Small Town Living

 Not exactly sure how you define "small town", but since we have moved back to Elkhart, IN, there are a LOT of things we see that you might not normally see in bigger towns so we are just gonna go with Elkhart and the surrounding areas as small town living....Here we go.....Some little jaunts around the area that we have taken lately....

The South Side Soda Shop, Goshen, IN...This is a family run retro diner in Goshen that was started as a grocery store in the early 1900's. In the 1940's a soda fountain was installed. In the 1980's, the shop was restored and in 1993, a dining car was added to give it a more '50's vibe. 

It has been featured in several publications, Gourmet Magazine, and was featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. The interior is definitely vintage. It's not like some retro diners with reproduction decor, this one is definitely a step back into time. Check out the juke box! There are many items that make you wonder how old they are!

The decor is definitely from the past.....

We enjoyed a simple burger dinner, nothing too special, just good home cooked food, but it was just kind of fun to immerse ourselves in a different vibe and the prices were reasonable. The seating area is decorated in a lot of different ways with  painted murals or displays of school spirit, or random bulletin boards.

We didn't try the ice cream, but there were a lot of choices. Bet it was good! The little dishes are those traditional metal ones.

If you like pie, this is the place for a BIG top loaded meringue on your pie.

And of course, there is the soda fountain. 

Something else we experienced lately... A small town parade! We happened to visit Shipshewana on a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, and ran into the tail end of what seemed to be a little farm parade. It wasn't Memorial Day yet and we really didn't know what the parade was all about, but it was fun to see lots of Amish turn out to watch it. 

Not only were they watching, they were in the parade floats as well, throwing out candy to the crowd, much to these two boys delight! (above photo) This gentleman had a farm DOG walking a "treadmill" to churn butter! Didn't know if that was just for show, or if his dog really did do churn butter duty!

A vist to Kryder Gardens in Middlebury which is right on the Pumpkinvine Bike Trail and worthy of a picnic stop or a rest stop at least. The gardens are GORGEOUS in mid May and the volunteers who keep it beautiful are to be commended. So many beautiful flowers and plantings! There are water fountains and statues and artwork there a well. Sparky loves stopping in one of the many shaded bench areas to reflect a bit before heading back out onto the Pumpkinvine Trail. It's a small town treasure, for certain!

And how is Eldo? (really, Eldon, but doesn't Eldo sound a lot cuter? a name given to Eldon by his granddaughter. Sparky calls him Eldy around the house.) He's doing well. Round 2 of physical therapy after hip replacement is underway. Eldy is getting in stretchy band exercise for golf swing/hip movement. He is very mobile most often without his cane but carries it with him just in case. In about another two to three weeks, the doctor says he can get out and swing a golf club ! Yay! 

And so, life goes on for us in our senior years...Day by day we take it. You never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball. So we take it and run with it, or hobble as the case may be, as each day is different for us physically. Sparky has bad sciatic problems still, but we just sort of soldier on. Maybe she will be pursuing physical therapy soon, even though she has tried it before. It's time to revisit that again. Sparky is also finishing up subbing at school...She really loves that job. This past week, her class of little first graders couldn't manage to remember Mrs. Sparks, so it was "Mrs. Sparkles" and "Mrs. Sprinkles" all day long. Why they couldn't say "Sparks" we have no idea! 

Sorry for the repeat from FB but just had to share for the memory books: Sparky got to help a second grade class release butterflies this week after they nurtured them in the classroom. One little girl decided she would pick a dandelion in case the butterfly was hungry once we made our way outside. Lo and behold, the butterfly liked that idea. The little girl exclaimed loudly, "LOOK! The proboscis is coming out. He's going to take a drink!!!" And it did. Second grade. Proboscis. I'm impressed.

Two more weeks of school to go, then summer break. A family reunion on the Sparky side is in August in Charlevoix. That will be fun! Until later....

