Finally Made It to Nexus

Miss Kitty ( RV named after mom) with R.T.  (car named after dad) in tow

I went to the Annie Oakley Perfurmery on Monday.  Because there were so many detours, I knew that I would not make the first tour at 10am and would have to go to the 1pm one instead. I stopped at a Amish Country Store and found lots of neat things.

I did not know that the Amish go to a store to buy their clothes, I thought they made everything.  I picked up some oil cloth to make a tablecloth because the price was sooooo cheap, and some corn on the cob holders.   The people were really nice and made me feel welcome.

When I got to the perfumery, I was told that the tour started at 2pm not 1pm.  So off to find something to eat and tour the town.   I stopped at the Cavin Street Pizzeria that stated they made the Forlklift Pizza that had 6 toppings and over 1 lb. of cheese as well a stuffed crust.

I settled for a personal size meat lovers pizza and a salad.  That was more than filling and very delicious.

As I was driving into town, I saw the visitors center and went back to get a brochure for the town. There I found that it was the City of Murals.  Not quite Troupe L'Oeil but I like murals as well.   I paid $2.00 for a guide and was off.

Outdoor murals throughout the downtown area (31 in all), were suggested in the Revitalization Plan for Ligonier.  All the ideas and suggestions in this plan were to be carried out by volunteers.

The murals all depict historical places, businesses and events.  No tax money was used for the murals.

Ligonier Circa 1899

Completed 2009

The mural is a collage of downtown stores from the late 1800s to early 1900's.  The stores are not in the sequence as they were on Cavin Street.  The stores were chosen because there were pictures available.

Blazed Trail Garage

Completed 2009

On the Lincoln Highway that went through Ligonier was the Blazed Trail garage.  It was owned by Charles "Jinx" and Luch Winebrenner.  The wrecker they owned was the largest one in the area.

Railroad and Depot

Completed 2008

The Lake Shore Railroad was being built in 1954.  The local livery stable provided transportation for the Jewish ladies to and from their homes to the station when they traveled to Chicago and Toledo to do their shopping.

There are also 5 bronze sculptures called the Dan Hill's Sculptures.  An anonymous donor who wanted to honor his hometown's heritage while contributing to the city's downtown revitalization started everything.

 

Tug-O-War 2009

Boy& Lamb 2009

Sightseeing and tummy full, I went back to the perfumery.   I learned on the tour that the Annie Oakley Perfumery is the only one in the U.S. 

 

One of the main reasons I wanted to go to the perfumery was because my friend took me to the gun range when I was in MO.  I had never fired a gun in my life and had no desire to do so.  He handed me a small gun with a two inch barrel and said that I would not be able to hit the target because I was 33 feet away but he wanted me to get the feel of it.   Well... I hit the target almost every time.   He said that he did not know I was an Annie Oakley.

On the tour, I learned that the name came because the owner, Malerie Yolen-Cohen, was talking to her brother and saying that she wished that times were simple like in Roy Rogers and Annie Oakley's time.   This thought stuck with her and when she started the perfume company, that was the name she used.   The bottles are shaped like Annie Oakley stirrups and the original design on the box was the flower that she had on her saddle.

This is a small operation with both a male and female line of scent.  Very enjoyable time and I am glad I went.  After buying gifts and something for me, of course, I was went back to the campground.

Beaver Ridge Campground in Lakeville, IN

This is nice for a stop over.   The Wi-Fi was very strong.  Nice and helpful staff, level campsites.  They take Passport America, yeah!!  The campground is in Lakeville, IN.

I got up early on Wednesday to head to Nexus in Elkhart because I wanted to drop off the RV for a few adjustments and also to go to Shipshewana Flea Market that is only open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The flea market is HUGE!

All those spaces are vendors.   I walked and walked until I was exhausted.  I did buy some flavored balsamic vinegar and plan to make myself a nice salad tonight.

I think that is it for now but I did see this sign coming back from Ligonier: