Essenhaus mentioned in travel book

Travel writer Jamie Ward knows the ins and outs of northern Indiana, and put a few local touches in her recent release, “100 Things To Do In Indiana Before You Die.”

She was invited to Pajama Day, an annual morning sales event designed to encourage locals and guests to shop in Shipshewana, by the LaGrange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. On the fourth floor of the Davis Mercantile, across from a hand-carved carousel, Ward signed copies of her book.

Its food and drink section mentions the Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery in Shipshewana and Das Dutchman Essenhaus in Middlebury. Ward devoted a full page to the Essenhaus.

“If it’s available, request to sit in an Amish buggy booth. It’s an authentic buggy that seats up to four and offers diners a unique experience and bragging rights,” Ward writes.

The book is in stock at Fables Books in Goshen along with other typical outlets.

Ward “guides you through all of the best places with tips only a native to Indiana would know. With this guidebook, Hoosiers will discover new adventures in their own state, and visitors will be equipped for an epic Indiana experience,” says her web site at fieldsandheels.com.

Each chapter is focused on a specific topic. Along with food and drink, she features entertainment, shopping, sports and history as well as seasonal attractions and helpful tips to travelers.

“’One Hundred Things to Do in Indiana Before You Die’ is truly a statewide guide book,” says a review at lostbetweenthepages.com.

“Other guides tend to concentrate on things to do in Indianapolis, but this goes way beyond the Circle City and only includes a handful of things to do in Indy. That’s definitely a bonus for the smaller, more quiet towns who have unique things to offer that might be overlooked by traditional guide books.”

Ward also wrote the Indiana chapter in “Midwest Road Trip Adventures,” released in 2020.

“That does mention Elkhart County,” she said.

Future releases include her collaborative efforts on a Midwest State Park Adventure. She said she also expects to publish a new book this fall.

Ward lives in central Indiana with her husband, Paul.

“He’s done most of my adventures with me,” she said.