Friday, July 17, 2009

Meandering Off The Beaten Path

Recently, we had the opportunity to explore the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country through a driving tour of Covered Bridges in Lancaster County.

By accessing the Pennsylvania Dutch Country website, you can choose from five different driving tours, each with specific guided directions and information to fit your interests. The tour(s) allow you to journey through picturesque countryside as well as give you the opportunity to explore the lifestyles of Amish families and their farms.

We chose the Scenic Parks and Preserves Trail Tour because the points of interests included the historic and charming village of Strasburg and the Susquehanna Overlook. I did all of the driving while Matt navigated us through the twists and turns of the back roads. Thank goodness, otherwise I would have been car sick the entire trip.

The history of the covered bridges are stated in the tours itineraries, but unfortunately, most of the them were destroyed or damaged because of flooding and later rebuilt in different locations.

I really enjoyed strolling through Strasburg and eating lunch at the Red Caboose Motel. The girls had a chance to stretch their legs and get in some playground time while Matt and I climbed the spiral staircase of the View Tower. Once at the top, you could see panoramic views of beautiful farms and acres upon acres of green corn stalks.

This is a great inexpensive day trip and a wonderful way to explore the history and beauty of Amish living however, I would recommend starting early because there's a lot to see and a lot of ground to cover.


2 comments:

Janis said...

It looks like a very nice tour. Jer n I will have to do that one day, its been a long time since we have been to Lancaster. The Amish are very interesting people and hard workers also.

Living Life said...

This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. That Red Caboose Restaurant looks neat.