Where to see Amish

[FlashSilver]

Originally Posted by Len n Jeanne

Does anyone else find sight-seeing among the Amish to be the teeniest bit voyeuristic? Yes, I know-- many make money selling home-made items to tourists.

In the western states, European tourists often want to see "real" Indians, as though they were some sort of scenic landscape feature to be put on display. Many Native Americans these days are urban. If they are on the reservation they may have strong feelings against tourism-- or they may support it, but it is their call.

We lived in Waterloo County, Ontario, home of many Old Order Mennonites whose religious faith and lifestyle is very similar to the Amish. If you head out that way on a Saturday, check out the St. Jacobs market (in Waterloo, not St. Jacobs), the area around Elmira, or simply locate some churches with hitching posts in the countryside on a Sunday morning and watch the parade of buggies heading to church.

However, these people chose their lifestyle because they are deeply religious, and may not want to be photographed. Something to treat with deep respect.

I often wonder how I'd feel if tourists rolled up in my community to peer at me and my "quaint" way of life.

Please, enjoy your trip through some beautiful rural countryside! -- Just sayin'.....

I certainly agree with you about the voyeurism. It reminds me of when I was in college at Berkeley in the '60's and tour buses would come into town to see the "hippies", and then continue on to Haight Ashbury. They were not welcome. I don't ever remember buses coming to Berkeley to see the Nobel Prize winners, what does that tell you?

Let's show some respect to those who are different from ourselves for whatever reason. They are not animals in a zoo, or amusement park characters. Look, by all means, but don't take their pictures without their permission. And don't be surprised if you are not considered welcome.

[Safari Streamer]

If you are in WBCCI and the time is right you can't beat the Swiss Festival rally in Sugarcreek, Ohio. It really teaches and shows you the Amish world. It's in Berlin county, Ohio

[Lily&Me]

It is a bit voyeuristic, yes, and thanks for saying it. I've been thinking it, too.

That said, the AmishMennonite live a very private life when they choose to keep it that way, and reasonable decency and courtesy dictates we should respect that.

They don't hide, though, although I guess some may.

By openly marketing their beautiful and delicious handmade/homemade items to outsiders, they invite us in to their shops, stores, roadside stands, etc. And, thank goodness they do! It helps them financially and we become the very grateful recipients of their wares. Also, in the few Amish/Mennonite communities we have been in, they frequent the same shops, restaurants and stores everyone else does.

Practicing common courtesy is the key, don'tcha think? I also think it behooves mindful travelers to make a point of educating themselves about the areas they visit and the varied cultures and lifestyles they encounter.


Maggie

[NJStreamers]

We camp in Ronks PA as well.
There is great campground there on South Ronks Rd called Mill Bridge Campground. It is surrounded by Amish farms and is a wonderful place.
While I also feel a little weird about "people attractions" many of the Amish in the area make their living on the tourist trade.
They sell pottery, wood, furniture, pies, vegetables, food not to mention quilts! One young Amish family even comes into the campground on Friday and Saturday nights selling their wares.
there are plenty of fun things to do in the area, outlets, trains and all kinds of shopping.

Good luck with your trip, sounds like fun!

[Woosch]

My Wife and I visited the area around Kidron Ohio a few years ago. You will want to see Lehmans Hardware store while you are there. I highly recommend it.

[AirsDream]

Originally Posted by Woosch

My Wife and I visited the area around Kidron Ohio a few years ago. You will want to see Lehmans Hardware store while you are there. I highly recommend it.

Lehman's caters to the off-grid folks. And you know, we Airstreamers are often off-grid ourselves. In short, they have a LOT of stuff that you'd find useful for camping and non-electric cooking. One of my favorite stores, even if they're four hours away!

[Airbiscuit]

Originally Posted by Tino643

Thanks every one for the infos. We drive across Ohio. So it will be there....

I know there is courtesy parking in LaGrange (Lorain County) all well within a drive to Amish country and I hear the courtesy parking people give tours of the area, have lovely campfires, and some of the best food around!

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by AirsDream

Lehman's caters to the off-grid folks. And you know, we Airstreamers are often off-grid ourselves. In short, they have a LOT of stuff that you'd find useful for camping and non-electric cooking. One of my favorite stores, even if they're four hours away!

Originally Posted by Woosch

My Wife and I visited the area around Kidron Ohio a few years ago. You will want to see Lehmans Hardware store while you are there. I highly recommend it.

'nother Lehmans Hardware fan here.

