Dad's Life 3D: Amish folk, farmland and the road to Philly

Today we woke to the sweet sounds that only a 2 1/2 year-old can deliver in the early hours of a Sunday morning! I didn't always call these sounds sweet, by the way. But now that mine sleep in until 8am, I hear these sounds from a much different perspective. Now I actually miss them, so a little dose of it this morning was nice! Jaden joined Veronica first, while the bigger blonde slept in. We both rolled out of bed slightly later.

After a nice family breakfast, and a few hugs, we were all off in different directions. Seth to help work on a friend's house. Christina and Veronica to swimming lessons. And the kids and I to CVS to get Mazzy's eye medicine that ended up in the wrong bag, and was now heading back to California.

So begins day one of our road trip! When traveling, a minor set back like a trip to CVS is part of the day. So are gas stops and pee breaks! Some do them more than others... but time makes up for itself on the road!

The down time also gave us a moment to mend some strong feelings that Mazzy has about leaving her other cousin, Brooke, behind in New York. The two of them are like sisters. They are three months apart in age, and yet the three thousand miles that separates them most of the year, has ultimately brought them even closer together. They truly are, "Cousins by chance, but best friends by choice."

We finally got on the road around noon. We were only about 45 minutes from our first stop, Amish country! When we first got to the Amish House and Farm, I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. This old house and farm is surrounded by a Target and "every strip mall USA" corporate stores and fast food joints. Seth had warned us of this!

But once inside of the compound, it began to feel a little more, well, Amish! We took the house tour which ended up answering a lot of questions I had about this traditionalist Christian community. Mazzy was so interested that she followed the guide around with at least 20 more questions. The guide told Mazzy she loves when she has visitors who are this interested about history!

Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a tourist attraction. But, The Amish Farm and House once was a real Amish house and farm. It's now intentionally set up so that the rest of the world can understand this unique community of people who do their own thing, their own way. I found it to be extremely interesting, as did both of my kids.

Now armed with this new knowledge of the Amish community, we set out to find us some Amish folk! It was Sunday, so most Amish families spend much of the day worshiping in their own homes. But in the late afternoon, which it now was, families began to emerge in their horse drawn buggies.

We definitely went off the beaten path and discovered miles and miles of farmland that you just could not do if you stick to the main roads. We discovered farmhouses, big and small. Green hills and meadows. Creeks and streams. Cows, horses, goats, sheep and ducks. And guess what...? We even got to see a bunch of Amish folk! The kids and I loved it. So much so that Jaden asked if we would see anything like this on our trip again. Because I've never been to this part of the country, I said, "I don't know, but it sure would be cool if we did." "Agreed," said the young lad.

With that, we were off to Philadelphia! We booked a hotel across the street from Independence Hall, and around the corer from the Liberty Bell. As the sun was going down, we walked over to the Delaware River to eat. The surrounding neighborhood is the historic center of the city and there are many restaurants to choose from. We found a nice Italian restaurant near the river, and then strolled back to the hotel to get some sleep. It was a good day!

Day 2 – August 6, 2017
Start: The Maurer's House
Destination #1: Amish Farm and House
Mileage : 80 miles
Sidetrips: Lancaster County farmland
Mileage: 30 miles (or more)
Destination #2: Philadelphia
Mileage: 64 miles