2010 Jun 3 - Jun 5 Hudson Collection in Shipshewana, IN

Thursday, June 3, I get up at 8:00. After breakfast we go to Shipshewana around 11:00. We wave at Don and Jim as we head out. They are on the porch with a fire going already. On our way to Shipshewana we see a funny sign again that says “Backyard Bull Bash.” I don’t even want to speculate!

When we park at the museum we find old Cadillacs on the parking lot. I don’t know if there is a car show in town but it’s obvious they drove them here. We check them out and I snap pictures before we head inside. Here in Shipshewana Eldon and Esta Hostetler have amassed “The most complete collection of Hudson’s in the world.” The docent tells us that the Hudsons we saw at Gilmore Auto Museum in Michigan were part of this collection on loan. The couple left the collection to the city of Shipshewana along with a $5 Million endowment and the land to go with it. The Indian Hostetler’s Hudson Auto Museum and a Conference Center were built. The Conference Center provides revenue for the collection upkeep and additions.

The collection includes Hudsons from 1909 through 1957. We pay $8.00 each for admission. I snap some photos of Amish quilts in the lobby and get 14 postcards of these great old cars. As usual I’m fascinated with the hood ornaments, brake lights, emblems, trim, trunks and spare tires. The detail and craftsmanship are unreal. It’s easy to see why they had trouble staying in business. Like Studebaker, they made a product that was high in quality and too good to afford.

In 1954 (the year I was born!) Hudson directors approved a merger with Nash to form the American Motors Corporation. Later that year production was move to the Nash factories in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Hudson production continued although it grew to resemble the Nash until 1957 when the Hudson name-plate was dropped. American Motors concentrated on the production of the Rambler (and we all know how that worked out for them.) Approximately four million Hudson (two million), Essex and Terraplanes were built during the 46 years of production! Placing that figure in perspective, Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908 and by 1924, in less than 17 years of total production, the 10 millionth Model T rolled off the line. The original stock holders of Hudson now hold stock in Daimler-Chrysler Corporation after American Motors acquired Kaiser-Jeep in 1970 and Chrysler engineered a take-over of American Motors in 1987.

Love the color of this 1929 Hudson R Coupe

I just love these fancy hood ornaments-this one is from the R Coupe above

Pretty racey for the 1928 4-door Town Car

Fancy door handles!

And fancy instrument panel to match!

And here's the 1929 Model L club Sedan with fancy features on the exterior too

1937 Terraplane Pick-up Express, 6 cylinder, 88hp, Cost $700

Check the detail on this 1942 Woody Station Wagon

Bob and I always try to pick out our favorites before we leave. He went with the boatail, 1931 Hudson T Model Sports Roadster. Only 12 of these eight-cylinder beauties were produced. They had a 233.7 cid engine, weighed 2,675 lbs and had a wheelbase of 119”. The boatail body was Bob’s favorite Auburn as well. Only five of these cars survive today.

I had a hard time choosing but at last I had to go with the 1929 Hudson Dual Cowl, Four Door, Sport Phaeton. This five-passenger Phaeton was built on the Hudson Great eight Model T chassis. It is one of the 7 of the original 17 left today. The engine is six cylinders and 288.5 cid with 92 horsepower. It weighs 2,940 lbs. and cost $1,300 new; later the price was cut to $965!

Rita's favorite--1929 Hudson: Dual Cowl, Four Door, Sport Phaeton, 6 cylinder, 92hp, Cost $1,300

Close-up of the spare tire on my Phaeton

Bob's favorite: 1931 Hudson T Sports Roadster, Custom built boatail body, 8 cylinder, 87hp, only five of these survive!

We are dazzled by color and style as we leave this fun museum. I take more quilt pictures in the lobby and we head across the street to Yoder’s (Yup’s owner perhaps?) meats and cheeses. For $21.00 we get a basket load of smoked turkey bacon, Wind ‘n Willow cheese ball mix, Boysenberry jam, pickles, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, oyster crackers, chocolate graham pretzels, and munchies for trail mix. The flax seed corn chips turn out to be our favorites. Now we’re really starving. But first we go to the antique mall across the street. We get halfway through and have to go find lunch.

