Let’s just say you have an RV and live anywhere east of the Rocky Mountains Did you know there’s a famous destination for service and repairs in Elkhart, Indiana? We recently discovered an entire region supporting the RVers of America halfway between Chicago and Detroit with tons of options for while-you-wait repairs.
The classic Hotel Elkhart proudly stands on pedestrian friendly Main Street celebrating the art deco era of growth in Elkhart.
For starters, the Hotel Elkhart in lovely downtown has an excellent package specifically dedicated to ensconce visitors with comfort and fun while their RV is being serviced (Of course, the non RV crowd is also welcome!)
Plush and comfy bedding at the Hotel Elkhart makes it hard to crawl out of bed
The Ultimate RV Repair and Restore Package includes two nights in their upscale hotel, two tickets to the RV Museum and Hall of Fame, a $25 credit to their wonderful Corner Bar Restaurant, complimentary parking and late checkout of 2 PM.
Now, if it were me, I’d be checking out the schedule for the historic Lerner Theatre next door to at least coincide with a silent movie accompanied by their world-famous 1924 Kimbell movie organ with over 1,000 pipes! There are regular performances and shows but you just can’t beat being able to walk across the street for the perfect acoustics of this venue. www.thelerner.com
The classic Lerner Theatre has been completely restored to it’s original glory
Of course, immediately across the other street is the Midwest Museum of American Art with the largest collection of hand signed Norman Rockwell lithographs in existence and a multitude of other famous names like Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton A true gem of a museum dedicated solely to American art with some extra features of unique and rare Indiana pottery. www.MidwestMuseum.org
The largest collection of Norman Rockwell lithographs is in the Midwestern Museum of American Art
Both the ice cream and the sentiment are evident at Vanilla Bean Creamery
Two blocks in another direction is Vanilla Bean Creamery offering hand scooped ice cream in dizzying flavor options or the opposite direction to Stash Boutique for surprisingly chic clothing at extremely affordable pricing. www.shopthestash.com
The blackberry flatbread appetizer at Corner Bar Restaurant was a stunning combination of flavors
Now the Hotel Elkhart might be best appreciated for its three fine eating and drinking establishments. We managed to appreciate them all but our favorite was the Corner Bar Restaurant where we began with the house cocktail, The 1923, featuring gin, lemoncello and mint simple syrup, and an exquisitely balanced Blackberry Flatbread with Boursin, arugula, fresh blackberries, fontina and candied pecans to share. We followed with a Speakeasy Wedge with salmon and our first introduction to a braised pork belly which melted in our mouths and made us true believers. My companion tried the special of the day of luscious shrimp tossed in a olive oil sauce with freshly made tortellini, spinach, tomatoes and lightly dusted with parmesan. Trust us. We don’t often rave. You wanna check out The Corner Bar in Elkhart! www.thecornerbar-Elkhart.com
Plush and comfy bedding at the Hotel Elkhart makes it hard to crawl out of bed
The Rooftop Bar, ably manned by Hewitt is touted as the highest view of the region and does, indeed, offer the rolling vistas of northern Indiana farm country while sipping a signature cocktail and nibbling, like we did, on Volcano Shrimp which was practically a meal on its own.
Plenty of yummy signature cocktails and appetizers are available overlooking Elkhart at The Rooftop
Finally, we would be remiss not to point out the lovely Relish Cafe & Confections for their breakfasts and lunch menus Both were excellent examples of hearty midwestern options featuring local produce Like most places in the region, the servings are large with a mason jar of juice running $3 and very large coffee under that! You can never go wrong with a hangout of the local Police Department who were having a birthday breakfast one morning during our stay.
We will post more about regional attractions soon – of which there are many – so stay tuned. In the meantime, DO check out www.hotelelkhart.com for full details and specials.
