What to do? I can finally get out on some of the rural trails. I'm sure the fields are still soaked, but now they have five days to dry out. I'm going to hit Goshen and Amish country this morning after I finish helping Carol with her morning routine.
It may even reach the 90s in Chicago this weekend. By Sunday I may be complaining of this heat.
***
It was late morning when I got to Goshen's courthouse square. I don't remember ever being here. I parked in the shade and did a quick walk around the square. I kept Zeke in the car because I only intended on a quick walk. There was a road closure off Main Street in front of the old movie theatre.
My goal was to walk part of the Pumpkinvine trail, an almost 18-mile paved trail from Goshen to Shipshewanna. This is Amish country, the third-largest Amish community in the United States after Ohio and Pennsylvania. I knew I couldn't do the entire trail, but wanted to see the more scenic section. I chose to start at the Country Road 22/37 intersection 2.2 miles southwest of downtown Middlebury and .3 miles from the US20 overpass. There is a dedicated parking area here.
I walked southwest toward Goshen. The trail started out shaded with tall trees, but quickly became "partly shaded" with some stretches of exposure. The shaded parts were cool, the exposed parts quickly got Zeke heated because the trail is black asphalt. That stuff burns paws when hot.
No horses are allowed on this trail. I was hoping to see Amish carriages and one website said you can see horses on this trail. I misunderstood that statement. Yes, you can see Amish carriages but only from a distance. I had to go into Middlebury later to get my full of Amish carriages and by then it was overload, much like seeing naked old men on the Bay-to-Breakers 7-mile race in San Francisco every May. The drive to Middlebury on CR22 was a scenic drive through gently rolling hills and massive Amish farms.
Cow manure filled the air. The scent reminds me of my time in Augsburg, Germany and walking the many Volksmarches through the Bavarian countryside. A few new wildflowers, like Bull thistle, lined the trail. Fields along the trail were flooded. I didn't realized they were flooded until I noticed "No Trespassing" signs three feet under water right off the trail. At least Zeke was able to drink from this water. I heard bullfrogs and songbirds. Zeke spotted a few squirrels and that's when I had to hold tight on the leash.
I turned around at the 3.6-mile mark and went back the way I came, now going northeast into Middlebury. The Middlebury Greenway intersects the Pumpkinvine trail north of US20. Here is where all the Amish action is (if "action" is even appropriate with Amish). The Pumpkinvine trail parallels IN13 in town. I got off the trail to head toward Harding's Market, a local grocery store where several carriages were tied up.
I continued walking into town on IN13 which becomes Main Street. Here is where Amish and locals mix with gawking tourists like me. Lots of cut-outs where tourists stick their head in for goofy photographs were all over town. Loud truck traffic and motorcycles made Zeke nervous, so I took a water break in town at East Park, a small memorial park. Zeke needed water and a break and I was getting thirsty, too. I sat on a low log and watched Amish ride by on their bikes and carriages. Diesel from a nearby construction job filled the air. That's quite a contrast from cow manure earlier. It was 80F now and the heat was getting uncomfortable. I needed to get back on the trail and head back.
The Krider Gardens is on the north end of Middlebury, the famed Gardens of the 1934 Chicago World Fair. Landscaped fountains, ponds and flowers dot this fragrant garden. I let Zeke drink from a goldfish pond, not carrying if that was even allowed. I was too tired to explore the garden. I had to turn back because now I was also tired. I barely touched the southern end of the garden before turning around.
We had walked 6.9 miles in 2:23 hours. I needed a break. The Amish "Das Dutchman Essenhaus" is on Middlebury's west side off US20, where family-style buffet meals are served. I had taken Eric here 20 years ago when a chicken buffet was $12.95. Now it's $18.95 and the beef buffet is $20.95. The bakery serves massive donuts. It's great food, all made fresh, and I would have gotten my money's worth, but I couldn't leave Zeke in the car while I ate. Even in the shade with the windows down, it was warm.
I chose instead to drive back to Goshen and locate the Goshen Brewery. Dogs are allowed here and the old building is right off another greenway along the Elkhart River.
Boy, was I tired. More than I expected. Maybe I'm pushing myself and Zeke too much with all this walking. My ankles were sore and my thighs felt tight. Perhaps that was dehydration. I didn't drink while on the Pumpkinvine trail and here I was drinking a crisp Hefeweizen while Zeke lay underneath the table with his waterbowl. I was outside with the afternoon sun baking my back. I had to stay on the patio because of Zeke, and that cool indoor seating looked tempting. I was hungry, but nothing on the expesive food menu looked appetizing.
Cumulus clouds were forming. I thought it was supposed to be sunny all day with no rain for six days. This took me by surprise. I didn't want to get caught in a flashflood so I headed west, back toward South Bend. Clouds to the north only got darker.
My GPS kept sending me on sideroads. I just wanted to get back on US20. It's a straight shot west on US20, and then take I-80/94 back to Crown Point. It seemed as if I was getting diverted all over northeast Indiana. And then I realized why: roads were closed because of flooding and then I, too, was caught in a sudden and rather scary flash flood as I drove through New Carlisle. The sky got dark, rain exploded, and luckily I made it under and out of an underpass before the intense rain and hail came. There was no traffic on the road, and that was for good reason. I pulled over and waited out the storm.
Ten minutes later the sky cleared and a pretty rainbow appeared. Well, that was exciting. My pants were wet and I'm not sure if that was when I partially opened my driver's window to take a photograph of the rain, or from peeing in my pants out of fear.
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