Waking up in Lancaster County, Pa is heaven to me.

This morning ~ I had to be headed home to Connecticut by 11am to give me time to stop at the Amish farms along the way to buy produce to bring home.
I decide to take a ride on one of the Amish Buggies before leaving.
The driver was raised Amish with his 7 brothers and sisters but left the sect when he became a man.
He has a great love for the people and land ~ paired with a very honest view of some of the downfalls.
It was such interesting conversation!

Here we are riding down the country lanes.

This is a tobacco field.The Amish are allowed to smoke pipes but not cigarettes because the "english people"do.

English is their term for anyone who is not Amish.

If you are not Amish ~ to them you are "english."

Much of the dairy produced in Lancaster County is sold to Hersey Candy Corp in Hershey, Pa.

Right now ~ the farmers are loosing money selling to them but don't mind.

They realize for many years they made a great deal of money.

They are such fair minded people.

This farm has been in the same family since the land was sold to them by William Penn in I believe the 1700's ~ according to our buggy driver.

This is one of the shops in Bird In Hand ~ just down the road from Intercourse.

My favorite pottery shop in Intercourse located in the Kitchen Kettle shopping area.

I always try to buy a tiny vase or pansy pot when I am here.

This is the front of the Best Western in Intercourse, Pa.

When my children were little ~ we always got a suite here with a kitchen but only used it to make popcorn at night!

They used to play right there in that buggy......oh the sweet memories.

Unlike most motel-hotels ~ the restaurant here is visited mostly by local Mennonite and Amish instead of tourists.

It is my favorite place to eat in this entire area.

Just fabulous local home cookin'!!!

wanna know a secret dream of mine?

To one day~ live in Lancaster County on property with a main house and 2 or 3 cottages I can rent to vacationers.

The idea of fixing a special room for guest ~ adding loving touches ~ and letting those far from home feel loved just makes my blood overflow with joy!!!

(I found out a few years ago I had Mennonite ancestors that lived in that area.I really believe it is in my blood.)