2020 Croswell’s Shipshewana, Indiana, Christmas Tour
Just mention Christmas tours and I want to be there! This two-day tour fascinated me by name – Shipshewana! I didn’t know that this small town of approximately 700 people was in the middle of Indiana’s Amish and Mennonite country, and a mere five-hour drive up north. It is known for having the third largest Amish community in the United States, and they are known to have two million annual travelers!
We enjoyed lunch at a Cracker Barrel in Piqua, Ohio. Our escort chose an appropriate movie for our entertainment called “Charm,” a sweet Amish story that referenced Shipshewana. Once we arrived, our first stop was at Davis Mercantile, with a four-floor shopping area. We checked in at the Blue Gate Garden Inn. This proved to be a very beautiful, inside and out, three-story hotel well decorated for the season. Our evening meal was at the Blue Gate Restaurant, a delicious Amish dinner served family style. Perfect ending for the day included a delightful drive-through Christmas light display.
Early morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet, including made-to-order omelets. I was not very hungry, so I chose the Amish baked oatmeal instead. Yum! A step-on guide was scheduled to join us for the morning. Turns out, our guide was the very successful owner and founder of the Blue Gate Inn and Restaurant and Theater, and probably other businesses in this small town with the hustle and bustle of horses and buggies. He told us that he had been raised Amish, but he was excommunicated because he chose to buy a car.
We drove around the beautiful countryside, passing many Amish homes with laundry hanging on clotheslines. Our guide was busy talking and forgot to tell our driver where to turn. As a result, we turned around in the circular driveway of someone’s home. We stopped at a business called Teaberry Wood Products. The owner took us into his workshop and demonstrated how he cut wooden pieces to make baskets and other items. We entered a second room where his wife was putting a basket together. These baskets were every bit as beautiful and well made as the Longaberger baskets.
As we were trying to find our next scheduled stop, our guide directed our driver to an Amish home. The guide walked to the door, came back and said “Well, this is the wrong location. That lady received an unexpected surprise seeing a large tour bus pulling in her driveway.” He quickly found the correct home a short distance away. Many Amish families have built a “gathering” building beside their main home, since they hold church services at different homes instead of churches. We were taken into the large building (sort of like a pole barn) where the lady had chairs and benches for us to sit. She talked about Amish weddings, shared photos and answered questions. It was fascinating to learn of their customs and how the entire community comes together in a very organized way to do the work. Over a thousand people get invited. The wedding lasts all day and people are assigned a time to arrive. Of course, everyone enjoys a meal of delicious Amish food.
At noon, we went back to the Blue Gate Restaurant for lunch of soup, sandwich, and homemade pies. Next, we walked upstairs to a theater that held approximately 300 people. The play we watched was called “The Gut Life!” and was performed by two men and a lady (small cast due to Covid restrictions). It was a story of an “English” man (that’s what they call us) who arrived at the wrong address of an Amish couple to perform his “Santa” act. Needless to say, things got complicated and mixed up between Amish customs and English customs. Their singing was great and lots of comedy was included. They incorporated the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth.
This concluded our time in Shipshewana and we wished we could have had another day. This charming town can definitely put you in the Christmas spirit!
From the Escort Seat of Maxine Harris