Family fun on just a tank: explore some favorite Indiana destinations this summer. Get in the water with dolphins.

• Author: McKimmie, Kathy
• Position: TOURISM

WHEREVER YOU LIVE IN Indiana, there's family fun and adventure within easy reach of a tank of gas. You can return to an old favorite, like Amish Acres, or try something new like Holiday World's new water-slide attraction.

Northern Indiana

Amish Acres, Nappanee, has enthralled young and old alike since it opened in 1970. As a destination for visitors from the Midwest and beyond, all of Elkhart County's Amish attractions have benefited from its lure. The 80-acre farmstead is the only Amish farm listed in the National Register of Historic Places and offers all the sights and sounds of a working farm, complete with hens and livestock, gardens and an apple orchard. You can stay for the day, enjoying a family-style Amish Threshers dinner before you go, or plan to spend the night at The Inn at Amish Acres and catch a show at The Round Barn Theatre. Three musicals are set for this summer including the 22-year-running Plain and Fancy--about New Yorkers who discover life on an Amish farm, Music Man, and Carousel.

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If it's arts and crafts you seek, Amish Acres' annual festival is ranked 7th Best Classic and Contemporary Craft Show in the country for 2008 by Sunshine Artist Magazine, and as a Top 100 Event in North America by the American Bus Association. The July 31 through August 3 event showcases the work of 350 artists and crafters from around the country, and provides live entertainment on three stages.

While in the Elkhart County, see if your tank will stretch for the 90-mile, self-guided audio driving tour on the Heritage Trail, winding through the area's quaint towns with familiar names: Shipshewana, Middlebury, Bristol. The audio and map can be downloaded at amishcountry.org. One of the best stops along the way has to be Das Dutchman Essenhaus, Middlebury, serving Amishand Mennonite-style food since 1971. Back then it sat 120; now it can hold 1,100 diners and is considered the largest family restaurant in Indiana. Save room for the pie--29 varieties, or buy a whole one in the adjoining bakery and take it home. You won't be idle if you have to wait for a table; there are walking paths and several shops on the grounds to keep you occupied.

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It couldn't be easier to plan a trip to Fort Wayne. Just call the Fort Wayne/ Allen County Visitors Center and have the community concierge build your Family Fun Package with one of the 14 participating hotels and tickets to favorite attractions, including a Fort...