Have you ever found a place that just feels like you belong there - well for my husband, Neil, and I, that place is Lancaster, Pennsylvania! There is something about the area that has captured our hearts and even though we have been going there twice a year for over 20 years, it still captivates us.
I've tried to figure out whether it's the incredible scenery or the fabulous artist community and I think it's a little of both. Huge Amish farms dot the landscape, everywhere you look, and passing horses and buggies while driving the back roads makes you feel like you have stepped back in time - it's such peaceful place. There are crafts available at almost every turn - the Amish people are very creative. The stores and co-ops are full of beautiful quilts, furniture and paintings and after a while it's almost overwhelming. Each time we visit, I find it harder and harder to come home.
We also stumbled on Longwood Gardens this time and spent a day there - it was built by Pierre DuPont and it is the most magnificent place. We went crazy with our camera so there are way too many pictures to include here LOL! I will do a separate post in a few days. After a glorious time, we reluctantly headed home through the mountains and we could see a hint of fall -it was a pretty drive. Hope you have time to stroll though the pictures and if you ever get a chance to visit, you won't be sorry!
Typical landscape picture
Horse and buggies share the roads
Gorgeous quilts
Quilt store in Intercourse, PA
No tractors - just mules!
One of my most favourite stores!
They make all their own candles
Christmas display in the Candle Barn
Local family selling quilts
Mules doing their work
Typical scooters for sale
Buggy from behind
Amish boys on their way to school
Eldreth Pottery - reproduction saltware pottery. We have an extensive set of it :o)
Eldreth Pottery window
A hint of fall colour
I've tried to figure out whether it's the incredible scenery or the fabulous artist community and I think it's a little of both. Huge Amish farms dot the landscape, everywhere you look, and passing horses and buggies while driving the back roads makes you feel like you have stepped back in time - it's such peaceful place. There are crafts available at almost every turn - the Amish people are very creative. The stores and co-ops are full of beautiful quilts, furniture and paintings and after a while it's almost overwhelming. Each time we visit, I find it harder and harder to come home.
We also stumbled on Longwood Gardens this time and spent a day there - it was built by Pierre DuPont and it is the most magnificent place. We went crazy with our camera so there are way too many pictures to include here LOL! I will do a separate post in a few days. After a glorious time, we reluctantly headed home through the mountains and we could see a hint of fall -it was a pretty drive. Hope you have time to stroll though the pictures and if you ever get a chance to visit, you won't be sorry!
Typical landscape picture
Horse and buggies share the roads
Gorgeous quiltsQuilt store in Intercourse, PANo tractors - just mules!One of my most favourite stores!They make all their own candlesChristmas display in the Candle BarnWaiting to go to work!
Local family selling quiltsThe Museum Store has a gorgeous array of folk art
One of the local covered bridges
Creekside Inn
Mules doing their work Typical scooters for saleBuggy from behind
Amish boys on their way to schoolSight and Sound Millennium Theatre is a large draw for tourists
Local Amish shop selling beautiful bird houses
Honey bee hive in a shop - it was vented to the outside for the bees to come and go. Interesting to see the hive but made me a little nervous
Local Amish man chatting with tourists
One of the Amish furniture shops
Eldreth Pottery - reproduction saltware pottery. We have an extensive set of it :o)Eldreth Pottery windowOne last glorious sunset
Coming home through the mountains
A hint of fall colour
8 comments:
What a lovely post, I can see why you like this area. We had an interesting documentary (UK) when some Amish teens came and stopped with teenagers from different families here, bit of an eye opener for them. It was interesting to see how they lived too.
Thanks for posting Brenda. Loved to see all of the pictures. I would love to see more:)
I know I have told you this before. Pennsylvania is my home. So many times I have been to this area. It really gives me such a good nostalgic feeling when you post your pictures. I love Longwood Gardens, another place I would visit frequently.
I love Arizona, I chose to live here. But the one thing I miss so much is the heritage of traditional crafts. I grew up surrounded with them. Here the crafts tend to be so much more contemporary. Being so involved with crafts it was a very hard adjustment to make. Sounds so silly, but it was so true.
Thanks for posting these pictures.
Thanks for the lovely comments - it was fun to put this post together as we have so many pictures. Lancaster is just the most wonderful place.
hugs,
Brenda
I have not been to the Amish country since I was a child many years ago. Seeing your lovely pictures has started a desire blooming in me to go back and enjoy all the beauty, great food and wonderful people, not to mention the glorious scenery. Thank you so much for this mini vacation.
Jane
So glad you liked my post , Jane. I hope you get a chance to re-visit Lancaster. I'm sure you would find it just as lovely as you did when you were a child.
Brenda
Such a lovely photos, I can smell the fresh air coming from the fields. I wish I could go there and stroll. The photos are breath taking.
Thank you so much, Tessa. It truly is a very special place. :o)
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