Exploring Elkhart

Category: Destinations

There’s a lot more to Elkhart’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it small town than meets the eye. This stop along Route 66 in Central Illinois offers options for dining, shopping, and even learning—all in the span of two tiny blocks.
 
Why bother stopping? “It’s very well-sited right on I-55 and smack on Route 66,” explains Andrea Niehaus, owner of Horsefeathers Antiques & Gift Shop and The Wild Hare Cafe. “Plus it’s like a page torn from Norman Rockwell.” In other words, it boasts about as much character as you can possibly fit in one tiny downtown.
 
Horsefeathers and Wild Hares
Revitalizing downtown Elkhart is all in the family for Andrea and her sister, Renee Sisk. Andrea and her husband, Peter, renovated the original red brick bank building downtown (104 Governor Oglesby St.), which was built in 1892. Now it houses Horsefeathers, in business since 2004, as well as The Wild Hare Café, an area lunch attraction that opened two years ago.
 
Horsefeathers, which occupies the front of the building, is filled with a variety of antiques, vintage kitchen items, jewelry, locally made soaps and foods (including a large selection of candy, jams, and other items from the Amish community near Arcola), as well as American-made gifts and paper goods.
 
In the back, The Wild Hare Café displays paintings by Renee (who owns The Dragonfly Studio next door) and offers a selection of homemade soups, sandwiches, salads, and to-die-for pies. Everything is made by Andrea and Renee and served on a mismatched collection of antique dishes—and the recipes for many of the menu items, which draw a bustling lunch crowd to the restaurant each day, originated from their mother and grandmother’s recipe collections.
 
Andrea recommends trying the salad sampler plate—which gives you a taste of salads ranging from chicken salad to Moroccan wild rice—on your first visit. The quiches and soups are other crowd favorites, she adds—but of course, it’s important to save room for a slice of pie too.
 
Soon, Horsefeathers will be expanding into the vault located next door and will offer even more antiques and locally made goods. Then, later, Andrea hopes to open a ’50s diner in the building as well, to cater to locals and the Route 66 crowd.
 
An Eclectic Assortment
Across the street from Horsefeathers, the beautifully restored building that previously housed Miss Jessie’s Gallery (103 ½ Governor Oglesby St.) has been transformed into an eclectic assortment of services and shops owned by Scott Bottrell, his fiancée Shannon O’Loughlin, and their friend Ken Reese.
 
The striking entryway to the building is an attraction itself, with old records displayed on an exposed brick wall and musical instruments hanging from the towering ceiling. Straight ahead, the spacious room with gleaming wood floors is home to the Yoshukai Karate Alliance, where Scott and Ken teach the traditional style of Japanese Karate. The room also serves the Elkhart Fencing Club, led by Ken. To the right is the entrance to Wander Years, a small shop Shannon fills with art, antiques, collectibles, handmade gifts, and restored furniture.
 
Upstairs, the Ramblin’ Elk Music Sanctuary offers a place for music lovers to spend time. Open jam rooms draw musicians who want to stop in, and formal rehearsal rooms are available for rent. Scott and Ken also offer trumpet, drum, piano, and vocal lessons; sell instruments and accessories; and handle instrument repair.
 
The goal with the myriad businesses in one building is to “be an institute of learning,” Scott explains. “We want everybody to feel at home and hang out. We just want people to get lost and wander or to play, relax, and learn.” That notion even extends behind the building, where a courtyard filled with plants, sculptures, and seating offers a place for visitors to enjoy the scenery.
 
More Quick Stops
Down the block, stop in and say hello to Jean Tweet, owner of Birdsong. While you’re there, browse her collection of books, antiques, fabric, and vintage clothing. The floor-to-ceiling shelves displaying classic cookbooks, historical fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books are a popular attraction, as are the variety of handmade aprons, beautiful tablecloths, and materials including upholstery fabric and feed sacks for sale.
 
If you’re in the mood for bar food (including terrific fried fish on Fridays) instead of the soups, salads, and sandwiches offered at The Wild Hare Café, mosey down the street to Talk of the Town (115 Governor Oglesby St.) instead. Or finish the day with a pastry from Bluestem Bakery (107 Governor Oglesby St.) or a beer at The Blue Moon (101 Governor Oglesby St.).
 
And come back soon, because this tiny town is constantly evolving—and on a mission to become a can't-miss Central Illinois destination.

Tags: Destinations | Elkhart | Central Illinois | Route 66 | Horsefeathers | The Wild Hare Cafe |

( Share this post | Read More)