and art,” Justin says. The masterpieces that come from the compact open kitchen include wood-fired pizzas loaded with ingredients so fresh that they almost glow.

3. Caleb France, Cerulean

After growing up in nearby Goshen, Caleb brings an appreciation of local farm traditions and practicality to this converted waterside cottage in Winona Lake. “I try to highlight as many farms as possible and make it realistic for the consumer,” he says. This dedication shows in the menu which reads like a directory of the best producers of fresh ingredients, from duck to goat cheese and lamb.

by Barbara Morrow, Midwest Living editor

Shopping—finding the sorts of unique places readers will love—is part of my job. Unfortunately, buying things is not. And, thankfully, for my already stressed budget, I often am limited by airline luggage weight restrictions. Here are just a few of the temptations I found exploring unique shops in Northern Indiana.

1.) Shoes at Urban Soles

This shop in Michigan City’s Uptown Arts District takes shoe shopping to a whole new level. Maybe it’s more like what our mothers would have called a “shoe salon,” with stylish couches, artful displays and brands that you don’t see everywhere. I aspire to a pair of the gorgeous, funky platforms, but probably will end up with one of a number of styles of pretty comfy flats. Prices are reasonable, so I should choose from the enticing array of handbags, too!

2.) Cute stuff at b on the River

I showed up at this new café along Elkhart’s RiverWalk, hoping for from-scratch quiche, pastries and coffee (all wonderful). What I didn’t expect was to find half the space devoted to one virtually irresistible item after another, all displayed so nicely that they’re even more appealing—not just for myself, but as gifts. To mention just a few: totes, scarves, jewelry, a magnetic calendar, handcrafted plates and tiles, table linens….well, you get the idea. Note to self: next time bring a list of upcoming occasions.

3.) Yarn at Ewe-nique Knits

I would use it to make this wrap, which owner Sher King assures me would be easier than it looks. And, she promises she would help me. In fact, she offers to give me a knitting lesson on the spot, as I look longingly at the rainbow of skeins overflowing from bins and shelves in this Goshen shop. I realize that what I’m seeking isn’t just yarn, it’s peace, creativity and all the other intangibles woven into knitting. This seems like a place to get them. “Goshen is sort of a secret. We’re blessed with a lot of creativity,” Sher confirms. And, with a wink, adds, “I’m not sure I want you to write about it.” Sorry, Sher.

4.) A Santa at Stone Soup Emporium

Old-fashioned holiday spirit seems to shine through the Santas that artist Bonnie Barrett creates. No wonder: Her work is inspired by memories of an antique Christmas card collection that she loved as a child. Might be hard to find the right spot for this big guy, but the Santas come in all sizes. I’ll allow plenty of decision time. This shop, a renovated 1825 general store with at least two ghost stories, is the kind of place that begs for browsing.

5.) Books at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Visitors Center

Turn-of-the-century visionaries, a recluse, hopes dashed by the Depression, a school teacher with a dream—it’s clear from the dust jackets of books displayed in the center’s shop there are fascinating stories behind the salvation of this unique landscape. And it might take several of the books displayed in the center’s nicely arranged shop to learn even part of it.

6.) Beachy Accessories at The Cranberry Cottage in Winona Lake

I am always mentally furnishing my imaginary lake house. If I ever get that house, this shop along the canal in Winona Lake brims with exactly the kind of things I would artfully display or perhaps graciously accept from friends as hostess gifts. Or, I might just choose something that reminds me of this pretty, peaceful lake getaway.