Backroads Amish Story Idea for Travel Writers

Backroads Amish

Ideas for off-the-beaten-path exploration of the Amish culture

The stretch of Rt. 772 that runs southeast from Rt. 23 at Leola in the north to Rt. 340 at Intercourse in the south (a bit east of Lancaster city) is full of authentic "finds" without being one of the main tourist corridors (FYI, Rt. 772 is called Newport Rd. during this stretch). Check out these stops:

Countryside Road-Stand at 2966 Stumptown Rd. (which juts directly off of Rt. 772), 717-656-9206; this Amish-owned store includes wonderful home-made crafts and food items.
Family Farm Quilts at 3511 W. Newport Road, 717-768-8375; discover an array of hand-crafted quilts and customizable fabrics in this Amish-owned shop.
Carriage House Furnishings at 3572 W. Newport Road, 717-768-8712; Amish-owned showroom featuring rustic & traditional bedroom, kitchen, living room and outdoor furniture made by Amish craftsmen.
Head east or west on any of the side roads on this stretch of Rt. 772. Explore the rich Amish farmlands and turn down any of the farmhouse driveways that have hand-written signs advertising home-made root beer, baked goods, or quilts.

Of course, don’t just limit yourself to this stretch – there are loads of wonderful Amish-owned businesses
located throughout the county!

A second idea is to do an Amish VIP (Visit in Person) Tour, from the Amish Experience at Plain & Fancy Farm in Bird-in-Hand that's built around intimate, small-group interaction with Amish farmers, craftsmen, and families. Participants in the three-hour tour visit a farm at milking time, an Amish cottage industry – such as a weaving shop – and an Amish home, where the family hosts guests for an evening chat. This is the type of authentic and personal experience that many travelers hope to have with the Amish, but are rarely able to accomplish in a short visit. The tours run May through November.

You can also do an experiential or behind-the-scenes visit to an Amish farm at Old Windmill Farm in Ronks or Moonbeam Meadows Farm in Bird-in-Hand.

Food-wise, wonderfully delicious stops include the Amish-owned restaurants Hometown Kitchen in Georgetown and Katie's Kitchen in Ronks.

And you can eat at an Amish home with Amish At Home Meals, hosted by Samuel & Ruth Lapp on their Paradise farm.

In addition, there are a number of Amish-run farmstays in the area, like the Beacon Hollow Farm Amish Guest House in Gordonville. Visitors typically stay in guest houses situated separate from the host family’s own house, but all provide some nice opportunities for interaction with an Amish family on their “home turf.”

Another great time for some authentic Amish interaction is our annual and unique "mud sales" season, which mainly runs from late February to mid-April (with a few sprinkled in May, June, & August) at locations all over the county. These community auctions benefit local fire companies and provide a wonderful & natural opportunity to mingle with our Amish neighbors as they help run the sales or just enjoy a fun day full of great deals and PA Dutch eats themselves.