THE SIMPLE LIFE

And if you thought this post was going to be about Paris and Nicole, you are wrong, OH SO WRONG. And if you had no idea why I would even say that, well, then good for you. Not wasting brain space knowing about that show is definitely points in your favor. But I digress.

So, what simple life am I referring to, you ask? The life of the Amish in Lancaster. Last Friday night, my husband and I decided quite spontaneously that we needed a mini-vacation oh-so-badly. And, why ever not take it the very next day? That’s right, the girl who plans. Plans everything. Plans entire days set to a timeline. That’s right; she up and booked a trip FOR THE VERY NEXT DAY.

So out we went. After we gained some familiarity with the area at the Lancaster Visitor Center, we took a stop at Kitchen Kettle Village, tasting the jams, jellies, and salsas, and ultimately leaving with… what else? A bag of kettle corn. The weather was truly remarkable and, after stopping for some homemade root beer [which, coincidentally tastes a lot more like beer than root beer] headed to The Family Cupboard for some good old-fashioned Amish food. With full bellies, we then made our way to The Amish Village where we got a firsthand tour of a real Amish home, complete with miniature horses, green pastures, and an authentic Amish schoolhouse. After all this walking, we knew it was time for dessert and The Bird-in-Hand Bakery & Creamery was just the ticket. I had never heard of a waffle sandwich before and now I know that I should only order it when there are five other people that want to share it with me.

All in all though, it was incredible. Just a few hour drive from Philadelphia, Amish Country, as it is so called, is the heart of simple living. No electricity. Transportation by horse and buggy. Acres and acres of farmlands. Everything about this place is clean. Simple. Beautiful. And our time there? Entirely the same.