Amish Life, Road Trip 2024

“We’re not tourists!”

July 27, 2024 Walter Leave a comment

Whenever I get a chance, I announce that “We’re not tourists!” Sometimes I’ll add “But we’re trying to look and act like them.” I have long said that when I’m among the Amish, I consider myself a guest, not a tourist.

One stop today was a “real” Amish store (owned, operated by, and containing Amish-related merchandise). I had a good time with the Amish girls waiting on me, trying to be at least mildly entertaining. I’m not sure I convinced them I wasn’t a tourist but we enjoyed some laughs together.

Needless to say I left with some books. I was a bit tempted by a black vest, but it required sewing on your own hooks and eyes. I’m not ready for that level of simplicity and tradition.

While we’re self-declared non-tourists, we do occasionally do touristy things. Today we opted to visit The Farm at Walnut Creek.

Janice feeding — Janice proves that food and friendship go together.

A highlight of the trip is an open wagon trip through a portion of the grounds where the animals have trained people to feed them. In addition to the “flat hand” suggestion, our Amish wagon driver explains that many of the four legged type prefer to have you drop the pellets on their tongues.

The assortment of furried and feathered friends is amazing. It’s quite an experience. Half the fun for me was watching the kids on our wagon.

As is often the case, there’s a back story. This could be about simplicity but it may also be a bit political. You have been warned. The farm has existed for over fifteen years and maintains more than 500 unique animals. (Not all are available for feeding by visitors.) Due to the nature of their operation, they are licensed by the U.S.D.A. Historically, that’s been a positive relationship.

Their license was due for renewal in May of this year and that meant reinspection by the U.S.D.A. The short version of the story at least has a fundamentally happy ending, but the inspection was conducted by inspectors who were less than qualified and obviously involved “government overreach.” The Farm did an excellent job of documenting the process and an even better job of organizing a campaign to support reasonableness. Even so, it cost the farm $50,000 to meet the requirements, some of which were “necessary” due to rule changes made after the inspection visit.

As I anticipate my ox-driving workshop I find myself wondering and worrying how many experiences (particularly traditional and historical ones) are becoming extinct.

At the grocery store next to the Amish store, we were able to buy some whole milk. It’s actually not about the milk, really. It’s about having the choices and options. I may not want hooks and eyes but I do like whole milk.

Amish Life, Road Trip 2024

First Impressions…

July 26, 2024 Walter Leave a comment

Our first full day here included more driving–as if we haven’t done enough already. Actually, it was fun to get a sense of the area and “the lay of the land.” It may take a little more time to reach some conclusions. It’s definitely different than when we were here decades ago. But what places aren’t?

There’s always a tendency to compare this area (Holmes County, Ohio) to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I’m not sure I’m ready to do that, but I can offer a few first impressions. The advantage of offering first impressions is that they are just that—impressions. The rest of the week here will hopefully confirm their validity and increase our understanding.

Perhaps the most worthy of note is the prevalence of bicycles—especially e-bikes. Their use is certainly not limited to the Amish, but it’s a common form of transportation among the plain people. There are a number of variations, and it’s not unusual to see various forms of “trailers,” including kid carriers. At one point, we encountered an entire family–each on their own bike, with Mom hauling a trailer containing the youngest.

We’ve seen far fewer buggies, although there seems to be a wide variety of types. One that was particularly notable resembled a Conestoga-style wagon containing an entire family. They were all waving wildly at us.

(We later learned there had been a wagon train “parade” of sorts through the area recently, so this may not have been a typical mode of transportation.)

I often note that any generality about the Amish is going to be false, so I’m not suggesting an overall trend. Some communities/districts do not permit any type of bicycle, and scooters are begrudgingly used. The underlying concern is maintaining a sense of community and a commitment to it.

Another tempting first impression is that the Amish here are a bit more extroverted. I won’t attribute it to tourism because Lancaster County is equally dependent on visitors. Note that I did not say “friendlier.” It’s more a case of who smiles first.

During my walk last night, I encountered a couple who were weed-wacking. He was doing the high bank; she was concentrating on the ditch at the bottom. As I expected, they didn’t stop, but they each glanced my way and smiled. Since I was closer to the woman, I teased, “He’s getting ahead of you.”

I later realized that, in spite of her nod and smile, I had made a very Englisch (non-Amish) observation. They were getting the work done. They were not competing, nor were they likely even conscious of who might be working faster or harder.

There’s something to be said for that.

Road Trip 2024

Honey, I’m Home!

July 25, 2024 Walter 1 Comment

We arrived in Sugarcreek late yesterday afternoon after more Interstate incidents. One qualified as a “you can’t get there from here” experience. We did ultimately find our way. Greta Garmin complained a lot and did a lot of “route recalculations.” I think she resented the fact that human interference was required. To her credit, her voice showed no signs of frustration.

