East of South Bend, US-20 again becomes a road worth traveling, especially through the quiet agricultural expanses around the towns of Middlebury and Shipshewana, heartland of Indiana’s sizeable Amish population. As in other Amish areas, it’s the general look of the land, rather than specific attractions, that make it enjoyable to visit; as elsewhere, the few attractions that offer an “authentic Amish experience” leave a lot to be desired. One of the largest tourist traps, Das Dutchman Essenhaus, sits along US-20 at the west edge of Middlebury. Rather than fight your way through the bus-tour hordes, turn north here into the quiet town center, and stop by the Village Inn (574/825-2043) at 107 S. Main Street. The country café is run by, and popular with, local Amish and Mennonites, who, along with everyone else, enjoy the hearty coffee-shop food—not to mention great homemade pies for around $1 a slice.
Back on US-20, seven miles east of Middlebury, Hwy-5 runs north just short of a mile to the intriguing Menno-Hof Mennonite-Amish Visitor Center (closed Sun.; $4 donation; 260/768-4117), outside the hamlet of Shipshewana. Operated by the local Amish and Mennonite communities, who built the large barn that houses the center during a six-day “barn-raising,” the center gives an overall introduction to the Amish and Mennonite beliefs and lifeways. Surprisingly high-tech multimedia exhibits also tell of their resistance to modern technology, their long struggle for religious freedom, and their love of peace, which has helped them through centuries of torture and abuse—often at the hands of other Christians.
