Winter escapes: suggestions for a getaway that's not too far.

AuthorMcKimmie, Kathy
PositionHOTELS & RESORTS

SPRING VIEW BED & BREAKFAST

When the holidays are behind you, consider venturing out around the Hoosier state to visit some of its scenic areas during a less hectic time of the year. Many of the local attractions are open year-round. Your adventure can be packed with things to do or just an opportunity to relax and recover from a busy December and New Year's. Lodging choices range from B&Bs to the most elegant hotel in the state.

There are more than 30 bed and breakfasts in northern Indiana's Amish Country in Elkhart County, ranging from a Victorian mansion to a converted 100-year-old barn. When people choose the Spring View Bed & Breakfast in Goshen, they are looking for a quiet respite in a peaceful and beautiful setting. On 48 acres, it's just a few miles from the hustle of downtown.

Innkeepers Phil and Roz Slabaugh were inspired by a bed and breakfast experience they had in southern Indiana and decided to create their own 14 years ago. They used Amish craftsmen to build the B&B, which is beside a spring-fed lake where blocks of ice were once harvested for the area. Weather permitting, their Amish neighbor will give guests a ride in a horse and buggy.

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A full breakfast is served in the cozy sunroom overlooking the lake and grounds, and it just might include stuffed French toast. Spring View has eight guestrooms from $59 to $79 a night, including a two-room suite with a common area and full kitchen for family or friends staying together. Rooms feature glider rockers, pillow-top mattresses on king-sized beds, and some rooms have whirlpool tubs and steam. The majority of guests are within a three-hour drive, coming from Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis areas, says Roz, but the inn has had guests from Europe, Africa .and Australia, as well. Many visitors take the 90-mile self-guided audio driving tour on the Heritage Trail, winding through the area's quaint towns with familiar names: Nappanee, Shipshewana, Middlebury, Bristol. A CD can be obtained from the Elkhart County Visitors Center in Elkhart, but the audio can also be downloaded at www. amishcountryorg, along with a map.

Goshen is the perfect center point for drives in all directions, while also offering a lot to do. Shop at the Old Bag Factory, located in an 1890s manufacturing plant, visit antique shops and restaurants downtown and catch a music or cultural event at Goshen College. Whatever you do in Amish Country, make sure you allow enough time. "Some people...

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