DETAILS

Northern Indiana's Amish Country

GETTING THERE: Northern Indiana's Amish country is about 140 miles east of Chicago, bordered on the north by the Indiana Toll Road (Interstate 80/90), the Midwest's major east-west thoroughfare. The nearest airports are South Bend, about an hour west, and Fort Wayne, an hour south. You can get there on Continental, American, Northwest, US Airways and United, but you'll need to change planes on the way in cities such as Chicago or Detroit. Fares from the Washington area are much lower to South Bend (starting around $180 from all three local airports) than to Fort Wayne (from about $340).

GETTING AROUND: A car is a necessity: There is no public transportation, and driving the byways is a highlight of a visit to this area.

WHERE TO STAY: Big House in the Little Woods (4245 S. 1000 W, Millersburg, 260-593-9076, http://www.bighouselittlewoods.com/ ), 10 minutes from Shipshewana, is a B&B surrounded by Amish farms, with double rooms for $70 to $85 a night, including an exceptional breakfast of neighbor Ben Borntreger's fresh farm eggs. Owner Gail Hodges can arrange stays at Borntreger's Amish guesthouse, just down the road (two double beds, same rate as the B&B).

The Inn at Amish Acres (1234 W. Market St., Nappanee, 800-800-4942, http://www.amishacres.com/ ) has 64 rooms at $109 to $149 double per weekend night (slightly less during the week), including a continental breakfast. The inn is adjacent to an 80-acre farmstead with historical buildings and tours. An all-you-can-eat Threshers Dinner -- a country banquet with all the trimmings, plus dessert -- is served in the Restaurant Barn for $16.95 per person.

WHERE TO EAT: Amish food served family-style predominates. Restaurants are generally closed on Sunday and by 8 p.m. daily, and do not serve alcohol. Das Dutchman Essenhaus (240 U.S. 20, Middlebury, 800-455-9471, http://www.essenhaus.com/ ) has dinners under $10 per person (all-you-can-eat is slightly more). There are 29 kinds of pies on the menu, and there's a bakery with a wide variety of pastries, breads, noodles, relishes, jams and jellies.

For a change from Amish fare, the Bluegill Restaurant (133 S. Main St., Goshen, 574-534-4000) specializes in fresh fish. The crab cake appetizer ($9.99) is crumbling moist and flavored with sweet and jalapeno peppers; pan-seared fish dinners run $18 to $30.

For a back-road picnic, stop at Rentown Country Stores (1533 Rentown Rd., Bremen) for fresh bread and a wedge of cheese, homemade relishes, pickled eggs, fresh fruit and homemade angel food cake.

WHAT TO DO: Fall color is a good reason to visit northern Indiana in October, but not the only one. There are numerous community street fairs and pumpkin festivals and, as always, plenty of homemade apple pie. Check local papers for more events.

· The Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau has driving-tour CDs (there's a refundable $20 deposit), including a tour of furniture crafters: 800-262-8161, http://www.amishcountry.org/ .

· Ben Borntreger offers buggy rides in his Amish carriage. Suggested cost: $7 per person for an hour's ride. Because we toured a farm, too, we paid $15 each. Details: 260-593-2656.

· The Shipshewana Flea Market and Auction (345 S. Van Buren St., 260-768-4129, http://www.shipshewanaauction.com/ ) is held at 8 a.m. Wednesdays. There's a special antique-toy auction Oct. 18 and higher-quality antiques Oct. 25. A flea market is held Tuesdays and Wednesdays from May to October, with 1,000 vendors.

· Borkholder Dutch Village (just off U.S. 6, Nappanee, 574-773-2828, http://www.borkholder.com/dv ) holds auctions at 8 a.m. Tuesdays. There's an antiques mall, a flea/farm market and a showroom with handmade furniture.

· Topeka Auction Barn, nine miles from Shipshewana, features an exotic animal and bird auction Oct. 5-7 and a draft horse auction Oct. 31-Nov. 3. Details: 260-593-2522, http://www.auctions-usa.com/ .

· Shipshewana Fall Crafters Fair , Oct. 13-14, features artisans, music and food. Details: http://www.shipshewana.com/fallcrafters.php.

· A Haystack Supper, bake sale and consignment auction is scheduled for Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. at Nature Valley School, four miles east of LaGrange on County Road 160 S. Details: 260-768-7616.

· Gene Stratton-Porter Fall Family Day, with hayrides and craft exhibits at the writer's home in Rome City (20 miles southeast of Shipshewana), is Oct. 14. Cost: $6. Details and directions: 260-854-3790.

· Pumpkin Fantasyland (Fashion Farm, 1680 Lincolnway West, Ligonier, 219-894-4498) features U.S. presidents and movie characters fashioned out of gourds, squash and pumpkins, Oct. 1-31.

INFORMATION: Elkhart County Visitors Bureau , 800-860-5957, http://www.amishcountry.org/ .

-- Susan Harb