Food, football and fun for the whole family

Fall
Getaway
Guide
Food, football and fun for the whole family
(Clockwise, from top)
Trine University and Caruso’s
Restaurant fill an afternoon and
evening in Angola. Satek Winery
in Fremont welcomes guests for
autumn picnics.
FROM THE EDITORS OF
VISIT
Northern Indiana Lakes Country
la kes 101 .org Angola Fremont
T he Great
Outdoors
POKAGON STATE PARK A mile hike
past marshes, through hardwood forests
and over pine-covered hills brings you to
the base of Hell’s Point overlook. A climb
up 84 wooden stairs culminates at the
park’s highest point—1,123 feet—and
panoramic views of the blazing trees. The
fiery forest conceals a chain of lakes ringing
the park’s 1,260 acres.
Fishermen cast lures for bluegill
and crappie on Lake James, formed
by retreating glaciers 10,000-plus years
ago. The ice also created the park’s rolling
terrain, where 11 miles of trails thread past
swamps, meadows, swimming beaches
and grasslands, plus encircle campgrounds,
the Potawatomi Inn and stone shelters
built in the 1930s by the Civilian
Conservation Corps.
Potawatomi Inn caters to guests whose
idea of roughing it includes rooms and
suites with lake views and beds dressed in
patchwork quilts. The inn’s restaurant, The
Historic Dining Room, serves fried chicken,
biscuits and gravy, and other home-cooked
Hoosier fare to fuel outdoor adventures.
Visitors can rent pontoon and fishing
boats, cross-country skis and bikes on-site,
along with canoes and kayaks.
In winter, the popular toboggan run
launches riders from a 35-foot tower down
a ¼-mile-long refrigerated track (so no
snow needed) to reach 43 mph. Heartthumping thrills done, end your day at the
bonfire pit overlooking Lake James.
450 Lane 100 Lake James, Angola
(260/833-2012; in.gov/dnr/parklake).
Trine State
Recreation
Area
In 2007, the Department
of Natural Resources
acquired this former
church camp, then
reopened it in 2013 as
a rec area filled with
campsites, hiking trails
and fishing access. A
handful of cabins (with
bunks or sleeper sofas
and kitchenettes) and
Swenson Lodge (the
original dining hall)
surround Gentian Lake.
Here, only the putt-putt
of electric boat motors
or the splashes of kayak
paddles break the quiet.
Hikers and cyclists
choose from a sedate
½-mile paved path or the
tight turns of a 2½-mile
bike trail through a forest
of oak and maples.
145 W. Feather Valley
Rd., Fremont
(260/833-2012; in.gov).
Nine trails traverse
Pokagon State Park. (Right)
Across the highway, the recently
opened Trine State Recreation
Area offers more trails
and boating.
T he Great
Outdoors
Nature Preserves
LAKES AND CAMPGROUNDS
Glaciers left behind the 101 kettle lakes
dotting Steuben County. Today, visitors
leave with memories of water fun and
winter rec. Fall days fishing and hiking leafcovered trails transition to cross-country
skiing, snowmobiling and toboggan runs.
Active days segue into peaceful nights at
more than 10 campgrounds, which include
spots to plug in your RV or pitch a tent,
wood cabins with bunk beds and even tipis.
A few to choose from:
Camp Sack-In
Sack out at one of the 150 RV or tent
campsites in the 100 acres of woods
crisscrossed by nature trails. On Saturdays,
a free cup of coffee at the camp store starts
your morning off right. After a day of
fishing the pond, bingo and horseshoes,
roast s’mores around your site’s fire ring.
8740 E. 40 S., Angola (260/665-5166;
campsack-in.com).
Circle B Campground
Rest up from days on Hogback Lake
(rent canoes, kayaks, pontoons, rowboats
and paddle boats) at Circle B. There are
300 lakefront, wooded and pull-through
campsites, plus cabins with a small fridge
and half bath or with full bath and kitchen.
5275 W. U.S. Highway 20, Angola
(260/665-5353; circlebpark.com).
Oak and hickory forests; sandhill cranes and
red-tailed hawks; marshes and spring-fed
lakes. Steuben County’s 12 nature preserves
protect all that and more. Get a closer
look on a hike or cross-country skiing trek.
acreslandtrust.org/Preserves
Launch your boat
(or rent one) at
Circle B Campground
on Hogback Lake, part
of a chain of lakes.
Manapogo Park
Campers have been coming to
Manapogo for 50 years to swim, fish and
boat on Lake Pleasant. Activities like
sand-sculpture building, horseshoes and
cornhole tournaments fill weekends. Stay
at 15 wooded tent sites, 300 campsites
with hookups, or two camping cabins with
bunks and a porch. 5495 W. 760 N., Orland
(260/833-3902; manapogo.com).
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park
An indoor pool, bingo, playgrounds and
lunch with Yogi Bear keep campers busy
when they’re not playing basketball and
volleyball. Choose from 540 campsites,
21 basic cabins and 21 fully outfitted
cottages alongside 100-acre Barton
Lake. 140 LN 201 Barton Lake, Fremont
(260/833-1114; jellystonesbest.com).
Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve
Visitors board a tractor-pulled wagon for a 40-minute tour that gets
passengers up close and personal with the preserve’s 200 shaggy beasts,
which can weigh in at more than 1,000 pounds. Guides welcome questions
and provide factoids along the way. (Did you know bison eat 20 pounds
of grass a day?) Back at the farm, a gift shop sells handcrafted jewelry,
inspirational books, bison meat and robes. 6975 N. Ray Rd., Fremont
(260/495-0137; wildwindsbuffalo.net).
Sports and
Recreation
TRINE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
An air-thumping helicopter hovers
as it delivers the game’s pigskin—the
noise almost drowning out the 5,000
stomping and cheering fans. The Fred
Zollner Athletic Stadium is awash in
navy-and-white-clad supporters of the
Thunder, a Division III team who boasts
a 2010 Gagliardi Trophy, the division’s
equivalent of the Heisman. The trophy
recipient, Eric Watt, led the team to three
consecutive NCAA Championship playoffs
(2008–2010). Those victories draw crowds
that have garnered the team the best
attendance record in their conference.
Under head coach Troy Abbs, Trine’s
program maintains a tradition of excellence
seamlessly blending athletics and
academics (99 percent of alumni secure
jobs within six months of graduation).
Single-game adult tickets are $8,
making Trine football home games a fun
and affordable way to spend a Saturday
afternoon. One University Ave., Angola
(260/665-4141; trine.edu).
GOLF
Rolling hills, woodlands, wide-open fields
and tricky water hazards combine to make
for a great day of golf in Steuben County.
Tee off and take on any of the handful of
appealing courses in the area. A sampling:
Glendarin Hills
This 18-hole course sprawls across
450 acres of verdant countryside. Five
tee boxes accommodate duffers of all skill
levels. Warm up on the driving range, then
hit the course aboard a GPS-equipped
electric cart. 3333 N. Glendarin Way, Angola
(260/624-3550; glendarinhills.com).
Lake James Golf Club
The small, open greens and rolling terrain
of the front nine contrast with larger
greens and rolling, wooded topography of
the back nine. Four sets of tees stretch the
length from 5,200 to 6,600 yards.
1445 W. 275 N., Angola (260/833-3967;
golflakejames.com).
Zollner Golf Course
On the Trine University campus (and home
to the school’s men’s and women’s golf
teams), Zollner provides an 18-hole course
(three-time host of the National Collegiate
Golf Championships), plus a driving range,
putting green, snack bar and pro shop.
1215 Thunder Dr., Angola (260/665-4269;
zollnergc.com).
Tee off at Lake James
Golf Club in Angola.
(Above) Crowds cheer
on the Trine Thunder as
they take the field.
Distinctive
Dining
The Captain’s Cabin
Timbuktoo’s
Wood-paneled walls and a stone fireplace
set a romantic mood for couples sipping
martinis and dining on ribeye, prime rib
and filet mignon in front of windows
overlooking Crooked Lake. 3070 W.
Shady Side Rd., Angola (260/665-5663;
captainscabinrestaurant.com).
Caruso’s Restaurant
These days, three generations of Carusos
work to serve the family recipes Joe and
Barb Caruso have followed since their
restaurant opened in 1976. The extensive
menu now also lists trendy versions of
Italian fare, all served amid Tuscan decor.
2435 N. 200 W., Angola (260/833-2617;
carusos-restaurant.com).
The Capta
in’s Cabin
Clay’s Family Restaurant
Inside white-clapboard covered Clay’s,
wooden tables and plaid curtains continue
the homey feel. Delicious home-style
cooking, like plates of tenderloins and fish
(or the reasonably priced soup and salad
bar), leads to the specialty Oops! Pie, dense
with pecans and chocolate chips. 7815 N.
Old 27, Fremont (260/833-1332;
kpcmedia.com/clays).
The Hatchery
A recent rebranding resulted in a refreshed
culinary lineup, including the combo of
bacon-wrapped scallops and sweet potato
fries. House sauces complement hand-cut
steaks and flown-in-fresh seafood in the
historical redbrick building.
118 S. Elizabeth, Angola (260/665-9957;
thehatcheryrestaurant.com).
Room
ric Dining
The Histo
The Historic Dining Room
Full-size canoes hang from the ceiling and
mini ones decorate tables at this homestyle restaurant within The Potawatomi
Inn at Pokagon State Park. Guests navigate
a river of choices, among them aged steaks
and regional fish. Sunday brunch delivers
a crowd, plus fried chicken, biscuits and
gravy, made-to-order omelets and pillowy
DIY waffles. 6 Lane 100A Lake James,
Angola (260/833-1077; indianainns.com).
Timbers Steakhouse and Seafood
The hunting-lodge look incorporates a
mounted deer head, but the food goes
beyond stereotypical. It’s a world tour of
surprises. Italian and Mexican nights round
out seven varieties of steaks and a catchof-the-day done one of five ways, including
Japanese-style (pickled ginger) or Timbers
Style (charbroiled with garlic butter).
