Lancaster, PA

Today we were in search of some Amish history before heading any further South. We toured an old Amish house and learned about the way of the Pennsylvania Dutch who are not Dutch at all but of German decent.

Fun Facts:

Did you know that Amish men grow a beard, but never a mustache after they are married? Their beard is their wedding band and is worn with pride! The mustache is omitted because it has military significance and is a reminder of violence. Amish women change their apron color after marriage. Darker-colored aprons symbolize marriage, similar to the outward symbol of a beard on an Amish man. Lighter colored-aprons might symbolize an unmarried lady. Neither wears a wedding ring when wed.

Did you know that the saying “sleep tight” was an Amish saying? It refers to the knotted rope net that was designed to serve as a mattress. Sleep tight means that the ropes should be tightened before getting into bed so you didn’t fall through?

We saw hand made furniture, met some farm animals, admired many beautiful hand made quilts and checked out the horse drawn carriages. The rolling hills and beautifully kept farms served an a stunning backdrop to everything Amish! Such a fun day.

Unfortunately I under estimated our driving time to our next stop. Ugh. Another 7 hours to Gaston Lake, NC. It felt like it took forever. The traffic through DC, Virginia and Maryland was terrible. We arrived at the lake at 8pm with friends and dinner waiting for us. It was such a delightful ending to a long day.Read more