Fall - Day 1 "We Love You All"

Ah, fall, how I love thee! Today started early. Our flight took off at 6:00-ish, so we were up at 4:30, getting some last minute things packed. The flights were uneventful and fairly short. We got into Philly around noon, picked up our car, and headed out to Amish Country. First item of note: our new GPS is indispensable! Seriously, on trips like these, I believe they can save marriages. Second: I can’t believe how excited I was when we saw our first Wawa! I used to walk past one every day on my way to work, sometimes dropping in for a treat when I could afford it. Third: the leaves haven’t turned as much as we expected. Reports suggest that fall is a bit late this year. We drove around farm country for a while, enjoying the sights and the occasional horse-drawn buggy on the road. We stopped for dinner at Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant, which was served “family style”. We didn’t know what that meant at first, but basically there is a set menu for that night and we get it all brought to the table. Started with apple sauce, apple butter, cabbage, chowchow (pickled veggie salad), and fresh baked bread for appetizers. Then ham loaf, fresh sausage (as in, made today at the meat house right next to the restaurant), and chicken, with corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, and mashed potato stuffing . The cook made butter-free versions of stuff so E would have more to eat. For dessert there were at least 7 pies and cakes and ice cream (the shoofly pie was yummy…like pecan pie without the pecans). We then headed to Bird-In-Hand for a buggy ride. By then the sun was getting lower and the farms looked so bright and warm (although we were a little chilly…and loving it). Jacob, our “driver”, told us about his family history and that of the area, while he took us past some of the most scenic views of the area and a private Amish farm. He told us about their traditions, compared them to ours, and kept saying “but you love you all”. I believe he meant it. We finally found our little cottage just as the sun was going down, so we settled in for the night.