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.
Begin with a Map and the Recording
We began at the Shipshewana Visitors Center in downtown Shipshewana, where we picked up a trail map. I had downloaded the map online, but the hard copy map was easier for us to navigate.
The folks at the visitors center also gave us a USB stick with the audio narration. A CD is available, as well. Both the USB stick and the CD are complimentary. Alternatively, you can listen to the recording or download it on Spotify. If you go the Spotify route, we strongly suggest downloading it, since internet connectivity on the backroads can be spotty.
The recording runs about an hour and forty minutes, but you’ll be instructed to stop the recording at points and restart when you reach a designated location.
The narrator not only gives you directions, he tells interesting stories and histories about places along the route. So, you definitely should listen to the recording and not just follow the map.
Following the Off the Beaten Path Trail
The Off the Beaten Path Trail begins and ends in downtown Shipshewana. It takes you north of town and then roughly follows a circle through LaGrange County back roads. Here are a few of the places we stopped along the route:
Amish School
Our first stop was at an Amish school. Amish children typically attend school only until the 8th grade, then go to work full time. They often work in a family business or farm, while some receive vocational training or start an apprenticeship.
Cottage Shops
Run by an Amish husband and wife team, Silver Star Leather creates and repairs belts, wallets, purses, and more. Besides cowhide, they work with unusual leathers like buffalo, crocodile, hippo, and ostrich. We had visited this shop several years ago on a tour and saw a leather working demonstration. We wondered how the equipment works since the Amish don’t tie into the electric grid. It turns out some machines are pneumatic and use air power. Others use solar power, with a gas generator backup.
You can stop at Carolyn’s Kitchen to purchase homemade jams, but it’s also an opportunity to dine in an Amish home. Located on the family farm, a meal in the huge dining room is by reservation only. Carolyn cooks only when a group of at least fifteen requests it. That doesn’t mean a couple can’t experience it. You can call Carolyn and ask if she’s cooking on a particular day. If so, she’s happy to set a table for you separate from the group she’s hosting.
The group Carolyn hosts chooses two meats and a selection of pies. Carolyn adds a salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, Amish noodles, a vegetable, and fresh-baked bread served with Amish peanut butter and jam.
The night we dined there, Carolyn hosted a group of about forty from an Ohio community center. She set a separate small table for Skip and me. The meats that night were fried chicken and meatloaf. The pies included pumpkin custard, Dutch apple, and peanut butter. Everything was delicious, and by the time we finished the last of our pie…well, like most Amish meals, we didn’t leave hungry.
There are over a hundred more cottage shops on the Off the Beaten Path Trail, so it’s impossible to stop at all of them. The shops sell everything from honey to furniture, so you can pick and choose where to stop.
Small Towns
The trail route takes you through a handful of small towns. We stopped in Howe to snap some pics of murals and to enjoy an ice cream cone from Happiness is Ice Cream. We drove across the street and enjoyed our ice cream near a park while we listened to stories about the town on the audio narration. The story about Crissy, known as the Skunk Lady of Howe, was particularly intriguing. Crissy kept lots of animals in her home, including several skunks. As you can imagine, it wasn’t pleasant to visit Crissy’s homey, but her story is intriguing.
We ate lunch at Linder’s Tavern on Main in LaGrange, the LaGrange County seat. Our brisket and smoky corned beef sandwiches with homemade chips hit the spot.
Parks and Nature Preserves
We stopped at a few of the LaGrange County parks along the route. At Dallas Lake Park, we stretched our legs a bit on the accessible walking trail. There’s also a beach at this park. We drove through Delt Church Park and noticed a nice disc golf course. We bought a set of discs a couple years ago because it looks like fun but have yet to try them. Some day… Lastly, we explored several 1800s log structures at David Rogers Memorial Park.
Barn Quilts
Over 80 barn quilts decorate barns and other sites along the route. We stopped to photograph a couple of them. The others we simply admired as we traveled the country roads.
If You Drive the Off the Beaten Path Trail
How long will it take to complete the Off the Beaten Path Trail? It depends. As I mentioned above, the audio recording runs an hour and forty minutes. However, there are times when the narrator tells you to pause it until you reach a certain location. And then there are the stops you make, which is different for everyone. Since we did the route piecemeal, a little each day over three days, I couldn’t even tell you how long it took us in total. I suggest you plan a full day and see where it takes you.
A few things to note:
- Remember, you’ll be sharing the roads with Amish buggies and bicycles, so take your time passing them. Do not sound your horn to avoid spooking the horses.
- The Amish do not work on Sunday, so cottage shops will not be open.
- You can pick up a route map and USB stick or CD at the Shipshewana Visitors Center located at 350 S Van Buren Street in Shipshewana. Get more information or access the audio on Spotify on the Visit Shipshewana website.
Thank you to Visit Shipshewana for hosting our visit.
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