We purchased 2 Dixie Sternwheeler tickets for $14 TOTAL on Sunday, July 7, 2024 just before the…read more8:00 p.m. trip. The young woman selling the tickets never indicated the Dixie would not be running that night. We learned from others that the Dixie was down, had only made the 2:00 p.m. Sunday trip, and needed repairs. This girl knew the Dixie was not running and sold us tickets for a ride she knew was not happening on Sunday. She told us to return the following day for a ride. On Monday we were told the Dixie was still not repaired just before the ride was to sail. A man was now selling tickets to people and not telling them the Dixie would not be moving either. When anyone objects they are told, "We don't give refunds." Then WHY are you selling tickets for trips that do not exist? We were told to return Tuesday. This time the young woman was selling tickets to customers and not telling them there would be no rides on Tuesday as the Dixie was still down. Frankly, this is fraud selling tickets to ride a sternwheeler that is not working and then refusing to refund consumers' money. We will not be returning to North Webster so our tickets are worthless. The young woman still wanted to sell me another set of tickets Tuesday night until I told her, "You know full-well that boat is not going anywhere." She muttered, "Oh, I forgot." Apparently, it is their job to sell tickets to anyone walking through the door while knowing the boat won't be running. Tell me what you would call this--a scam, fraud, theft? Do not purchase tickets until you see people walking onto the Dixie because you will be losing your money if the ship needs repairs, unless you happen to live in the immediate area of the Dixie. Refunds should be mandatory when the ship is broken and cannot be repaired for days. The sternwheeler was still not running on Wednesday, July 10 yet tickets were being sold to "Ride the Dixie" on that day too. Hmmmmm! I guess they think we are all "suckers" because they stick us with tickets and keep the money.

The Dixie boat is a summer staple in North Webster. It's still only $7 for a 75 minute cruise…read morearound Webster lake... There is no better value for a family outing anywhere! Webster lake has several small islands with houses that you cruise by, a summer camp and many beautiful cottages. There is a historical soundtrack narrated by Captain Bob Barnes; if you come on Saturday night at 9pm, they nix the soundtrack and Captain Bob sings to you live!

Tucked in off a street in Bristol, IN, is a place for serenity and a short walk through beautiful…read moregardens. The stone path leads to one of the 26 area heritage trail quilt gardens. Along the pathway, you will be shaded. These gardens include a huge ornamental lifelike mushroom with short sidekicks. Another photo worthy decoration is a wood carved cardinal next to a blue life sized Dutch windmill. The little park contains flowing water, a koi pond, scented roses, and multiple flora, as it winds up and down stairs on a stone pathway. Many artistic metal structures adorn the pathway. Definitely a place to visit!!!! I wish I lived closer.

For those who are fairly new in my world, you likely don't know about my long history as an…read moreactivist in the area of violence prevention with a strong emphasis on child abuse and sexual violence prevention. Since 1989, I've traveled over 6,000 miles in my wheelchair and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for a wide variety of organizations. I spend a lot of my wheeling time in Indiana - my home state and lifelong home. Among my favorite places to go in Indiana is Elkhart County, a Northeastern Indiana jewel filled with magnificent trails, a strong Amish community, a number of historic peace churches, and a vibe that just really clicks with me. My favorite trail in Indiana is the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail that winds its way through four Elkhart County communities and runs a bit over a marathon in terms of length. You get to visit a variety of cool small towns and will likely see some Amish folks on their bicycles. Quite honestly, it's awesome. If you stop in Middlebury, and I always do as I have multiple friends there, you can take a break along the trail here at the Krider World's Fair Gardens. For once, this is not small town braggadocio. Krider World's Fair Garden started out its life as a 1934 World's Fair exhibit and has been meticulously maintained ever since. I won't say it's "the" pride of Middlebury, but it's certainly one of the things of which the community is most proud. This is a botanical garden that weaves together gentle walking paths, a quilt garden exhibit, iconic structures, and facilities that include waterfalls, picnic tables, viewing benches, a gazebo, and a swing arbor. The park itself is really only about 2.4 acres. It's not a huge place, but it's a beautiful place. It can be rented for special events, weddings, and photography needs. If you're on the Pumpkinvine, then you'll run into this area as a perfect place to stop and rest and enjoy a beautiful part of Middlebury. The biggest city in Elkhart County is, in fact, Elkhart itself. But, a visit to Elkhart County isn't complete without visiting places like Goshen, Middlebury, and Shipshewana. Yes, I'll admit that it can get a bit touristy but it's a friendly community and a place I absolutely love to visit. This part of the state has about 2 dozen quilt gardens. A "quilt garden" means that they lay the quilts out in a pattern that changes each season. You can also see "Garden With a Cause" here, a garden devoted to charities and local organizations improving the lives of the people of Middlebury. They have a replica of the "Sunrise Bench," a bench that was included in the World's Fair Exhibit and there's a Statue of Hebe and a Water Wheel House among other attractions. If you're in Elkhart County, a stop at Krider World's Fair Garden just really needs to happen. I have some photos, but I'm still trying to find them from past tours. When I do, I'll post my own photos but you can definitely capture the garden's vibe in the available photos here.

