We’ve been to many nice drive-thru lights festivals across the Midwest, but the Lights of Joy in Shipshewana, Indiana, tops all we’ve experienced, in our opinion. The two-mile drive packs in over three million LED lights, creating a truly magical effect. Here is a video preview.
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Have you been to Shipshewana, Indiana? In the third-largest Amish community in the United States, you shared the roads and parking lots with Amish buggies. You probably filled up on huge Amish meals and perhaps browsed Amish-owned shops. But have you explored outside of Shipshewana proper? That’s what Shipshewana’s Off the Beaten Path Trail is all about. We traveled the trail recently during a sponsored Shipshewana visit. As the narrated audio recording directed us through the backroads of LaGrange County, we found Amish cottage shops, barn quilts, parks, and small-town charm.
Normally, we do a trail like this all in one shot. But, because our itinerary included visiting attractions in town each day, we did it piecemeal, which worked just fine. Read more
When Kaskaskia, Illinois, served as the first state capital in the early 1800s, its population was somewhere between 3,000 and 8,000. Today, the population is fewer than 25, and the only way to access this Mississippi River town is through Missouri. Only accessible through Missouri? That curiosity alone made us want to check it out.
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As you drive up the coast of Southwest Michigan, you pass through beach town after beach town dotting the shore of Lake Michigan. All of these towns have a beach, of course, most have a downtown area filled with shops and eateries, and the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail leads to wineries throughout the region. But, each of these towns has its own personality. In this article we’re taking a look at six unique Southwest Michigan beach towns we visited this summer that we’re sure you’d enjoy, as well.
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As we planned our Natchez Trace Parkway road trip last fall, we found the road runs right through Tupelo, Mississippi, the birthplace of Elvis Presley. So, we added a visit to Elvis’ home to our Natchez Trace itinerary, thinking it would be a quick drive past, maybe even a walk through. Were we ever wrong! The Elvis Presley Birthplace is a whole lot more than a house. There’s a church, museum, park with reflecting pond and more. And then there’s the rest of the town, which still has an Elvis focus.
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We’ve been to a lot of botanic gardens, in the Midwest and other parts of the U.S. So, when we say Botanica, the Wichita Gardens is at the top of our list of favorites, it means a lot. What makes it special? Read on (or watch the video) to find out.
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