Nappanee, Indiana is an amazing small town.  Hey, Time Magazine even extolled the virtues of Nappanee back in the December 1997 issue with the article: A Small Town Sampler.  This little place is well known for some big things: it’s large Old Order Amish population (the largest in Indiana), the largest producer of RV’s (that’s Recreation Vehicles for all you city folk), and kitchen cabinets.

Arriving into town after dark, little Nappanee was all aglow.  I fell in love!  Who wouldn’t?  Bricked streets, a brightly lit downtown, and many old, wonderful buildings…just lovely.

We enjoyed walking around downtown and peeking in all the shop windows – all the stores were long since closed for the night – and I really couldn’t wait to get into some of them!  Pick up a brochure called Historic Architecture Walk of Nappanee: it’ll clue you in to some of the ogle-worthy homes in the area.

We had a rather unimpressive dinner (our server kept forgetting about us and my steak was completely drenched, and I mean drenched, in gravy).  It was a disappointing beginning, but something good did come out of it: we met a very nice woman who volunteered to take us around Nappanee in the morning and give us an up close and personal tour of the Old Order Amish area.

Only in a small town would someone offer to cart around a couple of strangers and not think twice about it.  How amazing is that!

The next morning she picked us up from The Victorian Guest House.  We toured an Amish General Store, saw Amish schools, cemeteries, homes, and a TON of Amish buggies!  We learned so much about the Amish in the area.  It was a real eye-opener (stay tuned!).

This little place just had a wonderful feel to it.  The residents were friendly, the streets were clean and welcoming, but, unfortunately, this little place is also hurting very badly.  According to the Indiana Workforce Development Report for various months, Nappanee, part of Elkhart County, consistently ranks in the top as one of the hardest hit counties by the current recession, taking the #1 spot for unemployment.  Not good.

Amish or English, Nappanee needs your business!  With such great little shops in downtown Nappanee and the Amish businesses dotting the area it makes a great place to play on the weekend.

Been to Nappanee?  Is there a particular time of year or event that just shouldn’t be missed?

Related posts:

1. Plain and Simple: Old Order Amish in Nappanee, Indiana
2. Plymouth, Indiana: Picture Perfect
3. Bed and Breakfast: The Victorian Guest House
4. Four Tips to Remember When Knee Deep in Amish Country
5. A Cut Above: Kentland, Indiana