WHERE TO EAT, SLEEP & HAVE FUN in elkhart indiana
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Elkhart, Indiana may not be the first place you think of to visit in Indiana – but if you are in Northern Indiana – there is plenty to do! It’s within minutes of Notre Dame and Amish Country and holds quite a few unique destinations that are worth the trip!
Where to Stay in Elkhart
Hotel Elkhart is a boutique hotel in the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. In the heart of downtown Elkhart, it’s completely renovated and really special. From the moment you walk in – you’ definitely know you’re in an upgraded property’ll find a wide variety of amenities. There’s a cute shop with handmade jewelry, art and hotel comfort items. Across from the gift shop is a bakery that serves breakfast, lunch and snacks and to the front is a restaurant and bar that was HOPPIN!
The rooms are also really nice! We stayed in a King Suite which had a Queen pull-out sofa in the living room and then a separate bedroom with a really nice King size bed!
The bathroom is also high end and is stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. And just a personal preference – it’s not the tiny bottles that you go through in one shower – they’re large containers in the shower! So no packing shampoo!
Where to Eat in Elkhart
There are a lot of great fabulous restaurants in Elkhart! Loads of Mexican food but also quite a few fine dining as well as pizza, burgers and more!
Let’s talk about the restaurants in Hotel Elkhart first since they really are top-notch! Relish Cafe & Confections is the breakfast/lunch restaurant. They have a full menu but also have grab-and-go bakery items and packaged snacks and drinks.
I had breakfast at Relish twice and they were both delicious but the stand out was the Churro Waffles. Even my dining companion gasped when they brought it to the table!
The Corner Bar is the other restaurant in Hotel Elkhart. They have appetizers like these amazing garlic cheese curds. These should just be called Cheese Bombs!!!! They’re big cubes that are fried until melty cheese-pulling perfection!
They also have burgers and fries – I got the Racketeer burger which was loaded with pimento cheese, green olives, arugula, grilled onion, mustard caviar with house fries. The burger was really tasty and perfectly cooked.
The fries were perfection! The seasoning on them – I wanted to bring it home with me!!! They also have chicken, steak, salmon and pasta dishes. We only had a couple days to enjoy the area – so didn’t get to try everything.
They also have the High Note Rooftop Bar which is great for live music and a drink outside!
While in town, we did check out the Iechyd Da Brewing and pizzeria. Iechyd Da is a Welsh greeting that is the equivalent of saying CHEERS! We tried some of their beers and got pizza. I tried their Jalapeno Popper pizza and it was fire! It is one of the local craft breweries but it’s also a family-friendly restaurant.
We did also visit Das Dutchman Essenhaus which bills itself as an Amish restaurant. I would recommend the pie – it was really great!
What to Do in Elkhart
Elkhart has a variety of unique places and museums to visit. From history to art to memorabilia. We got to experience a handful of them – here are the highlights.
RV Hall of Fame Museum – Follow the timeline of RVs from the days of the Wagon Train up to today!
Hall of Heroes Superhero Museum – I’m not a comic book girl but this was really interesting. This started as an owner-hobby and he turned it into a museum. The memorabilia is amazing!
Midwest Museum of American Art – I really like art museums – this one had a Grant Wood as well as an interesting display from area students (they were really good!).
Elkhart Environmental Center – there were multiple lakes and trails that would be great in the spring & fall weather.
Wellfield Botanical Gardens – this is a brand new facility with a walking track, beautiful pond and specialty gardens as well as a beautiful building for art and events. This will be extremely popular as a wedding venue come spring!
Be sure to check out Visit Elkhart County for more attractions! The Elkhart County Convention & Visitors Bureau has a great list of all the places to visit:
- Take a scenic drive to visit the Quilt Gardens all summer long!
- Stroll on the scenic Riverwalk and visit shops and gardens.
- Visit Lintons Enchanted Garden – it’s a nursery and much more – even a petting zoo!
- Tour the Ruthmere Mansion and walk through the Gilded Age with history, art & architecture.
- Drive the Heritage Trail and wind through the vibrant communities of Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury, Nappanee, Bristol, Wakarusa, and Shipshewana.
- Take the kids to NIBCO Water Park – they’ve got a skating rink and splash pad!
- Catch a concert at the Historic Lerner Theatre!
All in all – Northern Indiana has a lot to offer. Thanks to Hotel Elkhart for providing our stay as well as food and entertainment for our visit!
