In planning a working road trip, I have to have an itinerary. I do a lot of research, looking for good stories and I have to know where I’ll be sleeping each night. As Jack and I have gotten older, we plan shorter drives per day, leaving time for stretch stops – uber-happy if there’s a Buc-ees for great bathrooms and fudge.

The shorter drives also leave time for surprises along the road – things we didn’t expect. We left South Bend headed for Medina, Ohio, and had just passed south of Elkhart, Indiana, when we saw a sign for Linton’s Enchanted Gardens touting it as the “Disney of Garden Centers.” They had me at Enchanted. Our detour led us to two wonderful surprises – Linton’s and Elkhart’s Wellfield Botanic Garden.

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