Disclosure: My family and I have been invited to this sponsored media trip. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s always been a goal of mine to experience Amish country. I love the simplicity of Amish life, their work ethic and, of course, how delicious their food always seems to be. I had a brush with Amish delicacies during my many road trips through Pennsylvania, when I grabbed a few apple turnovers and marveled at the quilts and other crafts they’d have for sale at rest stops. I vowed to get my butt up to Amish Country one day.
Years went by and I never went. Things came up, children were had, and that little trip hit the back burner. But no more! This weekend, we are off to meet up with a few other blogger families to see what Lancaster has to offer when it comes to a great family vacation. Here are a few things we have in store for us:
Bird-In-Hand Family Inn
I love the mission statement of the Bird-In-Hand Inn:
To create a home away from home, a place of trusting relationships, where our Guests experience compassionate and friendly people who care about others, the quality of their work, and the pursuit of excellence.
This family-friendly hotel will be OUR home away from home for the weekend, providing family suites, and outdoor and two indoor pools, miniature golf ,and even a complementary tour of nearby Amish Farmlands! Any time we can turn a vacation into a learning experience, I am all for it. I can’t wait to see how my son interacts with our experience since he loves to learn about anything historic. I also read that they have a petting zoo! My 2 year old animal loving girl is going to have a blast there.
The Strasburg Railroad
I’m pretty sure this will be my son’s favorite part of the trip, and since my husband works for our state transit authority, I think he’ll have a great time at Strasburg Railroad as well. I’ve heard about this family attraction for a while but have never made the trip to experience it. Viewing historic freight cars, dining cars, and private cars will be amazing, and taking pictures of it all will be even more exciting. Baseball is one of my favorite sports, so I’m looking forward to Saturday’s Vintage Baseball experience.
Choo Choo Barn
If my son doesn’t get enough of a train fix at the Strasburg Railroad, he’ll definitely go into overload at Choo Choo Barn. Featuring small-scale trains and other attractions, these hand-crafted marvels are a sight to behold! Can you imagine 1,700 square feet of animated awesomeness all built little by little? I’m sure it will be amazing to see.
The Amish Village
I’m most excited about this part of the trip. We’re schedule to have a tour here after lunch on Saturday, and I can’t wait to peruse the Smokehouse Market (food!) and searching the Amish Village Store for fun and interesting trinkets to commemorate our trip.
I can’t wait to share our Lancaster experience with you once we come back. If you like instant gratification, be sure to follow the #VisitLancaster hashtag on twitter to see all the fun we’ll be having, and the pictures we’ll be sharing.
YES! I want to go there!!!! It looks amazing! Now I just have to convince the hubs to let us travel this summer! That is a long ways away from us.
Sounds like quite a lot to do, and lots of fun! I love the Amish ethics too. We used to live near an Amish town in Indiana and would always see horse and buggies. I kind of miss that!
That looks awesome! You guys are busy this month!
Yes, we are! May is going to be our busiest month ever.
Oh my gosh my kids would love the train barn. Looks like a blast.
Michelle, The Choo Choo Barn was a blast! The whole family had fun there and we probably could have stayed for hours, since there is something new to find every time you go back around the display.