Local quilt hanging in the lobby with a price tag of $695.00

We head to US 20 where we see Dutchmaid Diner and we do a bat turn in a gas station. But I spot a Dollar General so we hop in for Bob’s SoBe’s. Another $44.00 later we head back to the diner. It’s 3:05 and they closed at 3:00. Will we ever get lunch? We walk in the Amish produce place next door and get amazing tomatoes, apricots, grapes and bananas for very reasonable prices. We see a young Amish boy about five or six years old in bib overalls with a big straw hat who has a tall twist ice cream cone. We love those cones and will have to come back after lunch.

By now we are deadly serious about lunch. We go directly to Rulli’s, Sam and Mary run this four generation Italian restaurant. We saw this place with Rick and Debbie on our Sunday drive on US 20 in Middlebury but didn’t stop. Bob has Good Fella’s Pasta (chicken, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach in a sweet marinara sauce with ricotta cheese sauce over rigatoni, garnished with crushed red peppers.) I had Stuffed Chicken Breast (breaded boneless chicken breast stuffed with broccoli and mozzarella with a side of pasta.) We both enjoyed a trip to the soup and salad bar. Thankfully the buffet was closed. They had plenty of fancy side salads that were really good (big shell macaronis, broccoli salad, cabbage salad and three-bean salad.) I really enjoyed the savory vegetable beef soup.

We rolled out with ‘go boxes’ and made it home by 5:00. I made some Chocolate PB Ritz cookies. Bob Googles Dunlop golf balls that we saw at the antique mall to get a feel for their value. It’s 5:55 p.m. and 75 degrees with 48% humidity. The high was 77 and the low was 63.

The smoke coming out of Don’s fire pit smells like marijuana so we go out to give him some grief about it. He says “Shhh, don’t let everybody in on it!” We grab our lawn chairs and sit out with him. Soon Reva returns and then Jim, Ginger and finally Betty join us. Betty gives Bob two Sudoku books (she ordered 32 of them through the mail!) I share Ritz PB cookies with everyone. We watch the birds and hummers on Don’s feeders. Ginger almost catches a ground squirrel and stares up in the pines at a red squirrel forever. We chat until 9:15. What a fun evening with great weather. We go home and have a bowl of soup. I call Patti about the color of old hankies she’s looking for to make her blouse as we saw some at the antique mall. She wants blues to purples.

Friday, June 4, Antiques and Bulk Foods in Shipshewana
up at 7:30, cloudy, chilly, 54. High gets to 80 and sun comes out in the afternoon. The local RV Park preacher knocks with a brochure regarding the Sunday service here at the park. After breakfast we go to Shipshewana to finish the Antique Mall. On the way we see a sign "Backyard Bull Bush." Hmmm..... I find 40 postcards, two mitt potholders, a sweater for Gertrude and a golf Valentine. Bob passes on Dunlop golf balls in the original box since they are not mint. He also passes on a chalk fish plaque.

As we leave there are vendors setting up for an antique show tomorrow. We go to Dutchmaid Diner and have the buffet lunch. It beats the Amish place we ate at before; sausage cabbage soup, salad bar, great tender BBQ ribs, fried fish with tasty cornmeal coating, yummy dressing and the Banana Bread Pudding that was like a spice cake!

On the same parking lot we go to E & S Bulk Foods. $31.00 later we emerge with lots of goodies that you can't find anywhere else. The store is very busy with Amish folks shopping along with the tourists. We're home by 4:30. I make crispy thingies with the Amish whole wheat English muffins in spite of 81 degree temp inside RV. The convection oven only raises the temp one degree while baking at 350 for 1/2 hours. No way that would have been the case with the propane oven. It's 5:45 p.m. and 80 degrees with 45% humidity.

