Today was by far the most inspiring day of our trip. We began it with an Amish-style breakfast at the Lancaster Host. Breakfast consisted of several choices from the following selections:
Fruit Juice – cranberry or orange
Fresh Fruit – apples, oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon and grapes
Main Entrée – scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, biscuits & country gravy, cinnamon apple-filled hot cakes with warm maple syrup, plus there was a large selection of Danish to choose from.We sat at a table near the window facing the golf course that was filled with all varieties of flowering trees, including Dogwood trees.
Fruit Juice – cranberry or orange
Fresh Fruit – apples, oranges, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon and grapes
Main Entrée – scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, biscuits & country gravy, cinnamon apple-filled hot cakes with warm maple syrup, plus there was a large selection of Danish to choose from.We sat at a table near the window facing the golf course that was filled with all varieties of flowering trees, including Dogwood trees.
After a nice breakfast we boarded the bus and headed off to see 
Wheatland, the home of James Buchanan. He was a remarkable man with a generous nature and his home was elegant and beautiful. I took a picture of one of the garden paths that featured many of the plants native to our own yard for landscaping ideas, then it was time to board the bus again. We drove through some of the historic streets surrounding his home and then headed for Kitchen Kettle (shopping area) in Amish country.
Wheatland, the home of James Buchanan. He was a remarkable man with a generous nature and his home was elegant and beautiful. I took a picture of one of the garden paths that featured many of the plants native to our own yard for landscaping ideas, then it was time to board the bus again. We drove through some of the historic streets surrounding his home and then headed for Kitchen Kettle (shopping area) in Amish country. Kitchen Kettle had many cute shops and I bought a “Quillow” for Linda and Derran and a book cover for me at The Gift House; both of these items were sewn by the Amish. a Quillow is a combination of a quilt and a pillow is a quillow,some people spell it "quillo". The 
basic idea is that you fold the quilt into an attached pouch and when it's all sealed up it looks like a pillow. They are quite ingenious and the one I bought had a star pattern on it in burgundy, cream and forest green. In one of the shops I saw two cute Amish dolls for a fraction of the cost of the ones I saw on the Internet. We purchased them for only $40. Eric and I stopped in the Jam and Relish Kitchen and sampled many delicious items but we only bought one, lemon curd. I know it sounds sick but it tasted wonderful. We picked up a catalog and will order the others later. After working up an appetite we ate at The Kettle Café. It was here that we had the opportunity to see our first Amish girl up close. She looked about 16 and was wearing a lavender dress with a black apron and a white prayer cap. She had on grey athletic socks and modern running shoes. She didn’t talk much to the customers but went about her job. If asked questions by tourists she appeared to engage in friendly conversation. There was also a Mennonite man who would take you around town in his wagon. It was bright yellow and the seats were similar to those found in buckboards but we did not have time to take a ride.
basic idea is that you fold the quilt into an attached pouch and when it's all sealed up it looks like a pillow. They are quite ingenious and the one I bought had a star pattern on it in burgundy, cream and forest green. In one of the shops I saw two cute Amish dolls for a fraction of the cost of the ones I saw on the Internet. We purchased them for only $40. Eric and I stopped in the Jam and Relish Kitchen and sampled many delicious items but we only bought one, lemon curd. I know it sounds sick but it tasted wonderful. We picked up a catalog and will order the others later. After working up an appetite we ate at The Kettle Café. It was here that we had the opportunity to see our first Amish girl up close. She looked about 16 and was wearing a lavender dress with a black apron and a white prayer cap. She had on grey athletic socks and modern running shoes. She didn’t talk much to the customers but went about her job. If asked questions by tourists she appeared to engage in friendly conversation. There was also a Mennonite man who would take you around town in his wagon. It was bright yellow and the seats were similar to those found in buckboards but we did not have time to take a ride. Around 1:00pm we met back at the bus and a man named Roger hosted a tour around the Amish farmlands. Roger lived amongst the Amish and called many of them friends. We drove by several one room schoolhouses and saw brief glimpses of the Amish children who were very adorable. Roger then showed us many of the sights in Bird-in-Hand where the movie “Witness” was filmed. Unfortunately, we only got to see it from the bus window as we drove by. The farmland in Lancaster is the richest soil in the United States but many of the Amish are being forced off their farms because of the economy and developers, which is why tourism has been accepted as a means of supplementing their income. It has allowed them to stay on their farms.
After driving around for awhile we made another stop at another gift shop that was run by both Amish and Mennonite girls. Everything in this shop was made by the Amish and the quality was outstanding. Here they had porcelain Amish dolls that were far superior to the ones I had bought at Kitchen Kettle, but I still thought mine were still cute. We spent a small fortune on souvenirs at this shop, which we didn’t mind at all because we felt we were really helping them to stay on their farms. The proceeds went directly to the families that supplied the goods or worked there. This is where we bought my beautiful “sleigh ride” painting. I also bought several Beverly Lewis books. They were fictions set in Amish communities. I must say I’m hooked on them. I also bought some cute electric candles in small tin buckets. They are sitting on our bookcases and Eric bought some delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Our next stop was the
Smucker Farm. Rachel makes beautiful quilts and had just opened her shop on their farm. I fell in love with several quilts but they were too expensive for this trip. However, Eric was going to sneak back in and buy my favorite one but I stopped him. Perhaps I will order one by mail, I picked up a brochure. My favorite ones were over $795 for a queen-size bed but the needlework was amazing! After viewing the quilts we walked over to the barn to see the jersey cows and visit with the horses. I must say the smell of manure takes some getting used too. Phew! The horses were very friendly and once they got a whiff of us they had no objection to being petted or scratched between the ears. The jersey cows, however were not as fond of us and seemed a little skittish. Each cow in the barn (and there were quite a few) was named. The one I tried to pet was named Betty. The calves were kept in a separate barn. We tried to feed them hay but all they wanted to do was lick the salt off of our hands. By now it was time to head back to the hotel. So, we returned to Kettle Kitchen and said our farewells to Roger and thanked him for being such a wonderful guide. That night we boarded the bus for Jonathan and Katie’s home to eat dinner. They had converted their basement into a dining hall. Jonathan’s sister (Naomi) was there to help out. We had much of the same food as the other night but this was much better. The room was lit by kerosene lamps and had a fan that fascinated Eric, because it ran on compressed air and run by a diesel generator. We felt so honored to share even one day, one meal in their lives. I wish I could be Amish but I know I do not have the temperament or dedication to do it.
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