Weekend in Shipshewana/Middlebury

On the weekend of Sept 20-21, my friend Susie and I had a mini-vacation to Shipshewana and Middlebury. These two towns are not very far away, only 10-15 miles from my house, but we decided to go there for a mini-vacation anyway. We had originally wanted to go to Cedar Point, an amusement park in Ohio, but when we figured out ticket prices, gas, hotel, and food expenses we decided it would be a pretty expensive weekend. So I offered to use my free night at the Essenhaus Country Inn that I had won at a Bethany alumni night in the spring.

We spent several hours in Shipshewana shopping at E&S Sales, Davis Mercantile, The Cheese Haus, The Stamp Shop, and Yoder's Department Store. Then we went to Middlebury and walked around the fall festival that they were having downtown. We went to the Essenhaus and checked into our room, then went shopping at their shops then ate supper in the Essenhaus restaurant (Yummo!) Denise was able to join us after supper for the evening, so we swam and sat in the hot tub, watched a movie, and checked our email and Facebook.

On Sunday I went for a morning walk and lazed around until check-out time. We went back to Goshen for lunch at El Camino, then saw a matinee showing of The Women. It was a good vacation, even though it was very close to home!

Enjoying a Jo-Jo's pretzel in The Davis Mercantile in Shipshewana

Susie checking out a bonnet at Yoder's Department Store

A scarecrow at the Middlebury Fall Festival

Me being a scarecrow at the Middlebury Fall Festival

Our room at the Essenhaus Inn & Conference Center

flowers on the Essenhaus grounds

A foggy morning near the Essenhaus covered bridge

The outside of the Inn