I have been buying stuff from them for years, they are definitely the best place for off grid life ware.

Aaron

[dkrukosky]

lancaster is a good place for not only Amish but they have a lot of antique shops, Outlet shopping, and as someone stated earlier lots of fabric shops. there is a railroad museum in Strausburg (right next to lancaster). and if you are heading north from lancaster you can hit Cabela's: Cabela's Official Website - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear at competitive prices. I believe you can boon-dock in their parking lot I know they have a dump station. some of the amish stores are cool as you can get things like a hand crank Blender so you don't need power to make margaritas...

[yikessue]

There are Amish folk just south of the Finger Lakes in NY state also. We were there a month ago and saw a wonderful old Amish lady hanging her dresses out on a clothesline on her front porch. I would love to have taken a photo but it would have been intrusive. As a general rule, they prefer not to have their pictures taken.

Sue

[loudruff]

Originally Posted by Safari Streamer

If you are in WBCCI and the time is right you can't beat the Swiss Festival rally in Sugarcreek, Ohio. It really teaches and shows you the Amish world. It's in Berlin county, Ohio

Berlin is a town near Sugarcreek. I think that Sugarcreek is in Tuscarawas County. The Swiss Festival is a great place, but we found the sights very crowded and the traffic horrendous. I would suggest doing a tour during another week. And Lehman's is a must see....at least once. I think we have been there a dozen times. LOL!

[OldVwHunters]

We have quite a few Amish scattered around Northern Missouri. Jamesport MO has Amish shops, furniture, and other places of business, it's just 13 miles from Crowder State Park. Crowder is a nice little park with good hiking trails, small lake, and a nice campground. I enjoy driving the dirt roads through Amish country on my way to Church. Love to see the small children walking along enjoying a beautiful morning as God intended, without a set of headphones, mp3 player, and texting. Sometimes I feel guilty driving by in the old Subaru BRAT but the little ones always smile and wave really big, I think they probably like the factory jump seats in the rear, must look like a carnival ride to them.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

'nother Lehmans Hardware fan here.

I have been buying stuff from them for years, they are definitely the best place for off grid life ware.

Aaron

Ditto.

Lehmans DOES have a website and you can do some eye-candy shopping before you get there. My sister bought a "washing machine" the last time we were there. Both of us remember our mother having one which was used exclusively on dad's grimy, greasy work clothing from the steel plant.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-4444-breat...nd-washer.aspx

I have one of the tumbler hand machines, and wish I'd gotten this instead.


There is also a livestock auction in town - I don't recall if it's once a month or twice, but it is on Saturday. I love to see the big work horses which simply aren't found many other places. They breed and sell carriage horses for their own use, and even for sale to the English (worldly - i.e. "us") but their work horses are the core of survival on the farm. On Sunday no REAL Amish business will be open. On Sunday I'd never approach an Amish person except in an emergency, such as a buggy in a ditch or to assist an injured child.

Kidron has gotten pretty well commercialized. Look in the dumpsters behind any "Amish" restaurant and you'll find their homemade pies come from institutional sized cans of fruit filling and pre-made pie crusts sold by the gross. If you do wander the back roads of Northern and Central Ohio its easy to find much less well known communities and more authentic food/crafts. Be on the lookout for horse poo in the road, and buggy signs. Get on the two lane roads and look for the towns with 5,000 people. Oh and in buggy country SLOW DOWN and NEVER NEVER NEVER pass on a hill. Don't think you can pass a buggy either unless you have long clear sight lines or there are buggy lanes. The horses are used to cars, but still, pass at a reasonable speed and don't honk or do anything that might spook the horse.

Oh, and look for Cheese Factories & Trail Balogna stores... oh I'm drooling just thinking of it. Fondue anyone?

Paula

[ROBERT CROSS]

........really..... The Learning Channel

Bob

[overlander64]

Two of my favorite memories from the 1999 WBCCI/VAC Wagon Wheels Caravan to the International Rally at Dayton, OH were stops at Lehman's in Kidron, OH (we actually camped wagon-wheel formation in a field near Lehmans's), and Warther Fine Cutlery in Dover, OH. Kidron, OH reminded me of my favorite small towns in Western Kansas, and I thoroughly enjoyed an evening of investigating the various shops on their main street. The Warther Fine Cutlery facility featured a museum with many handcrafts made by the Warther family over the years . . . exceptional wood carvings and articstic creations made from buttons were my favorite items in the museum. Our Caravan stop in Kidron, OH is in the photo below:



Kevin