The Ohio Amish Country Experience

If you enjoy picturesque traveling then Ohio’s Amish Country is for you. You can drive the winding Scenic Byways throughout Holmes County and enjoy the photo opportunities that every mile offers. You’ll pass through old country covered bridges, you’ll begin to awaken to the lush green rolling countryside around you and a smile will begin to replace your serious look as you gaze upon the many Amish farm houses with clothes hanging on the clothes line and children playing games in the big open yards.

When you do travel through Amish country I would recommend rolling down the windows and breathing in the fresh country air. Your senses will be revived, especially if you catch a whiff of an active pig farm. All joking aside, this area of the country is just different. Life goes at much slower pace and everything is much more peaceful. And if you pull over to take some photos you might just be overwhelmed by the quietness.

Amish Quilts and Quilting

Another step in your Ohio Amish Country experience is to visit the shops that feature the amazing Amish quilts. Quilting has been an Amish pastime for generations. This social event brings female relatives and friends together to catch up and socialize while they create these stunning bed coverings. If there are enough ladies at a quilting they can finish one in a days time. But most of the time quilts are completed over weeks and months, providing a continual social gathering for the ladies.

You will also want to tour an Amish furniture and cabinet shop. The Amish are well known for their quality workmanship with these wood products. They often use oak or other fine woods to craft very intricate, high quality items. I would say if you are in the market for furniture or cabinets that you may want to make a purchase while you are in Amish Country because outside of the area you will see a tremendous markup on their products.

To really get a taste of the Amish culture you should visit an Amish farm and home. There you can see first hand the amount of work required to keep things running and see how different a home is without electricity. Thomas Edison might snicker at this idea if he were alive today.

And for the brave, you might want to attend a home church service. You may not understand too much because the service might be conducted in Pennsylvania Dutch. Another unusual practice of the Amish is that the women sit on one side of the church and the men sit on the other side. But if you do go, be sure to stay for the bountiful lunch served afterwards. It will remind you of Thanksgiving and give you a chance to rub shoulders with the Amish.