Life is Gut, Ya?

Old Mill Stream Campground is tucked beside Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park, in Lancaster, PA, in the heart of Pennsylvania Amish Country. A busy highway and asphalt parking lot in front give way to a well-planned, shaded and paved campground backed by a trickling stream and a cornfield. 

Plenty of space, paved driveway and graveled lots at Old Mill Stream Campground

View of the cornfield across the stream

Wildlife enjoying a swim along the stream

We arrived late, after a day of traveling & chocolate-feasting.  We dined on leftovers while our week's worth of laundry washed and dried in the campground's facilities.

The next morning we rode over to Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse, Pennsylvania, to get a firsthand experience in Amish country.  A cafe offered pastries and coffee for breakfast, the indoor farmer's market was a source of meats, cheeses, breads, canned items, and junky collectibles.  A handmade furniture store exhibited the area's craftsmanship.  Much too tourist oriented.

Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania

We took a country lane through a corn patch hoping to see more authentic Amish sites.  A couple of 

girls riding two wheeled scooters. Neatly kept farms and yards.  A team of mules baling hay.

Amish hay baling

 

We attended a matinee performance of Half Stitched, a musical comedy highlighting some of the Amish traditions, at the Bird-in-Hand restaurant and theatre, and learned "Life is Gut, Ya?"  I have to agree, Yes, Life is Good!

Our rush hour experience in Ohio's Amish country proved much more authentic than our visit to Lancaster County. 

The Lincoln Highway led us to our next stop.