RV Hall of FAME MUSEUM in Elkhart, Indiana

20 Jul 2015 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

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July 9, 2015

Highlights  from the  RV  Hall of Fame Museum  is the  last of 4  postings of my  trip to Elkhart County, Indiana.  Even though I have no long term interests in RV life, I thoroughly enjoyed  this museum.  The units on display  ranged from brand new to  the first of it’s kind from 1913,  from  wonderfully vintage to I-wouldn’t-be-caught-dead-in-that.   It’s all part of the adventure!  Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face  are my favorites  for various reasons:

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Road Best Traveled to the history of RV’s

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Only permanent residents of the RV Museum.

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Mae West was given this  1931  Chevrolet   Housecar  by Paramount Studios.

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1931 Ford Model AA  Camp Truck with luxury  driver seating and interior.

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1954 Holiday Rambler

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1955 Ranger Fiberglass Pop Up with a side under rear bed.

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1937 Hunt Housecar  (resembles a rolly poly bug )

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Only 3 made before the Crash of 1929,  this  is a 1928 Pierce Arrow Housecar

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1935 Covered Wagon 17 Foot Travel Trailer  with a  leatherette exterior and a canvas covered roof.

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Can’t miss this coming down the road – 1974  GMC  Motor Home

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1954  Spartan Mobile Home – 8 feet wide and 48 feet long

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Ugly award has to go to this 1988 Star  Streak II

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Just a couple random interiors for a step back in time.

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Lastly, this Westwood Coronado was bought in 1947 ( for $3200.)  by John Culp after he came home from WWII.   He used it for 65 years traveling the USA,  living in it full time ( from 1947 until 1957 when he married)  or part time as a snow bird.  John was a charter member of the “Tin Can Tourist ” vintage trailer club.  His trailer  was in several TV documentaries about  vintage trailer life.

Hope you enjoyed  your condensed  trip to the RV Hall of Fame Museum!

Thanks for reading!

ENJOYING AMISH COUNTRY in Elkhart County, Indiana – Random Moments in Time

16 Jul 2015 3 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , ,

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July 9, 2015

As I explored  Elkhart County  I saw so many wonderful  “Kodak Moments”.    Here are some of my favorites:

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Nappanee has ” Apple  Picking ” – ” An A-Peeling Art”    in front of  many of the businesses  as a means  to “dress up the streets” and also as a means of identification.  I believe there are 24 now but the number keeps growing.

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The Round Barn Theater  at Amish Acres in Nappanee

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Beautiful and fragrant  flowers are everywhere in  Elkhart County – always a sign to me of  love for home and community.  This wagonful was sitting outside the Blue Gate Restaurant  in Shipshewana – an absolute MUST  place to eat  – the food was delicious!

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Speaking of restaurants,  a couple had special ” Amish Buggy” seating!

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I just happened to drive by and fall in love with this relax-and-sit-a-spell porch !

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Shops of all kinds in Shipshewana !

What a wonderful  place for  a treasure hunt !

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The prettiest rain barrel  I have ever seen!

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This was my traveling companion, Tootsie.

She enjoyed  window shopping in Elkhart County too !

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Gotta  love those Amish Buggies and the sound of  the  horse’s clattering hoofs as they passed by.

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Thanks for reading !

Please stay tuned – the next posting to come is of the RV Museum in the town of Elkhart.

LINTON’S ENCHANTED GARDEN in Elkhart, Indiana

15 Jul 2015 1 Comment

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , ,

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Enjoyably unique sights to be seen….

July 8, 2015

Linton’s Enchanted Gardens in Elkhart, Indiana  was  a must-see while I was exploring  the Amish Community of  Elkhart County.   It was like nothing I had ever seen before and  vastly exceeded my expectations!  Entrance to Linton’s  is free for,  in reality, it is a home and garden center.   They have  flowers, plants, bushes, trees, statuary,  gifts, chocolates,  jewelry and that’s only  the beginning.  There is also a cafe, petting zoo, train rides, paddle boat rides , kids play area and  gem stone mining.  Plus the greatest stroll  ever through their  incredible and imaginative  grounds.    I easily whiled away  a couple of hours as I had to be sure I didn’t miss anything.  Be ready to smile and feel  the kid in you come to the surface as you meander  through the gardens….

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Pond inside the gift shop fully stocked with koi.

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Also inside the gift shop, though I couldn’t  find a price tag on it.

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Victorian  set among the flowers.

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Linton’s version of Area 51 !

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Every nook and cranny had an idea behind it and then took it a step further.

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Pagoda time

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The  Lost Mine to  compliment the gem stone mining.

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I need one of these  in my  garden.

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Paddle boating with grace.

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Cottage with topiaries.

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Trains ride.

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Barn for the topiary animals.

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Friendly bear waves at the passersby.

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Lastly,  a bench  with  the greatest eco-friendly umbrella  to sit a spell and reflect on how many purchases  you can fit in the car.

Thanks for reading  !  Hope you enjoyed Linton’s!

ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA – AMISH COUNTRY and THE QUILT GARDEN TOUR

13 Jul 2015 6 Comments

by jeannieadams in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

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Rock Run Manor Garden & Jazz It Up Mural in  Elkhart, IN

July 8, 2015

Recently  I ventured to  Elkhart County, Indiana.    I saw  colorful gardens, back roads of  peaceful  Amish farm country, stuffed myself with  wonderful Amish cooking  and did a bit of  shopping, all amongst Amish families  going about their daily lives.   Two  popular  attractions in the area, Linton’s Enchanted Garden and and  the RV Hall of Fame Museum were also  very enjoyable.   This 1st posting of my adventure is regarding  the Heritage  Trail.   Every  year  (May 1 – October 1)  the towns of Elkhart, Bristol, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappansee, Shipshewana and Wakarusa host a Quilt Gardens Tour  and supplies their visitors with a free map and CD of the  Trail.  This year there were 19 gardens,  all modeled after different quilt patterns and 21 quilt themed murals.  The map and  CD are very helpful but I also used my GPS.   I have  picked out my favorite gardens to share with you :

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Pomegranate Window Garden ( 3700 plants)  in Elkhart,  next door to the Ruthmere House.

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Ruthmere  is an elegant historical home from 1908, now open for tours and special events.  As my time was limited I did not see the inside.

But that gives me one of many reasons to return.

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Oma’s Blumen Garten  of 3300 plants in Nappanee.  Popcorn is one variety of plant used in this display.

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Legacy Garden with its  3300 plants is located next to the Old Bag Factory in Goshen.  The Old Bag Factory was originally  the Cosmo Buttermilk Soap  Company in 1896, then in 1910, it became the the Chicago Detroit Bag Company and  as of 2010 is now full of artisan shops, merchants and the Rolling Scones Bakery.

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Lincoln Patriotic Garden,  fashioned after President Lincoln’s Top Hat, sits to the side of the 1841  Goshen Courthouse.  The small  stone structure was built in 1939  for police to watch for and fend off would-be bank robbers and gangsters from that era.

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Pink Swirls of Hope Garden of 8400 plants,  is located at Linton’s Enchanted Garden in Elkhart.  This was my favorite garden in the tour.  Linton’s was wonderful  also  – but that deserves a posting  all of it’s own.

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Wild Geese Garden of 3800 plants in  downtown Wakarusa.

Amish murals in Nappanee

Lastly here are Amish Murals that were on display in  downtown Nappanee.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more of Amish Country in Indiana!