On this adventure rooster and molly traveled to South Bend, Indiana to discover how the hippie spirit still existed in a tiny market at the fairgrounds.
How A trip to South Bend Reminded us of our Hippie Days
I knew we were going to have a grand adventure when Rooster sat down at his computer and started a search. He is one of the best adventure strategists I know. An hour later, we climbed into the Sunshine Mobile and headed north toward the city of South Bend, Indiana.
The morning was chilly with a steady drizzle of cold rain falling from the sky. In the corner of my mind, I wondered if the entire day was going to be a total wash. Sometimes an adventure can go flat because of the weather or the dreary mood of the adventure seekers.
When we got twenty miles down the road, the rain stopped, and the sun peeked from behind the dark clouds. The moods of the travelers brightened with the weather. We plugged a Pandora station into the car stereo and listened to oldies tunes for the two-hour drive.
Our mission was to find the Gypsy Soul Vintage Market. The post we found online said it was the last weekend of the year for the event at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds. We weren’t sure what we’d discover when we got there, but it sounded like it was our kind of place.
We were a little disappointed when we strolled through the gate. The market didn’t have a lot of vendors. We could tell things were fizzling out for the season, but the atmosphere was enticing.
What the Gypsy Soul Vintage Market is All About
The Gypsy Soul Vintage Market was the sort of place where an old hippie who’d hung up her love beads years ago could be at home on a lazy fall afternoon. Some of the items I discovered were a flash from the past, A unique assortment of merchandise held our attention as rooster and I strolled from booth to booth.
I wanted to buy everything I saw. I came across an antique medical bag for twenty dollars. It was a bargain. I would have bought it, but I was afraid of what might be hidden inside. I didn’t want to open the fragile bag and discover a form of old medical waste.
There were clothing and jewelry, antique furniture and cooking pots, nuts and bolts, and doorknobs at the gypsy Soul Vintage Market. It was a feast for the eyes. We bought a bag of kettle corn before we left. Rooster complained about the cost as we sauntered to the Sunshine Mobile. He said it probably took them two cents to make the entire bag. He paid out over four dollars for the sweet and salty treat. Rooster might be an adventurer, but he’s cheap.
Why we Like Indian Motorcycle Dealerships
We decided on a change of plans once we got to the parking lot. A side trip to the Indian shop in Elkhart and a meal at The Flipping Cow is always a stop we make when we travel to the northern part of the state. Bikers have an odd tradition. They are drawn to the motorcycle shop displaying the brand of bike they ride like a piece of steel to a magnet.
They will drive twenty miles out of their way to look at the same motorcycles they’ve seen a hundred times before. The folks at the Indian dealership are always friendly. Rooster spent about an hour looking over the 2019 models. He would have bought at least two of the machines if he was a rich man.
I looked at the merchandise. I love to sew patches into my road trip crazy quilts. We didn’t spend any money at the shop. Like I said Rooster is cheap.
Why we Love the Flippin Cow
The Flippin Cow is our favorite hamburger place located down the street from the Indian dealership. It has a fantastic atmosphere to go with the steakburgers they serve. It is located on Lake Simonton. We love to watch the water while we eat. They have one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever tasted.
The plan was to go back into South Bend and write at the Chicory Café, but time got away from us. We did stop in for a steaming cup of chai tea. Rooster fell in love with the place as soon as we walked through the door. He said he wished we’d stuck to our original plan.
We will go back there someday. The drive home was uneventful. We both agreed it was an excellent adventure. It was a day we would gladly live over again if we were given the chance. Now it was time to step back into our real lives and take on our daily responsibilities. I don’t want to be an adult anymore. It would be fun to reconnect with my teenage self and live in a Gypsy Soul frame of mind for awhile.
Molly Shea is an accomplished fictional short story writer from Indiana, who writes short stories and novels about a fictional town called Tecumseh. To read more of her short stories and adventures click here.
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