October 19, 2012 - Pennsylvania Dutch Country. We first visited the area around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1988 when the family criss-crossed the country in our 29-foot Tioga. There is a dominant Amish influence in Dutch country. Enormous, centuries-old barns blanket the landscape. The terrain is rolling and is farmed today with horses. The Amish reject modern conveniences such as motorized vehicles or equipment. They still use windmills to pump water from their wells and hang their laundry on clotheslines to dry. I assume the clothing is washed by hand. They still farm as their forefathers did two centuries ago.
It is a fascinating spectacle. One of the changes we noticed is that in the last 25 years, the Amish have realized that the rest of us are fascinated with their way of living. They have capitalized on our curiosity. So, they make breads, jams, pies, peanut butter and almost everything else that we might want to buy. They even offer carriage rides and bus service in a long wagon pulled by two horses.
We tried the shoe fly pie again. It is as good as I remember it being in 1988.
We are in Gettysburg tonight and will tour the battlefield tomorrow on Segways, a battery-powered, two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transport. The tour is audio-guided with a guide leading the way. The tour company blocks three hours for the tour. However, the first half-hour is used to train on the Segways. Yes, we will wear helmets.
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