We went to Shipshewana, Indiana for a concert and ended up staying in Goshen for the whole Memorial Day weekend. It turned out to be the perfect blend of entertainment and discovery. Here’s a look at how our four-day adventure unfolded.
Friday: A Quick Trip to Indiana
We kicked off the trip on Friday afternoon, May 22nd, heading out from Wayland for dinner and a concert. After checking in at the Hampton Inn in Goshen and getting settled, we headed over to the Blue Gate Restaurant.
We had purchased the buffet dinner along with our concert tickets, which made for a seamless evening. Before the show, we enjoyed the dinner buffet at the Blue Gate Restaurant—a must-do when you’re in town. As for the Blue Gate Performing Arts Center itself, it was a fantastic venue; the parking was easy, the sound quality was excellent, and the chairs were surprisingly wide and comfortable, making the whole concert experience even better. We caught the Twitty & Lynn concert, which was a definite highlight of the trip, and wrapped up the night by returning to the hotel, making great use of our Hilton Honors points.
Saturday: Off the Beaten Path
Saturday, we started with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and then did a drive by of the historic Elkhart County Courthouse in downtown Goshen—a striking landmark that has stood in the heart of the city since it was built in 1868–1870.
After the ride by the courthouse, we continued to the Shipshewana Visitors Center to pick up a USB stick for their “Off the Beaten Path” driving tour. It’s such a unique way to see the area!
Along the path we found Coody Brown’s Lakeside Grill and had a delicious Bluegill lunch. Somewhere along the way Tammy heard that the Shipshewana Flea Market was doing a Memorial Day special preview (a rare treat since they are usually only open Tuesdays and Wednesdays). That was all the convincing we needed to extend our stay—we booked another two nights at the Hampton Inn and settled in for an extended weekend. We relaxed in the hot tub and pool, made some new friends, and heard that Wings Etc. was a great spot for a light dinner and a drink. After drying off in our room, we headed over to check it out.
Sunday: From Revived Historic Factory to Retired Motorhome Marvels
One of the best parts about extending our stay was the breakfast at the Hampton Inn. Each morning, we enjoyed a fantastic spread that really fueled our adventures. The variety was impressive, with different options each day including breakfast meats, potatoes, eggs, waffles, and delicious biscuits and gravy. I toasted a bagel each morning and added breakfast meat and eggs. On Sunday, we checked out the Bag Factory in Goshen. It was pretty quiet since most things were closed, but it was a great space to walk around and soak in the atmosphere. From there, we headed to the RV/MH Hall of Fame in Elkhart. Walking through all those vintage and modern rigs was fascinating—though after seeing all the camping options, I have to say I’m still firmly in the “I prefer hotel accommodations” camp!
We made a quick pit stop at Walmart on the way back to grab an HDMI cable, which allowed us to stream the NASCAR race from my phone directly to the hotel TV. It was the perfect cozy evening, capped off with a relaxing dip in the hot tub. We enjoyed our dinner at Wings Etc. so much the night before that we decided to head back there again to round out the day.
Monday: The Flea Market Finale
We packed up our things and spent a solid three hours wandering through the Shipshewana Flea Market on Monday morning. After taking in the sights and finishing our treasure hunting, we hit the road for the drive back to West Michigan.
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