Take a break from the fast-paced world of cell phones, computers, fast cars, and demanding schedules, and enjoy the "simple life" found on the Amish Country Byway in Ohio. At first, you may feel as if time is standing still, but you'll soon discover that the Amish folk are highly enterprising and productive. They have simply chosen to maintain their traditional beliefs and customs, continuing a lifestyle uncomplicated by the ways of the modern-day world. As you travel the Amish Country Byway, sharing the road with horses and buggies, you will experience first-hand the Amish way of life. You will also take in plenty of beautiful scenery and have a wide variety of recreational opportunities to pursue.
Appreciating the Amish Culture
Begin your tour of the byway by visiting the Amish and Mennonite Heritage Center. Learn about the community and see Behalt, a dramatic 10' by 265' mural-in-the-round that depicts Amish/Mennonite history, painted by the late international artist, Heinz Gaugel. Then, visit Yoder's Amish Home and witness for yourself early traditional farming ways. Also, go for a buggy ride, and tour two homes completely furnished in traditional Amish decor.
A Bountiful Harvest
If you travel the byway during growing and harvest season, typically from April to November, you'll definitely want to stop by the Farmer's Produce Auction. Here you will find everything from bedding plants and dried flowers to asparagus, zucchini, pumpkins, and Indian corn. Both the Amish and English people in the area maintain a strong tradition of agriculture and produce wonderful crops, cheese, and specialty meat products.
What Nature Has to Offer
Nature along the byway only adds to the peaceful setting of the countryside. Enjoy an early morning picnic or fishing trip at the Killbuck Marsh. You can also hunt, trap, fish, and hike. Or you can simply enjoy watching the abundant wildlife in the area. If you love water sports, you'll find exciting places to go canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and tubing on the byway as well.
Experience the Past in the Present
The byway's past is as intriguing as its present. Visit Killbuck Museum or Victorian House Museum for a taste of Civil War, archaeological, Victorian, and Amish history. Also, spend some time in the well-preserved, turn-of-the-century Winesburg Village, where you can buy handmade carts, buggies, and wagons. You can even purchase your very own horse or pony if you're in the market for such a souvenir.
You'll leave the Amish Country Byway feeling much the same as the traveler who said, "Traveling to Amish Country is a great getaway from our day-to-day routines. It's quiet, clean and refreshes the soul. When you get away from the telephone ringing, from the traffic on the roads, it's a gift, a refuge from the everyday noise of your life" (Muriel Hetrick, reader, Ohio Magazine, Dec/Jan 2000).
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