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This trip was on Chol Hamoed Pesach – a beautiful way to spend a beautiful day with the kids and family.
The Amish
The Amish are a religious sect that has lived in the US since the 1700s. They believe very strongly in a simple, modest lifestyle and shy away from many modern technologies like cars, phones and electricity. When driving around the area, you see many women dressed in traditional garb, working the gardens by hand or riding buggies or scooters. On some of the big farms you can see old fashioned horse drawn garden equipment still in use. It is a fascinating lifestyle, especially for Jews (lehavdil) who share some of the same values of seclusion and tradition.
Buggy Ride
First we went for a Buggy Ride, we had really wanted the full tour with stops and all the information we can get. Unfortunately, most tours were sold out except for AAA Buggy Rides most basic tour. We ate lunch at the picnic tables on location and then hopped up on the buggy for the tour.
Our tour guide wasn’t the most informative and we went away with many questions unanswered. With a good tour guide, this is a great opportunity to get to speak with a local while exploring the beautiful back country.
Amish Farm and House
Next, we went to the Amish Farm & House, just a 10 minute drive from the buggy ride. We arrived just after the last tour had left (do you sense a pattern?), but the farm has a self guided option with an accompanying app with information on all the stops.
The kids loved seeing all the farm animals. Horses, chickens, cows, steer, sheep and goats. After a bit of coaxing they even fed the goats and squealed with excitement every time the goat kicked their little hands. The experience was priceless (literally, admission for kids under 5 is free). There was also a small playground that gave the kids a great way to exhaust any leftover energy.
The adults found all the contraptions they built, like a water powered pump, pumping water across the farm – all without electricity – fascinating. They also had a one room schoolhouse that shows how they learn, a fun short scooter run to test out scooters and more informational stops.
Other
This was all we got to do – and it was really a full day. However, the one thing we would’ve liked more was to get a real feel for the life there by speaking to a local. Apparently, one of the best ways to do that is by stopping at a local gift shop and striking up a conversation with a local – maybe next time.
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