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Labor Day Weekend (September 2,3 and 4), 2017

Once again we headed to Roamer’s Retreat for an extended family weekend in Amish Country.  The weather looked iffy, but it takes more than rain to stop us!  We loaded up the car and motored up the coast to Pennsylvania to our now familiar cabin at the campground.  We arrived on Friday night, September 1, settled in and got a great night’s sleep.

On Saturday morning (Sept. 2) the rain had arrived.  It was grey and rainy and the weather forecast said it would be for the whole day.  We had already purchased tickets to visit Wheatland in the afternoon, so we decided to hit up our favorite Amish shops and stands in the morning (since they are closed on Sunday and we were headed home on Monday morning).

First stop, Three Sisters.  It turns out they were in the process of closing down and said that they were recommending a place down the road.  (The new place is a stand on Hensel Road just south of Amish Road where the sharp bend in the road is).  After my mother (who had been going to this shop for years) said her goodbyes we headed to the other stand.  They were not yet set up so we headed to Intercourse to visit our favorite baked goods stand.  We purchased a small loaf of Friendship Cinnamon Bread for $1.50, a pumpkin pie for $4.00, a couple of whoopie pies and a loaf of bread.  My sister and parents also loaded up on goodies.  My mom loves their Shoo-fly pie and my sister got a Raspberry pie.

SIDENOTE: This incredible pie stand is located on Route 340 (old Philadelphia Pike).  As you head west out of Intercourse it is at the end of the first driveway you see on the right-hand side (north) of the road.

Next up, Stoltzfus Meats in Intercourse.  The Stoltzfus family ran the best family dining smorgasbord restaurant in Lancaster when I was growing up.  Now they have this wonderful shop.  You can choose from pre-packaged goods, but they also have a bakery and army of butchers as well.  We bought Garlic Ring Bologna, Lebanon Bologna (my favorite), a loaf of bread, some amazing cheeses, apple cider and some candy as well as what my sister and parents bought.  If you are not familiar with the foods from this part of the country they  have some samples out that you can taste.  Fully armed for lunch we headed back to the campground.  We ate our lunch and got in some quality playground time before we were off to Lancaster to visit Wheatland.

Wheatland was the home of James Buchanan, often considered the worst President that the U.S. has had.  I wasn’t sure what to expect but am glad that we went.  The house and grounds are beautiful (as you would expect), but I was surprised by how good the presentation was.  Instead of having a docent or tour guide take you through the home you follow James Buchanan through the house.  In a very creative and enjoyable “Living History” presentation you get a “fly on the wall” experience of Buchanan entertaining some guests in 1864 (the tail end of the American Civil War).  Buchanan was the President when the first state seceded and the war is the primary topic of discussion in the house.  After you finish with the “Living History” presentation on the ground floor, you are led through the upper story of the house in a more traditional manner.

 

I wasn’t sure how this would work for our group (five adults and five children ranging from ages 5-12).  Everyone enjoyed it and I think the adults learned a lot about one our lesser discussed Presidents.  It was raining when we visited, but I am sure this place would be really nice to walk around if it was dry.  After Wheatland we returned to the campground for some play time and food.

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday morning, after we finished breakfast we decided to visit the Amish Village.  Again I was unsure of what to expect and left very satisfied.  The Farmhouse was built in the 1840s and The Amish Village was a working Amish farm until the 1950s.  It was then purchased and the buildings were kept to make the current tourist attraction.

We opted for the “Farmhouse and Village Tour”.  Even for those familiar with the Amish, this is a nice visit.  Our tour guide is what made the tour of the Farmhouse special.  She clearly enjoyed the site and her job and that made it fun for everyone on the tour.  Once again I learned a lot from the presentation.  The village includes the farm house, barns and outhouse as well as a small covered bridge, Amish school house and blacksmith shop.  There are also two gift shops where Fionnuala got a bonnet and Liam got a snow globe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left the Amish Village with our picnic lunch and headed for one of my favorite places in Lancaster County, the Oregon Dairy.  We ate our lunch in the shade on the covered deck, before buying our generous portions of Oregon Dairy ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids tried out everything on the playground and I even made a quick stop in the grocery store while we were there.  This place always is a big hit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our way back to the campground, we decided to try and see a couple of covered bridges.  Our first stop was the Hunsecker’s Mill Covered Bridge, it was easy to find and near to the Oregon Dairy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we tried for a bigger challenge.  Kurtz’s Mill Covered Bridge is farther from the main roads but is in a really nice setting.  It is located inside Lancaster County Central Park and under the bridge along the stream banks are nicely maintained paths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the bridges we returned for our last night at the campground.  The next morning, we were greeted by a wonderful sunrise.  Liam, Sarah and I went onto our porch to enjoy it.  After a few minutes we were surprised to see a hot air balloon passing over the edge of the campground, then a second, and soon a third!  We watched as they disappeared over the horizon and faded into the distance.  A special ending to a wonderful trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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