Wednesday, July 18 – We spent the day with Angie and Rick sightseeing in Indiana Amish Country. We stopped at the Amish Acres in Nappanee, IN, to see the displays and have a country style lunch. Amish Acres is a 138 year old Amish homestead
We visited several of the historic buildings.
It was a family style Amish home cooked meal and was delicious.
We played an old-time game called the Ring Game. The object was to toss the ring onto the hook. Here is a picture of the losers.
Rick, Paul, Angie
Now for the All-Time Winner…Marsha
Angie did finally succeed in putting the ring on the hook but only after a coaching lesson from Marsha…hehe.
After lunch we drove over to the RV/MH Hall of Fame.
The entry fee is $7 for seniors. We spent about two hours walking through the antique RVs and enjoyed climbing in many of the trailers and old motor homes. It's a pretty nice museum and we felt it was worth our time and entry fee.
The have an Exhibit Hall showing the newest items for the RV lifestyle.
The RV Founders Hall displays trailers, photos, and memorabilia reaching back to the very early 1900's.
Starting in the mid 1910s, Gilkie was probably the first successful manufacturer in Indiana and one of the first in the country.
1932 Gilkie Kamp King Tent Trailer
1913 "Earl" Travel Trailer…oldest travel trailer in the world. It has a dining table that seats four, then converts into a double bed.
1931 Model AA Ford Housecar
Great heating system
The unique low design, with a rear entry door and drop down area in the floor where standing was possible, provided the advantage of being able to store these trailers in a conventional residential garage.
Look how easy it is to get into…not!
1957 Serro Scotty 12' Travel Trailer
Rick can't stand up or he hits his head.
One of the first trailers of the "bunkhouse" design with a second story bed function. It also had a tiny bathroom with shower, sink and stool. Bathing and toilet facilities were rarely included in a camper trailer.
1966 Mustang Travel Trailer
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Built for Paramount Studios to present to Miss West when she left vaudeville to make movies for the studio in 1931.
Mae West's 1931 Chevrolet Housecar
The Spartan Aircraft Company was recognized as the finest mobile homes available in the late 40s and early 50s.
1954 Spartan Imperial Mansion…8 x 42' Mobile Home
There are so many more great opportunities to explore RV/MH from the past. We highly recommend stopping at the Museum. The Hall of Fame honors the inaugural class of inductees into the RV/MH Hall of Fame. We just happened to know a few.
Bob Tiffin – founder of Tiffin Motor Homes
Joe and Kay Peterson founders of the Escapee Club that we belong to.
We then returned to our campsite on the hill overlooking the Lake of the Woods, where we enjoyed watching some deer graze in the field and talked with Angie and Rick. We sure had a great two days with our friends and will be sure to see them someday “down-the-road.”
Angie and Rick in front of their newly-painted Alfa See Ya.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!
