Retail T herapy

Retail T herapy
From hand-crafted to creatively repurposed, the Heritage Trail’s lined
with shop-portunities. Here’s a sampling of what might tempt you.
DAY ONE
(Elkhart, Wakarusa and Nappanee)
Not-too-shabby chic meets retro retail in the Beardsley Avenue Antique District.
Here you’ll find Antiques on Beardsley (816 W Beardsley), Antiques & More by
Fretta (1000 W Beardsley) and Bird’s Gotta Fly Vintage (916 N Michigan).
Downtown, restyle any room with blasts from the past at The Black Crow on
Main (224 S Main) or funky finds from Lucky You (210 E Jackson) then head over
to b on the River (333 NIBCO Parkway) for home accents with a French country
cottage feel.
Head south on State Road 19 into Wakarusa. Every candy you craved as a kid is
bound to be on the shelves at the Wakarusa Dime Store (103 E Waterford).
They stock 450 kinds. Take your sweet stash on the road into Nappanee. Booths lined with crafts, gifts and
antiques fill 70,000-square feet at the Dutch Village Market (700 N Tomahawk Trail). Racks of quilts surround
the pot-bellied stove at Amish Acres Craft Barn (US Highway 6).
(cont.)
DAY ONE (cont.)
Tired of your kitchen? Kountry Cabinets (252 W Market) will get you remodel ready.
Looking for Amish-made and heirloom quality? Homestyle Furniture Shoppe
(1359 W Market) and Weaver Furniture (6146 W 1350 N) deliver. Contemporary
tastes will like the teak and bamboo pieces at Tai Expressions (101 W Market).
>> Worth the trip … Need a woodstove, harness or grill for your campfire? Rural
locations and eclectic inventories are the rule at the 50+ stops among Nappanee’s
Countryside Shoppes. Get a free map at the Nappanee Center (302 W Market).
DAY TWO
(Middlebury and Goshen)
Downtown shops pack fun and functional stuff between wood floors and tin ceilings. Varns & Hoover Hardware
(101 N Main) stocks everything from rakes to Radio Flyers. Customers have been shopping here since 1886.
Gohn Brothers (105 S Main) sells plainly styled Amish clothes and the fabrics to make them. More contemporary
fashions, and a tempting array of accessories, are on display at the Cinnamon Stick (102 S Main).
From primitives to porcelain, Market Place of Middlebury (511 S Main) finds help create your perfect space. You
could break for lunch at the on-site Pumpkinvine Café then head over to Old Creamery Antiques (333 N Main)
for some antique garden ornaments or vintage fishing tackle. The Village Shops at Das Dutchman Essenhaus
(240 US 20) are temptingly close to the restaurant/bakery so you might reward yourself with a family-style feast after
your shopping foray.
Continue on to Goshen via the scenic County Road 22 and the Old Bag Factory
artisans’ complex (1100 N Chicago). It’s home to artisan galleries and specialty
boutiques. Original patterns are pieced to perfection at Quilt Designs. Each quilt,
designed by fiber artist Shirley Shenk in her log cabin loft, is stitched by Amish hands.
Every gorgeous piece at Goertzen Pottery is wood-fired, richly colored and fully
functional. Turkish jewelry designer Gamze Neer crafts beautiful baubles from
Victorian cameos to Art Nouveau bracelets.
>> Shop for a Cause ... Proceeds from Better World Books (215 S Main) power
literacy programs. Purchase classic vinyl and fund live performance at Ignition Music
Garage (120 E Washington). Clean water in developing countries is the cause for the Mennonite Relief Sale
(4-H Fairgrounds, September 23 & 24). Give it a hand when you buy a quilt, craft or food at this annual event.
#InAmishCountry
(cont.)
DAY THREE
(Shipshewana)
You might plan your trip around the twice-weekly Flea Market (Tuesdays & Wednesdays, May – October 3).
Vendors number in the hundreds and the produce market stands out as one of the best. Weekly livestock and
antique auctions take place year-round.
How can you not be tempted by shops with names like Aunt Millie’s Candy
(gummies and chocolates anyone?) or Simple Sounds (purveyors of dulcimers,
banjos and mandolins)? These unique boutiques join 18 others and a historic carousel
everyone can ride at the Davis Mercantile (Corner of Main & Harrison).
Time travel and shop in one stop at Yoder Department Store (300 S Van Buren).
Here you’ll find everything from canning supplies to cast iron cookware.
The setting is as inviting as the merchandise at B&L Woodcrafts (10045 W 250 N). Just
look for the rainbow of Adirondack chairs. Gardens of herbs and wildflowers surround
Menno-Hof Amish-Mennonite History Center (510 S Van Buren). Grazing horses and rolling fields frame Little
Helper’s Quilt Shop (1030 N 1000 W).
Specialty shops get very specific at Yoder Popcorn (7680 W 200 S, Topeka), Annie Oakley Perfumery
(300 Johnson St, Topeka) and b Honey (2260 N 1000 W). Don’t try even to pronounce Guggisberg Deutsch Kase
Haus (11275 W 250 N). Just go, sample and stock up on the Colby, Pepper Jack or Baby Swiss cheeses.
You’ll love E&S Bulk Foods (1265 N Van Buren) for the fried pies, spices, baking supplies and produce (especially
the strawberries and rhubarb in season!) It’s usually packed, and the clientele is an interesting blend of Amish
and “English” cultures.
>> Take our “Mobile Concierge”
along with you!
>> Don’t leave home without it! The Heritage Trail Adventures
Area Guide is filled with more must-see stops, scenic drives,
signature foods, unique shops and historic sites along the
nationally-recognized Heritage Trail. Request your copy today
at AmishCountry.org or by calling the Elkhart County
Visitor Center at 800.262.8161.
#InAmishCountry
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