Wow, what an experience! Came to Shipshewana to experience Amish Country and we were amazed! This…read moretour truly surpassed our expectations. For $116 (for 2 people) my husband and I got a horse buggy ride through Amish country with a kind Amish gentleman as the guide. The horse buggy ride led us to an Amish farm where we got to tour, milk cows, feed a newborn baby calf, and taste fresh milk. The tour was just amazing. The community was unbelievably welcoming to us, they all explained their culture, their beliefs, and taught us so much about their self sustainability. After the farm tour, we had dinner at an Amish family's house and I just want to say, from the bottom of our hearts, it was a once in a lifetime experience. The family was very kind and it was a wonderful experience to share. The food was excellent, too! Overall, I can't recommend this experience enough. The pictures don't do it justice, you have to experience it for yourself!

My boyfriend and I took a tour to Shipshewana in March and enjoyed a 30 minute tour with Kohn. We…read moreabsolutely loved learning about the history of the area, and John was so friendly and informative. If you're looking for a cozy and relaxing activity, this is definitely it!

I attended a wedding at the Old Bag Factory, which is... an old bag factory! I think the name is…read morekind of funny and not the most appealing, but it is what it is! The building itself is very large and made up of several shops. The venue space is upstairs and also very large. The ceremony took place in a room with lots of great natural light. The only complaint is that the big pillars obscured the view of the wedding party for some guests. The reception happened right down the hall from the ceremony area, with the buffet line, hors d'oeuvres, bar, gift table, and guestbook table lining the space between. Everything was spread out to give enough room without feeling like you had to walk a mile to get anywhere. The bartenders were great and super friendly. We were seated by a very loud HVAC unit which made it tough to hear the MC and some of the speeches. The middle of the room was the dance floor area, which was pretty small but not a lot of people were dancing. The venue was simple and a little industrial, but a nice blank canvas for decor. Finally, the parking was a little cramped with not a lot of spaces; I believe some people had to park across the street so try to get there early if you need extra time.

I attended The Old Bag Factory for a wedding over the weekend. The wedding ceremony and reception…read moretook place on the same floor. This was my first time here but the staff was very helpful and pointed us to the wedding. The entire wedding and venue were beautiful!! The exposed wood and white lights created a rustic feel for the wedding guests. The food and drinks were both delicious...I think they were from the restaurant at the bag factory. There are different shops/ restaurant on the first floor at the bag factory. I would love to go back and see what else they have to offer. The Old Bag Factory-- great place to spend the afternoon or host a special event!!

The service was friendly and attentive. We enjoyed the ride and would recommend…read more The donut boats are fun for adults and children in the area is very scenic and interesting

Chris is a great captain and local. His beautiful boat is a treat for an afternoon or evening…read moreexperience. As someone with some boating under her belt, this is a worthy treat when visiting this part of the world.

Feeding the fish in the show pond is always fun. The museum is very nice with excellent educational…read morefeatures. Get free fish food and milkweed seeds here. Lots opportunities to volunteer and participate in fishing events. Trails open year round.

We went here hoping to spot some baby merganser ducks that a friend of mine had posted a photo of…read moretoday, but we didn't spot them. We did enjoy viewing lots of fish and also spotting some beautiful wild flowers. It sounds like they have lots of cool programming for kids from fish feeding to fishing programs. There are informational signs throughout the area instructing visitors about the various fish and plants. Was pleasantly surprised by how well maintained the porta-potty was.

We were fortunate to get truly excellent weather to head out onto the lake for a boat ride with…read moreHarbor Country Adventures! We went on the Classic Lake Tour. Our tour guide was a retired high school history teacher and football coach with all sorts of interesting stories about the region. We passed Mount Baldy, the "living" sand dune that moves, at Indiana Dunes National Park and made it all the way down to a good view of the Century of Progress homes before making our way back. We also got to hear all about the ship, the Emita II, which is a historic ship from the 1950s, and about how it reached its current home. It was also very cute that Captain Jan had the kids come up and take turns at the wheel on the way back. There is a snack bar on the lower level of the boat, and there are restrooms on board. Free parking is available a little walk away - walk towards the Lighthouse Museum, as the dock is behind there. Definitely a great adventure!

Very enjoyable and comfortable experience. You get a different perspective of the shoreline and…read morelighthouse. Live music and drinks/snacks for sale. Only complaint is there was a group with a person who should have been cut off from being served any more alcohol but her friends bought it for her. She was extremely obnoxious and loud and made a lot of people on the boat uncomfortable, especially ones with small children.

Great experience and an amazing boat ride…read more Friendly people and superb sunset! Highly recommend if you're visiting South Haven in the summer.

this was a waste of time and money. You go out a hundred feet, then go 500' north and 500' south of…read morethe light house. you can literally see the exact same thing by going out to the beach and swimming for 5 minutes. don't waste your money.

I booked Lighthouse Concierge for a trip from Goshen to South Bend after a wedding reception and he…read moreshowed up on time (if not early) and was so accommodating.

We booked Lighthouse Concierge for a bachelorette party staying near Paw Paw lake, and Ray was…read moresuper amazing! He made sure our group had a great time, he kept our trip running smoothly, and was very kind and professional. Highly recommend Lighthouse Concierge!