                                Sparky and Eldo

Some More Cool Places in Elkhart County

There are two more places that are fun to visit in Goshen, IN, which is in Elkhart County. If you are into records, as in old vinyl records, there is a record shop called the Ignition Music Garage in Goshen. Even if you AREN'T into vinyl, it's a cool, cool warehouse chic music lounge and vintage music store which also sells new music from new and old artists that has been released as vinyl recordings.

They have everything you need to be a collector of old vinyl albums and be able to play them. They sell vintage and refurbished turntables and sound equipment to play the LP's. They have regular CDs for sale as well, too. They throw recording parties for new artists and well known artists and provide an awesome venue for new bands and recording artists. The d.j. booth was cool!

They had a lounge area for relaxation and whatever.....Reading the latest music magazines, maybe?

It was just a very cool place with a very cool atmosphere! Bet this place really rocks when there's live music!

And here's another cool place in Goshen...The South Side Soda Shop. It's really old inside, but it's really great..a throwback to the old soda fountain shops we knew as kids. They've got homemade sandwiches, salads and desserts. They've got 50 varieties of pies...The shop was visited by the Food Network's Guy Fieri, the host of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives awhile back. Fresh seafood is delivered weekly, so they have a seafood fest that's famous on their menu and on the show, they featured S.S.S.'s chili, seafood fest, Swedish limpa bread--whatever that is! and Philly cheesesteak.

It's a very old decor inside, nothing special, but it's like sitting in a diner from the '50's. The waitresses are great, and the owner greets his long time customers by name and asks about their health. Just a neat blast from the past...We really enjoyed our visit today, and highly recommend South Side Soda Shop.

Getting close to the time to turn in our Tiffin Phaeton, one more day, and we will be dropping it off at the RV dealership next door, and heading home to Florida......Until later.....

Traveling Back in Time....

Elkhart, IN    High:  92     Low:  74     Heat index:  terrible!

For those of you who think there is nothing in Indiana to really see or do, you couldn't be more wrong and you'd be missing a slice of Americana that is so unique! Indiana isn't all cornfields although it may seem that way. We haven't explored southern Indiana in many many years, but that's a whole 'nuther story. Lots of hills, beautiful scenery, unique towns, old time crafts, wineries...For right now, we're talking the heart of the midwest, the heart of Amish country, when we're talking about things to do and see in Elkhart, IN and Elkhart County....

Today, a trip to Goshen, IN...the county seat of Elkhart County, a place of restored turn of the century buildings downtown, and gorgeous Victorian homes. Lots of hip boutiques, galleries, corner cafes and cool eateries....go off the beaten path a little bit and find heirloom quilts, woodworking shops, country bake shops making homemade bread and from scratch noodles--like the Dutch Country Kitchen.

Home of a vintage 1930's police booth on the courthouse square, built in 1939 to protect the city residents from gangsters who might be traveling along the old Lincoln Transcontinental Highway.

Just outside of town are walking and biking paths--the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail. Sparky is going to get on the trail this week.

Locals love the South Side Soda Shop in Goshen, so we stopped there first. CLOSED on Mondays...Phooey! On to our second choice, 101 year old Olympia Candy Kitchen, the "sweetest little place in town since 1912."  What a cool place!

An old fashioned soda fountain that got very busy after we got there...Tin ceilings and cool vintage light fixtures.

A gal named Linda, was making chocolate and covering peanuts in a kitchen that looked like it was from the thirties! She gave Sparky a free sample. Yum! She really seemed to enjoy her job. You can see why. She's got her hands in chocolate all day long! Sparky would never make it in that job. She'd be licking the chocolate off her fingers all the time and get fired in a heartbeat for doing so!

We ordered phosphates and burgers....

The burgers and fries were delicious! A very efficient and friendly wait staff just topped the experience....

The soda, shake and sundae flavors were awesome! How about a sarsaparilla milkshake?

Loved this place and hope to go back....Got some more interesting Goshen stops to share a little bit later...Bye for now....

Fun facts: diabetes test strips, Bactine, One-a-Day vitamins, and Alka Seltzer got their start at Miles Laboratory founded in Elkhart in 1884. (Miles is no longer operational here.)