Coldwater, MI
On the field in the big hangar by the fuel pumps; Branch County's ride-in, drive-in, fly-in destination, and it means all three: weekly car club drive-ins, motorcycle pit stops, an annual Fly-In Breakfast, and a Blessing of the Bikes ride that departs here for Hell, Michigan. The Spitfire Scrambler is the breakfast to beat, massive by every account, with omelettes, wraps, burgers, and hand-tossed pizzas behind it. Open daily through early afternoon. One caution: the cafe has changed operators more than once and the county has advertised the space for lease, so call the field before you count on lunch.
Three miles west of Coldwater, Michigan, in the rolling farmland between Battle Creek and the Indiana line. Two asphalt runways (07/25 and 04/22) plus a winter-closed 16/34. 100LL self-serve fuel available 24 hours; for attendant after hours and weekends call 517-677-1888. Approach service via Great Lakes Approach (Kalamazoo) during open hours, Chicago ARTCC after hours. The administration building access code is 1-2-2-7 (CTAF) for transient pilots. Non-towered, deer and birds in the vicinity — keep your scan up on final.
A jewel of Indiana's state park system on the shore of Lake James. The legendary refrigerated toboggan track — a quarter-mile of banked, twisting ice — runs Thanksgiving through February and is one of the most unique winter attractions in the Midwest. Speeds hit 35-40 mph. The Potawatomi Inn (1927) overlooks the lake — a great fly-in stay. Steuben County's 101 lakes form a glittering blue maze from above; this is some of the best summer flying in Indiana. The park is named after Chief Simon Pokagon, the last hereditary chief of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.
The third-largest Amish settlement in the US. From 1500ft, the landscape transforms into a patchwork of small, immaculately maintained farms with no power lines. Horse-drawn buggies on country roads are visible on clear days. The contrast between Amish farmland and surrounding modern agriculture is striking from above — smaller fields, more diverse crops, and farmsteads clustered closer together. Tuesday and Wednesday are auction days in Shipshewana when the town fills with buggies.
On the field at KAZO. One of America's great aviation museums — over 100 aircraft including an SR-71B Blackbird trainer (one of only two SR-71s with dual cockpits), an F-117 Nighthawk, a P-40 Warhawk, an SBD Dauntless Helldiver in flying restoration. Multiple full-motion flight simulators and a paratrooper simulator make it especially good for kids. The Restoration Hangar lets visitors watch volunteers actively rebuilding aircraft — including ongoing work on a Curtis JN-4 Jenny. Two campuses connected by shuttle. Aviation pilgrimage destination.
One of the world's great automotive museums, housed in the original 1929 Auburn Automobile Company headquarters — a stunning Art Deco landmark, itself a National Historic Landmark. Over 130 vehicles spanning the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg legacy: cars so beautiful and powerful they were the choice of Hollywood (Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Mae West) and royalty in the 1930s. The Cord 810 is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Every Labor Day weekend, the Auburn Auction draws 100,000+ collector car enthusiasts to town. The museum sits less than a mile from KGWB — easy crew car distance.