TR Day 1
I made it to Enterprise with the notion in my mind that I was going to have a Challenger to drive. I hated it! So I traded down to a Pontiac Vibe. Hey, at least I could see over the steering wheel, lol.
I had no clear plan until that morning as far as driving went. We don't have a direct route to Indy, so I had several options (all within 45 mins of each other). Hwy 41 is horrible with stoplights every few miles. Yes, I am stretching the truth a bit, but it is known for stoplights. Another option was to take I-64 to I-65. The benefit would be a Prime Outlet on the way.

Several other options included driving some state routes.
Which direction did I decide? Well, a mix of a SR and I-65. I took off on the road with one definite in mind. It's the middle of the growing season and the Amish are known for yummy grub. We arrived in Montgomery IN and lunch at the Gasthof. We do have a local Amish buffet that is good, but I know that the best are located in the heart of Indiana Amish country. Wow! Was I in heaven! I love love love garden grown veggies and did they deliver.
The salad fixings were awesome (including a standard salad bar, pickled beets, chickpea salad, sweet & sour slaw, etc.) Many of the raw and cooked veggies were fresh (not canned, not frozen). The local one uses canned green beans, yams etc. (metal can, not a Mason jar). The hot bar was a veggie paradise. I'm sure some of them were drenched in bad stuff. I sampled the cabbage, peas, carrots, green beans, broccoli, new potatos, and stuffing.
I didn't sample the meats, instead I stuck with one. In order to explain why I zero'd in on one in particular, I need to share a story. I once had my aunt drive me all over Evansville when I was little looking for one thing - violin fish. My aunt thought that I wanted a fish for my fish tank (spoiled much?!?). What she didn't realize was that I was hungry and that my mom and dad had recently introduced me to fiddlers. Er, um, I mean - violin fish. So guess what I mealed on? You got it. Catfish fiddlers and they were some of the best I have had. It was a wonderful breakfast.
I am mad at myself for not getting pictures of this area. The only way I can describe it is the Smokey Mountains without the mountains. Beautiful. We were on our way and ended up winding through southern IN on our way to I-65. Ryan thought it was really cool that we drove by Indiana University.
Next up - The outlet mall! I didn't spend nearly as much as I wanted to (both time and money). The temp gauge showed 98 and it was so humid! We hit Adidas, Croc, Under Amour, Champion, and Justice. It cracks me up that Taylor is into athletic looking clothes and then Justice at the same time. Ryan found some Adidas shorts with pockets. I bought some Harry & David whoppers. Yum!
Our hotel was the same one we stayed in last fall. It was the Embassy Suites downtown (connected to Circle Center Mall). The manager's reception was on and I had my share of free adult beverages. It was so miserable that the kids begged to visit the indoor pool and we stayed in it for about 2 hours. Can you say prune?? We showered and then headed to our tradition - the Hard Rock Cafe. The kids shared a burger and I had a veggie burger. Our room was wonderful as always. We walked around downtown a bit and headed back to our room after a very long day. Ryan and Taylor snuggled in the pull out together and I had the king. The kids passed out watching the Disney Channel and I found a new guilty pleasure on the TV in my room - Billy the Exterminator. I am a new fan.
Day 2 coming up next!