Bob and I bring the bikes in as it's supposed to rain tomorrow. I put some of the decor away (since the bikes sit in front of my sofa drawer storage.) Bob sweeps off the roof. Don and Reva and Jim and Betty are outside and they kabitz with us. I go over and say hi but then rejoin Bob so he can toss the broom down to me and restrap the ladder rack.

We go inside and strap the bikes down. Don knocks and gives us a bowl of pecans (I guess he thought we weren't coming out.) We finish up and I package Crispy Thingies for the freezer. Then we go oustide. I join Betty and Reva at the picnic table. The guys are on the deck. Reva is cutting out cat fabric for doggie pants. Don't ask.

Betty brings me two crossword books (she got a big order of them today.) How nice of her to share! Both her and Bob worked a "Wordoku" today. Don brings their laptop out and I show Reva how to send pictures as email attachments. I'm clueless about Windows 7 (her HP and operating system are great however.) It takes us several tries. Betty gets bored and calls it a night. Jim follows her home. Reva and I finally get it-Success! We sit out by the fire until 9:48. We go in for leftover pasta and watch "Change Your Brain; Change Your Body." It's 10:30 p.m. and 74 degrees with 58% humidity.

Saturday, June 5, Reva's Email Pics and River Inn Up at 8:45 after reading 'til 3:00 a.m. Reva calls while I'm doing breakfast dishes around 11:30. She sent emails to me with picture attachments and wants to know if I got them. I was checking email and editing journal pages an hour ago but she just sent them. While I was on before I saw Patti's blog that says her daughter Sarah is engaged!

Bob goes out to dump holding tanks and check air pressure. I clean up the kitchen and pack up the rest of the decor. Bob's over on Don's porch and it's sprinkling. I clean up and go over to join them. Reva comes out too. She gives me the cutest black shirt with red, white and blue motif (says the arms are too tight for her.) How nice of her to share with me.

It really pours as we watch the rain. Patty next door starts her truck to charge their dead battery and walks over in the rain to join us for a few minutes. It's chilly and Reva gives me a towel for my legs and gives Bob a jacket. We're in shorts and short sleeves.

There's a lull and Bob goes home to take a shower. That darn Don threatens to shut off our outside water--can you imagine? Bob emerges and I go home to put long pants on. I check email white I'm at it and get a cup of coffee. Reva successfully sent her pics via email (love that chipmunk with the pecans!) I go back over to their porch. Jim and Ginger join us. Jim invites us to a spaghetti dinner at their place at 1:30 tomorrow. We'll be long gone but it was nice of him to ask us. There's wine and cheese at noon or 1:00 today at the pavilion but we missed it.

Bold chipmunk


Reva and Betty are chatting with new arrivals (Amber and Jim?) Bob and I head to lunch at River Inn. We have a friendly waitress. I have hot chai latte tea in a cool clear glass mug. We both have Polish Beef Soup (same as vege beef soup we loved-waitress says the broth is grandma’s family secret "Buska" Hungarian? I have European Lake Perch lunch special with mojo's (big home fries.) Bob has Whitefish Sub. We donate $5.00 to young gal with cancer (but skip the raffle ticket for a side of beef!)

We go to Speedway where the young kid behind the counter says "I would have no idea" when I ask him if their diesel is Ultra Low Sulphur. It is not marked on the pump. I head out the door and a nice guy by the check out with a cane says "Go to BP at CR 17 or Yoder's, they're the only places I know with it." How nice of him to speak up.

So we go to BP. I have to go inside for the whole tax-exempt spiel. Remember when fueling up was simple? We go home under cloudy skies. It is not raining now but it looks like it might. Don and Reva are gone; the lid is on Don's fire. It's 4:30 p.m. and 69 degrees with 75% humidity. We watch James Taylor and Carol King special and old Ed Sullivan Rock 'n Roll. I work on RV Hall of Fame journal pages 'til 9:00. Don and Reva are still gone.