Trains, manes and automobiles

Last full day in Indiana and we made it a full one. Up with the chickens (actually they were noisy geese) so we could get to the Shipshewana Auction and Flea Market right when it opened today at 8 a.m.

Spent three hours at this outdoor dollar store trying to resist buying all manner of junk and stuff. We failed. We left with the predictable t-shirts, cheap dresses, knee supports, a butcher knife, a jumper, towels and wash cloths, a couple more outfits for the trailer, a book, Christian cards and a cantaloupe.

Once again we were amazed at the number of Amish and their horse drawn carriages who came to the flea market to buy all manner of junk. Very nice people though.

Under the category of TMI (too much information) was this conversation that Denny and I had with two women (complete strangers) that occurred while we were waiting for our wives to purchase more valuable junk:

First woman to Denny: "I'm having really bad gas today. It's because I have an ulcer between my esophagus and stomach."

Denny: "OK"

Woman: "The gas just happens, I don't know when it will hit."

It was a very uneasy few moments.

Then it was off to the Harley-Davidson store in Elkhart, Indiana so Denny could buy a patch from there. Fail. They don't have Hoosier Harley-Davidson patches, so we left empty-handed.

We stopped briefly at the New York Central Railroad Museum in downtown Elkhart for directions to lunch with plans to return.

At the suggestion of the museum coordinator we headed to Mad Anthony's restaurant downtown which is in an old theater. We decided to make lunch, dinner.

After lunch it was back to the train museum for an enjoyable hour and a half visiting the vintage engines and rail cars at the site, which is across from the current train depot in Elkhart.

Joan spent some time talking to the nice coordinator who is interested in having our son John design some t-shirts and a wall mural for him. Mom the agent.

I'm going to post a few pictures here and also in a subsequent post with just pictures of today.

Also, tomorrow is getaway day. Den and Diane are headed home to Maryland and we're headed to our next great adventure in Mears, Michigan.

We hope to be settled in our new campground tomorrow afternoon and Internet connection-willing you will have a new report of our travel then. Otherwise, we won't talk until next week when he get home from our trip.

Just a note about some of the photos, the picture of Den and I was taken in the railroad museum. Behind us in a display case is an 8-foot long train engine made of 421,000 tooth picks. It took seven years to make.

The picture above that one is Diane and Joan sitting in the cab of a big diesel locomotive. Most of the rest of photos are bonnet pictures designed to send Elin and Jessica into mild hysterics.

We've had a good time together and after two previous cruises and now a week in a small trailer I guess we can say we are good friends, as well as relatives.