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| MUSAP checking out Amish horse & buggy |
MUSAP’s adventure in Pennsylvania was in Lancaster County which is the heart of Amish country. I went to Intercourse, PA. For the record the name came from the intersection of main roads in the area. A nearby town has the fun name of Bird in Hand, I just drove through that one. Intercourse is a hub of Amish culture and highly dependent on tourism.
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| Lancaster County farmland |
I parked at Kitchen Kettle Village. It’s a commercialized area with many little shops and restaurants. Some have Amish crafts, many do not. I went there to take an Amish buggy ride. As I was driving to get the I passed several other places with signs out for buggy rides so there are options.
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| Kitchen Kettle Village |
AAA Buggy Rides had good reviews in Trip Advisor and there was a coupon on their web page so I decided to use them. When I got there the man at the registration stand in the parking lot said they had a covered bridge tour going out in half an hour. I was hesitant so he asked which tour I wanted. I wanted the farm tour so he said I could do that in an hour. Clearly they schedule things flexibly!
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| Sam at AAA Buggy Rides |
I wandered around the village for the hour. There was a fudge shop where you could watch them making the fudge. In the Jam and Relish Kitchen you can see the Amish ladies working hard making and jarring many varieties and jams, jellies, and relishes. There is also a bakery. There were busloads of people visiting - both school groups and senior citizen groups.
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| family fun in the bakery |
After an hour I went back for my buggy ride. No one else had signed up and I was wondering if he would cancel my tour. But he said, ‘Guess you're the only person so you can get on and we can get going.’
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| Amish horse & buggy |
So off we went with the horses clip-clopping down the road. Sam was my driver. The horses were Flicka and Sheila. It’s pretty amazing that the horses ignore all the passing traffic. It was interesting to see how many different styles of buggies are in the area - hadn’t really thought about that before.
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| loved the sound of their hooves clip clopping |
Sam wasn’t much of a tour guide, but he was happy to answer questions and pointed out a few things along our journey.We stopped and visited a farm where they get by with no electricity. I got to see their cows in the milking barn and horse & mule barn. They has gas lamps and they use diesel generators for power.
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| gas light |
After looking around the farm I went to see their Quilt Shop. It was much better than shops back in the Village. There were racks and piles of beautiful hand sewn quilts, throws, placemats, runners, and more. I bought a throw with an Autumn Leaf pattern.
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| dairy farm |
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| quilt shop |
My plan for that evening was seeing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theater in Lancaster. This was the actual inspiration for the 5 state + DC adventure. Megan Godin, a UNH theater/dance alum, was in the show. I enjoy musical theater and it’s always fun knowing someone in the show so I decided to make the trip.
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| this show is what inspired this adventure |
It’s a nice little theater. Dinner is buffet style, nothing fancy but I don’t require much when it comes to meals. I was at a table for 4 with a couple who were celebrating their anniversary and enjoying a weekend in the area. I tried to talk with them, but the conversation kept lagging. At least they enjoyed the show.
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| Add caption |
The show was high energy from start to finish. I really enjoyed the dancing. Megan was one of the brides and the audience loved her as Alice. A reviewer like her too. When I talked with her after the show she told me she’ll be staying at the end of this run to join their cast for Shrek.
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| Megan was happt to pose with MUSAP |
I enjoy taking tours when I am traveling parts of the country that are new to me. I also enjoy tours that are a little different. I discovered Strasburg Scooter Tour and it was delightful. If you are in the Lancaster area and the weather is nice ~ give this tour a try! Motorscooters are pretty easy to ride and the roads don’t have too much traffic.
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| MUSAP at a covered bridge |
We started with some scooter training in the parking lot with our guide, John. When he was satisfied that we were all comfortable riding off we went for three hours. It was a nice time of year to visit. There were many farms along the way. The farmers were plowing their fields using plows pulled by teams of mules.
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| mule teams used for spring plowing |
It was great touring with a guide because John knows his way around the back roads and countryside. If I had gone in my car by myself I would have spent more time figuring out which way to turn and less time enjoying the scenery.
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| seen from the scooter tour, so many different styles of buggies |
We only saw 2 covered bridges, which surprised me because it's called the "Covered Bridge Tour" but we stopped at a working Amish Farm that wasn't in the description so I was okay with the lack of bridges. Their web page has a Meet Our Guides section with fun write ups ~ these guys clearly enjoy their work.
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| laundry on the line |
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| me enjoying my scooter tour |
When I was driving to my next motel I saw another covered bridge after my tour and stopped to take a few more photos.
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| Willows Covered Bridge |
visited 04/11/14 and 04/12/14
I loved being back on two wheels! When I got home I bought myself a motorscooter! Working with the dealer was an absolute nightmare… but I am happy with my new toy.
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| my new (used) motorscooter |
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