1212 W. Maumee St., Angola
(260/665-7487; timbersangola.com).
Timbuktoo’s
Carrying on in his mother’s footsteps, chef
Tim Barry took over this rustic-chic log
cabin, where model airplanes hang from
the ceiling. Tim’s love of fish shines in
the menu that features seafood as well as
steaks and build-your-own burgers. Most
satisfying for Barry: Mom still prepares
Timbuktoo’s soups and desserts.
215 E. State Road 120, Fremont
(260/495-1658; timbuktoos.com).
Sip &Savor
Spirits
6 Autumns Food and Spirits
The friendly spirits here extend beyond
the selection of 300 or so bourbons
(reputably, the largest list in the state) to the
knowledgeable servers steering customers
to old or soon-to-be favorites. Enjoy it
straight up, on the rocks or in a manhattan
amid wood-paneled walls and tin ceilings.
Upscale entrees (bourbon-glazed chicken,
flat-iron steak, fried gnocchi) and madein-house desserts complement the liquor.
3855 N. State Road 127, Angola
(260/624-3644; 6autumns.com).
Briali Vineyards
A golf course may seem like an unusual
place to site a winery, but Briali makes the
most of its sporty home at the Country
Meadows’ clubhouse. Owners Brian and
Alicia Moeller use sustainable, biodynamic
processes to turn out a collection of sweet
and dry wines customers can sample in the
European-style tasting room brightened by
stained-glass windows. On nice days, enjoy
a glass on the patio overlooking the greens.
102 W. State Road 120, Fremont
(260/316-5156; brialivineyards.com).
Chapman’s Brewing Company
Raise a pint and toast Johnny “Appleseed”
Chapman, the namesake of this Angolabased microbrewery. The warehouse-like
tasting room gives guests a peek at the
brewing equipment producing Johnny’s
signature Englishman Brown Ale and
Valiant Stout, plus an evolving lineup of
seasonal beers. A chalkboard lists what’s
on tap for free sampling; if you find
something you like, order a glass, a pitcher
or a growler. 300 Industrial Dr., Angola
(260/319-5495; chapmansbrewing.com).
Satek Winery holds tastings
daily. (Below) Equipment
gleams at Chapman’s
Brewing Company.
Satek Winery
Showy fall foliage and 2 acres of grapes
punctuate the country lane leading to
Satek’s tasting room. Complimentary
tastings include up to eight of the winery’s
27 wines. Steuben, Vidal Blanc, Seyval
Blanc and three other varieties grown in
Indiana flavor crisp, citrusy whites; dry
reds; sweet, fruity dessert wines; and ice
wines. (To produce a variety of wines, Satek
imports grapes from other states, including
Michigan, Pennsylvania and California.)
Taste samples where they sell wine, handpainted glasses and other grape-theme
inventory; tours available on weekends.
6208 N. Van Guilder Rd., Fremont
(260/495-9463; satekwinery.com).
Overnight
Stopovers
Comfort Inn
Close to all of Angola’s attractions,
including Pokagon State Park, Trine
University, outlet shops and eateries, this
dependable brand makes a solid option.
An indoor pool, exercise room, free Wi-Fi
and complimentary hot breakfast service
enhance the stay. Some rooms include
microwaves, refrigerators, whirlpool tubs
and wet bars. 251 W. State Road 120,
Fremont (260/495-7131; choicehotels.com).
Hampton Inn by Hilton
Just off Interstate-69, this well-sited
Hampton Inn is close to attractions,
including state parks, lakes, shops and
restaurants. Amenities include free
Wi-Fi, lap desks to ease using your
laptop computer and on-demand movies.
Guests also enjoy a free hot breakfast,
fitness room and indoor pool. 271 W. State
Road 120, Fremont (260/495-9770;
hamptoninn3.Hilton.com).
Holiday Inn Express
This Fremont hotel makes a reliable
base for exploring area lakes, parks,
wineries and shopping (it’s within walking
distance of the North Outlet Shoppes).
Complimentary hot breakfast buffet, Wi-Fi
and a workout facility, as well as access to
the local YMCA, ensure a comfortable stay.
6245 N. Old 27, Fremont (260/833-6464;
ihg.com).
Potawatomi Inn
Potawatomi Inn
Within the confines of Pokagon State Park,
Potawatomi Inn overlooks Lake James and
is steps from forest trails and the park’s
signature toboggan run. A brick-and-stone
fireplace warms the lobby; homespun quilts
warm beds. An indoor pool, a game room,
a library with couches and common spaces
furnished with rocking chairs continue the
homey feel. 6 LN 100A Lake James, Angola
(877/768-2928, indianainns.com).
Ramada Inn
Near Pokagon State Park, Glendarin Hills
Golf Course and Trine State Recreation
Area, the Ramada delivers comfortable
rooms and reliable service. Complimentary
Continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, indoor pool
and fitness center enhance a stay. For
lunch or dinner, snag a table next door on
6 Autumns’ patio overlooking Lake Charles
West. 3855 N. State Road 127, Angola
(260/665-9471; ramada.com).