Lakes and Gardens and Boat Rides! Oh My!

     Yesterday marked week #4 of summer break and our third travel week. We had a plan put in place but then Drew received an email at work that he would have to work part of Wednesday due to an inspection that was scheduled to take place Tuesday and Wednesday. So, we were planning something for the evening. Tuesday evening he got word that the inspection was completed and he would have his normal day off. But it was too late to go back to our original plans that have been moved to next week. So we added to our evening plan and made a day of it.

     We headed off to Winona Lake, Indiana. We love stopping by The Village at Winona to get a view of the canal and stop in the shops. This trip, we had a particular mission - buy some of our favorite spices at Spice Merchants of Winona Lake. After stocking up on things, I made a quick stop at Belove to pick up a couple MudLOVE Bracelets to add to my collection. From Winona Lake, we went to Schoop's Hamburgers for lunch. Yes, we usually try to go to someplace new when out on our adventures. But when you're in the area, you kinda need a delicious Schoop's burger or sandwich.

     Our next stop is someplace we found a couple years ago almost by accident. Out in the middle of a field in Leesburg, Indiana is a place that serves the best wine slushies...ok, the only place I've ever found wine slushies I've ever had. The building and decor is beautiful, the atmosphere is very relaxing and the wine is their very own. The slushie flavors vary and they're all delicious. They have board games to play, comfy couches to relax on and fun music playing. If you're up for a nice country drive, check out Tippy Creek Winery. After a deliciously refreshing slushie and a few rounds of tic-tac-toe, we headed out for more adventure.
     We realized we had several hours before our final adventure of the day. Drew looked online for something to do in the meantime and we settled on a place we had never heard of. Nestled in the woods along County Road 46 in New Paris, Indiana is DeFries Gardens. It's part of the Elkhart County Parks. They have a Calendar Garden where they show plants that grow at every point of the year. Along the circular path around the garden, there are bricks etched with the date of every day of the year, posts that show full moons and small structures indicating solstices and equinoxes. In the middle of the circle is a beautiful pond with water lilies and goldfish. The inner circle immediately surrounding the pond is divided into four sections, one for each season. One of the small buildings has an upper deck where you can get a view of the whole garden. There are even chairs to sit and enjoy the view. It was well worth leaving Kosciusko County, driving back to Elkhart County just to go back to Kosciusko County for dinner and our final adventure.

     For dinner we found a little place called The Pier & Back Porch on Lake Wawasee in Syracuse, Indiana. It's not the easiest place in the world to find. But once you find it, it's so worth it! We literally sat on the "back porch" of this restaurant where we had a beautiful view of the lake. I had my first ever fish tacos...which has led to my new adventure for the summer. I'm going to try and get tacos at dinner wherever we go on Wednesday for the rest of the summer. At the end of the summer I'll tell you who has the best and the worst in my opinion. These were my second of the summer. I've got 6 more weeks to find more! Drew had a salmon melt and said it was delicious! The prices were very reasonable and we left with happy tummies for our final adventure.
     




     The icing on the cake was going to North Webster to ride the Dixie! Built in 1929, it's Indiana's oldest sternwheel excursion boat. For over an hour, they take you on a five-mile ride around the lake, telling you the history of the lake and the North Webster area. It was extremely informative and a lot of fun! Along the way we were able to listen to a university professor play trumpet for us and see a man do a little flyboard show complete with cool tricks. We passed many people fishing or just enjoying the beautiful evening on their boat. Tickets are only $7 per person. You can also purchase water, soda and popcorn on the boat. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a summer evening, check out the North Webster Dixie Boat!
     That's a wrap for this week's adventure! Until next week...we know where we're headed. Do you?