Simple splendor
A mix of small towns and scenic farms dots the scenic Amish countryside. Elkhart, the largest city, is where you'll find the area Visitors Center, a great resource for maps, guides and personal advice. Smaller Middlebury is known for its Amish-style restaurants, Shipshewana for its flea market and Nappannee for Amish Acres, a historic farmstead that offers insight into the Amish beliefs and way of life.
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Sunset on the shore
Discover sandy beaches, endless water and dense, fragrant forests at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which encompasses 15,000 acres of protected woods, wetlands and Lake Michigan beach. Because the area is rural with forested winding roads, it's best to stop at the Dorothy Buelll Memorial Visitors Center on U.S. Highway 20 and Indiana State Route 49. The Center stocks an extensive array of park literature.
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Sweet tooth paradise
Jelly beans, including spicy ones the size of a robin's egg, can be found at the 104-year-old Wakarusa Dime Store in Wakarusa. The big beans come in assorted fruit, licorice, chocolate-covered-cherry, red-cinnamon and apple-cinnamon flavors. They sell some 35 tons annually! Other sweet treats include old-fashioned candy like Neccos, Chuckles and Cherry Mash.
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Fall foliage
Autumn colors accent Bonneyville Mill, which has been producing stone ground flour for more than 150 years in Bristol. During the summer months, interpreters will lead you through the daily grind while massive grist stones vibrate underfoot and water passes over the dam. Located in the heart of Bonneyville Mill County Park, seven miles of hiking trails pass wildlife and wildflowers. The mill closes in winter, but cross-country skiers take to the trails and two sledding hills provide family fun.
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Midwest beauties
Horses and buggies are a common site along the roads of Nappanee, showcasing the area's humble allure. For the most part, the land is flat, with neat and tidy farmsteads that resemble one another, with red barns and simple white frame houses. To learn more about the Amish way of life, visit Amish Acres, a historic farmhouse open to tours and explains the religious beliefs that have led the Amish to lives of simplicity.
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Dune playground
The hardest decision is not whether to go to Indiana Dunes State Park, but what to bring. Swimming suits could be on your list, as the clean and pretty swimming beach has a lifeguard and a pavilion with a snack bar, small store and updates on the water safety. The Dunes area includes habitat from beach to marsh. Check in at the Nature Center to find the day's hot birding spots. Definitely bring your favorite footwear for exploring, because the park's 16-plus miles of trails lead through a remarkable collection of some of the Midwest's most diverse plant communities and wildlife habitat.
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