Shopping in Shipshewana

I recently took a trip with my family to Shipshewana, Indiana. It was my third time in the area, but it was the first time I’d done any shopping. One previous trip was in the summer where we had a fun visit to Amish Acres in Nappanee then stayed overnight and moved on early the next day to Michigan. The other trip was in the winter time where we got in to town, visited the Hostetler Hudson Museum and then spent the night at Splash Universe where we splashed in the water the next day and then left for home.

This time we spent a little time checking out the town. As we arrived in mid-afternoon, we noticed an ice sculpture being carved outside Yoder’s Hardware. I didn’t realize when we started planning our trip that there was an Ice Festival going on a it was a nice bonus. We ended up browsing a little and my husband picked up a nice pair of moccasins to keep his feet warm around the house this winter.

After checking into our hotel, we decided to go have dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant where we enjoyed some Amish cooking. We strolled outside after we ate and the lights and holiday decorations were lovely – especially a giant tree right outside the restaurant. A few stores were open late for the Ice Festival. We walked through the Davis Mercantile, with four floors of unique shoppes and a carousel.

The next day after we were all done swimming at Splash Universe, we decided to do a little more shopping before heading home. At Yoder’s Red Barn Shoppes, we picked up some tea at the Red Bud Coffee and Tea Café, some mulled cider, peanut brickle and fudge at the Victorian Candy Company and a I got a lazy Susan for my dining room at a furniture store there. We also stopped by Yoder’s Meat and Cheese Company where we got a variety of smoked meats, cheeses and other treats. They have a huge variety, with lots of natural-fed hormone-free meats.

We, of course, hit just the tip of the iceberg and there are many more shoppes to visit. There are also additional eateries and I was a little bummed when heading to eat dinner on our way out of town that Frontier Steakhouse had shut down for a while for the holidays.  And I’m looking forward to visiting again sometime in warmer weather when fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful and can be bought at roadside stands run by Amish youngsters.

For more information on the area and attractions, visit www.VisitLaGrangeCounty.org.