| Enjoying Amish Country |
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| Written by Susan Hollingshead | |||
| Friday, 18 May 2007 09:59 | |||
 When we are in Amish country, the natural thing to do is eat, drive around the countryside sightseeing and shop. Okay, if not “shop” at least poke around at all the craftsman shops, checking out the woodworking, the quilting, and the baking. And so that is what we did today. I try so hard to be good and eat healthy, avoiding the homemade pies and the humongous cinnamon rolls coated with gobs of thick caramel icing but after a while weakness sets in and suddenly I have an extra five pounds around my waist. So much for my sugar avoidance!We stopped at all the Amish owned stores; the ones carrying gorgeous woodwork, unique pieces of furniture and beautiful handmade quilts. The best places with the best prices weren’t the big touristy stores but the small Ma and Pa owned ones often not on the beaten path in town but on the outskirts or down a side-road. The folks are super friendly and though not forthcoming with information about their culture quite happily answer any questions from the curious. One little fellow (about 12 or 13) working at a popular bulk food store in Shipshewana told us he enjoyed working there because it kept him busy. I’d love to meet a kid of that age in the general population who would respond the same way. I imagine I’d find that TV and video games are more important! Rick and I found a really cool, Adirondack style, wooden balcony set for the condo that we can fit, unassembled in the trailer to take with us and Chris and Fred scored with a gorgeous dining room suite at an incredible price. Rick has promised to help them pack and load it in their fifth wheel on Monday morning on their way home. (Rick and son, Bill, are the “Packing Kings”!) It was a good day. We ended it with barbequed salmon burgers topped with fried onions and fresh morels, another real treat for us. On our back-road sightseeing adventures we have come across some farm chores being done the Amish or old fashioned way, like this one of a boy cultivating a field.
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