That means she also hasn’t experienced the joy of parking inside a garage at our VRBO. She doesn’t care how amazing this place is, but we sure do. We have everything we need and some things we don’t. It might be a new way of looking at “simple.” I did have some difficulty figuring out how to start the coffee maker this morning, but it was there, along with a wide array of coffee choices. The owners clearly have both the desire and skill to make things easy for their guests.

The last time we were in the area was close to forty years ago. I’d been warned that “a lot has changed.” Since my memory is sufficiently cloudy, I’m not confident in making comparisons, plus we haven’t really seen much of the area yet. Greta likes direct routes and is not a fan of meandering. She might even be a little obsessive when it comes to goal orientation. She’s definitely a linear thinker.

Will there ever be a GPS that you can tell, “I’ll like to go for a drive in the country. What do you suggest?”

In anticipation of this trip, I joined a few road trip groups. I scratch my head when I read a request like, “We are traveling from Florida to Maine for two weeks. What are some things we should see along the way?” The comments (answers) are clearly well-intended. If it’s an area I’m familiar with, I may ask about the traveler’s interests before answering. That just seems a bit practical. For example, on our trip here, we did not stop at any places offering ziplining.

It’s not that we’re not open to new experiences.

Whether one is a GPS, VRBO host, or traveler/VRBO guest, life gets simpler when values are clearer. The GPS realizes (admittedly in a mechanical and unemotional way) that it’s important to get you there. The VRBO host realizes that it’s important to make you comfortable. As travelers and guests, we get to decide what’s important. Sometimes, it’s important to get there. Sometimes, it’s important to be comfortable. The list goes on, and it changes.

It works best when we determine what’s important and assume at least some of the responsibility for obtaining it. It might be just that simple.

The view out the front window of our VRBO in Sugarcreek Ohio

Bullying, Personal Growth, Road Trip 2024

Oh, No! Not that again!

July 24, 2024 Walter 1 Comment

Lane closed… Construction ahead!

No, we didn’t count how often we encountered it. But we did notice that people seem to see a sign beneath it reading, “Prizes awarded to those who get to the point of merging first!”

We are left to ponder the competitive nature of our society in general. A distant cousin in the Netherlands posted this morning about her son being bullied during his elementary school career. I think there’s a correlation here. (Not between road closings in the U.S. and schools in Holland, but between the constant competition and bullying.)

I might also be tired of driving. Today is our third day with a low goal of 250 miles. I can do this. I’m not excited about it but I can do this. Wait! Is that a form of competing with myself?

Life is not just about setting records.

As another example, I never intended to publish daily. (I did intend to keep a daily journal.) But here I am. I did look at today’s route and it does include some “non-Interestate” miles. Somehow, that’s a relief. Stopping for traffic lights seems better than being squeezed out by people who want to get there first.

I did need to refuel yesterday. The Ram has a range of 600 miles on a tank of gas! And we are averaging 20 MPG, even with all the merging and 10 MPH speeds.

But it would be nice to slow down because we want to and not because we have to!

Mental Health, Personal Growth, Road Trip 2024

Stress? What Stress?

July 23, 2024 Walter Leave a comment

I seem to recall describing Road Trip 2024 as a low-stress effort. Since the theory of relativity has also been mentioned, I should perhaps note that stress has value. In simplest terms, stress can increase performance and alertness. For more than a few hours yesterday (day one), I was very alert and performed well.

Nearly 400 miles of mostly Interstate Highway driving can become boring. It can also be exciting. I have never been a fan of I-495 in Massachusetts. There are simply too many cars (and trucks), and one accepts the idea that Interstate Highway is not synonymous with high-speed travel. In fact, one has an opportunity to consider how unskilled many drivers are when it comes to limited-access highway driving. The concepts of yielding when entering and choosing lanes based on speed seem to escape many.

As luck would have it, we ended up traveling through Hartford, Connecticut, during the beginning of evening rush hour. There isn’t a word to describe it. “Organized chaos” doesn’t do it justice.”

We noted the fact that the roadsides leaving the city are replete with huge billboards, most advertising personal injury attorneys. There might be a connection between those signs and the way traffic moves. In addition to the lack of yielding and unskilled lane changes, we also experienced drag racing. If several cars leave more than a car length between them, you get treated to watching other cars weave through the traffic at double the average rate of speed by taking advantage of those openings. And motorcycles! A car length is not required.

We took some relief in the fact that we weren’t traveling in a small vehicle, although we experienced a shot of adrenalin when a larger truck towing a trailer decided to move left, the trailer missing the front of our neighbor’s car by literally inches. This happened during a few moments of relatively high-speed travel. Seconds later, when our rate of travel dropped to almost zero, we noticed our neighbor hung back and left several car lengths between her and the truck/trailer. I suspect she was relieved when someone filled it.

We survived unscathed.

Maybe. Some research has suggested that stress actually encourages the growth of neurons and stem cells, improving memory.¹ Maybe we were scathed, but in a positive way.

We’ve traveled this route before. When we leave here, we often stay off the highway for a few dozen miles, poking along at a more leisurely pace until we cross the Hudson River.

This trip is about finding balance. So is life.