🚍 The RV Capital of the World

We finally make it to the RV Capital of the World in this week's episode of RV There Yet? TV, and what an impressive community! They may be most recognized for their RV contributions, but this town has been the epicenter for many of inventions, industries, and innovations for decades. Did you know Alka-Seltzer was invented at Miles Laboratory in Elkhart, Indiana, in the 1930s? See? That's just one example.

If you ask any one of us on the crew about the culinary scene they have in Elkhart, we'd all agree it's one of the best we've had on our travels this entire season. Plus, the Riverwalk and downtown areas are fun and fantastic to stroll. The museums, culture, gardens, tulips - oh, my word! - the tulips were in bloom all over the city!

 

Here's a few of our stops in Elkhart you will see on this episode:

Brass Elk Brewing - Local restaurant and brewery. Talk about tasty!! From the light and crisp "Porch Beer" to the deep, dry stout called "Brewer's Breakfast" the beer was definitely something to write home about (or mention in your blog). They also had a killer menu with some familiar favorites but with their very own twist on it. Their crab cakes were amazing - all crab, the BBQ burger and fries (cooked in beef tallow) was another favorite, the Brussels Sprouts were fried, drizzled with a creamy sriracha sauce, topped with bacon and candied pecans - Oh My Word! To top off our already stuffed bellies, they bring out their homemade bread pudding in a cast iron skillet topped with fresh peach ice cream. Stop!!

Meet the Mayor - We were graciously invited to meet Elkhart's Mayor, Rod Roberson. What a great visit, too! He's tall, he's charming, he grew up in Elkhart, he's raising his family in Elkhart, and loves his city. Mayor Rod was the perfect choice to kick off our stay and send us on our way to explore more.

Hall of Heroes Super Hero Museum - Whether you're a DC or Marvel fan, Villain or Superhero, Batman or Wonder Woman, Ironman or Captain American . . . it's all there to interact with and reminisce. This museum is the only Superhero and comic book museum in the world preserving and covering the entire 80 year history of superheroes in comics, toys, film and animation. They have one of the largest collections of superhero memorabilia, art, and comics in the U.S. We may or may not have had a difficult time removing Patrice from Batgirl's motorbike . . .

RV Technical Institute - The reason we decided to head to Elkhart in the first place, was to visit the RVTI. The people and curriculum behind the institute have nailed it! They are solving one of the dominant challenges the industry has faced over the years (due to the increase in RVing popularity) and that is service, certified service technicians, and how to train more. We got to spend the day at the school's Elkhart location, in the lab and classroom, and walk through with the President, Recruitment Manager, and a Master Certified Technical Trainer. Not only are they providing more certified technicians for the RV industry, they are opening the minds and eyes of students all over the country to trades they may not have had the opportunity to learn about. Good stuff and glad we got to visit!

RV/MH Hall of Fame - Talk about a chunk of history being preserved! From one of the first known "RV's" in 1913, to a "telescoping apartment" (basically the first slideout) from 1916, to Mae West's movie trailer, and then there was the RV from Breaking Bad (sans the meth lab). All super cool to walk through and learn about the history and evolution of the RV industry. 

The people of Elkhart are just who you think would be in a city that has led the country in many industries - smart, down to earth, hospitable, and ready to roll up their sleeves and get it done. We left our time in Elkhart with a few more friendships we look forward to revisiting the next time we're back in Indiana.

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