Amish Country, Lancaster,Pa, Day #8, Road Trip,

    Today I drove 152 miles to the Amish country near Lancaster, Pa..  It was beautiful land and country, very scenic, beautiful working farms with dairy cattle coming in to be milked.. The laundry was all hung outside, to dry.  The hay was brought in by draft horses,  on flat wagons to be pulled up into the hay lofts for winter feed.  A horse would would 3-4 bales up at a time with pulleys as it was 3 to 4 stories high from the unlading area.
     As we drove down the road, horse drawn buggies, carts and flat beds were driven to town to get supplies and sell their hand made wares.  Some small children (8-11) were driving buggies to the corner store to buy something.  Hitching rails were everywhere with water troughs for the horses while they patiently wait for their drivers to return.
    We had a snack break at the Smuckers Country Store  (Thats right, the family that makes Smuckers Jellies) where we enjoyed wonderful coffee, tea and baked goods.  The music was soft, the company was wonderful, the people there were friendly and talkative.  Some of the women and children were dressed in comfortable Amish clothing and they were eager to talk when approached.
     Many of the stores had fabulous yard art, paintings, homemade furniture for sale, hand made weather vanes, iron work, candles,  and clothing.  (Everything was very reasonably priced, especially when one considers it was all hand made.)
     It was a wonderful day.  The weather was cloudy but comfortable, the food was delicious and the community was very gracious and unassuming.