The Sun Came Out!

 So after a "you get what you pay for" breakfast (Watery batter makes soggy, chewy waffles, and the coffee was unpotable.Good thing there was tea, fresh fruit and hard boiled eggs), I decided to go to the South Bend Chocolate Factory. After talking to the clerk at the hotel, it seemed going to Elkhart was a silly move, as the only thing of interest that they have is a camper & rv museum. But, she did say that the chocolate factory was good, and that Shipshewana would be open. So, I backtracked a half hour to South Bend to the chocolate factory.

 As soon as you get near the door,  you can smell the chocolate. It's not a very big factory nor very automated. They do have conveyor belts (a la "I Love Lucy), but they seemed to go rather slowly. Most things were done by hand. We saw about a half dozen women packaging malted milk balls. It seemed like an unnecessarily laborious process: each person fills a bag just like you would at home, then weighs it, hot seals it & puts a label on it. They don't even have a system where one person does one part of it and another person does a different part. And while we didn't see it, the tour guide told us that they also hand dip all of their chocolate covered cherries because the cherries break if machines do it. Everyone also got to dip a plastic spoon in chocolate to take home as a souvenir. They showed us a very lame attempt at a humorous video, but I think its main purpose was to give the tour guide a break & to let our chocolate spoons dry. There was also a museum of sorts, but it was pretty much just chocolate tins that have been used over the years. In their shop, they sell both the perfect candies (at about $18/lb) and the "almost perfect" ones for $9/lb. I did indulge in a small assortment of the almost perfect ones; I've always had a soft spot for the underdog. ;)

After the chocolate factory, I decided that I'd go to Shipshewana after all -- passing right through Elkhart, where I'd come from. Oh well, live & learn.

I knew I was nearing the right place when I saw a huge Amish restaurant whose parking lot was completely filled. Then, I saw a horse & buggy, and a little further down the block, an Amish woman was standing on a corner. And suddenly, my spirits lifted. When I got here, I found that, indeed, shops ARE open. And, as if the heavens knew that the last few days hadn't been what I'd been hoping for, the sun came out and it warmed up a little. (I think the bank sign said it was 42 degrees at one point!) I went into Yoder's Red Barn Shoppes and found that they were giving away fresh hot pretzels for free! It was WWWAAAAYYYY better than Auntie Anne's or Wetzel's Pretzels. I wandered in & out of the few stores in there & then went next door to Yoder's Meat & Cheese barn. I got some amazing and appropriately named Amish Butter Cheese, several kinds of Yoder's popcorn (blue, which is supposed to be sweeter, purple because I like the color & mushroom which is supposed to pop into spheres) and a couple other things. 

After that, I went over to the visitors' center, which was most helpful. The woman (also named Jody!) gave me the visitor's guide that I actually already had, but she marked different things of interest on it for me. She also told me of hotels. I told her what I really needed was internet. She even called the Super 8 for me to see if they had internet & to check the rate. They did, and when she told me the rate, I decided that was a very good price, so I decided to check in there.

I've noticed that when travelling alone, I have a problem with not knowing where I'm going to sleep at night, so instead of looking down the block at the other 3 hotels, I just took this one. Well, it looked like I was the only one who checked in. (Although, when I asked the clerk, he said there are a lot of people here, but they're all Amish and came together in a couple big vans, which is why there are no other cars.) It's another "you get what you pay for" experience: the bed seems a little lumpy, the bathroom door doesn't quite close, the building smells a little funny -- in general, it seems a little old. On the other hand, the paper products are a little softer than what the Best Western had. And, the desk clerk is quite friendly and helped me with my internet issues. (When I first got here, it connected but then lost the internet. Turns out that their server went down.) And, he brought out his brand, new shiny computer & told me I should get a new one. I think my computer felt jealous because after we got it connected to the internet, I brought it back to my room, plugged it in, and it lost all of the battery power it had -- and then, it turned itself off completely. (Of course, it couldn't have had anything to do with the fact that earlier in the day, my water bottle had emptied in my backpack. But, there were several books & maps between the bottle & the computer, & the computer didn't feel at all wet. Of course, being me, I started panicking that my computer was dead and I'd have to try to figure out the rest of my trip on my Nook -- or maybe on a MAP. Still, I left the computer plugged in just in case it changed its mind & went to dinner. I was elated to find that when I returned, the computer had indeed recharged itself, it came back on, and after only 3-4 tries, I was able to get back on the internet -- a very good thing, when the town closes between 4:30 and 8pm.)

After I checked into the hotel, I went in search of Yoder's Popcorn Shoppe because it was written up in the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die." (Most of the things I've seen have been because of that book,) Well, I managed to head in the wrong direction & it only took me 5 miles or so to realize it. So, I turned around & went back in the right direction. When I finally found the store, it was, indeed, just a shop with all things popcorn. But, since I made the trip (and the girl handed me a bag of popcorn when I walked in), I felt obligated to buy a couple things. A small bag of red popcorn this time, and some cheese popcorn. I then came back into town and checked out a store that said "Neat Stuff" outside, another "department" store, and a bulk food & feed store. I also found the streets that have all of the little shops I want to check out tomorrow, after I go to Menno-Hof, which gives the history of the Amish and Mennonites.

I had dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant & Bakery, which a couple people raved about. There were quite a few Amish people there, so I thought that was a good sign. It was ok. The noodles were very mushy, but the fried chicken tasted very fresh (I'd rather not think about why!) & was nicely coated. I was too full for dessert, so I didn't even look at the menu, despite the fact that they offer 25 kinds of pie. But, I did get some cookies at the bakery because my dad had told me that he got the best cookies he's ever had when he was in Amish country. I had one, and it was pretty good. (For better or worse, all of my souvenirs from this trip have been edible -- although I haven't really eaten any yet. Lol.)

I do wonder why I have such an attraction to the Amish way of life; I'm soooo not religious and I don't really care for the style of their handicrafts or clothing. Maybe it's because it represents a simpler kind of life. I can't decide how I feel being here & "spying" on another culture's lifestyle. Clearly, they're used to it & embrace it. But it feels a little voyeuristic too. But, it is something I've been curious about and have wanted to see for many, many years, so I'm glad I'm here.

Most things are closed on Friday (Good Friday), so I don't know if I'll stay the night or head home; I guess I'll see how much I find to do tomorrow. 

(Sorry, folks, no pictures today; the few I took at the chocolate factory didn't really turn out, and it's frowned upon to take pictures of Amish people.)