Once I crossed into Pennsylvania my map stopped and I just took some back roads north and west. Talk about not being prepared map-wise. The land became hilly and the countryside was exquisite with old farms along the way. Everything appeared to be manicured even in the heavy fog that soon ensued. I finally came to Cockerville and stopped at a market where I decided I had better pull out my Pennsylvania folder. A visitors' guide for Lancaster County Pennsylvania Dutch Country informed me that there was a Beacon Campground in Intercourse so that became my destination.
I followed 41 north to 30 east and took 772 and all of a sudden I was in the middle of the most gorgeous countryside with large farms and neat rows of corn, soybeans, and harvested tobacco. Signs warned me to watch for horses and buggies and I soon saw an Amish traveler. The small town had plenty of little tourist shops and I turned up Beacon Hill where I registered at 10 am.
It was so peaceful when I pulled into my spot among the oak trees with a black walnut to the rear. I was then listening to goats on the farm beside me, the laundry - towel and underwear day - was on the line at the house behind me and on the other side I could see a well organized farm. I just relaxed for a few hours while a butterfly lit on my arm. I then watched the neighbor farmer help unload some hay. They loaded it off the back of a hay truck and into his barn where I could also see his store of tobacco.
I soon knew that I would be here longer than one night and when I went into the office the owner gave me a rundown on the area and the Amish people. He indeed has a lot of respect for the culture. He has lived in the area all of his life and admits that once you get to know them they are friendly people. "But they do stick to themselves, although not so much as in years past." There are Amish and Mennonites in the area with most of the Mennonites living a little to the north. The Mennonites have their own churches while the Amish worship in homes.
I wandered the hilly back roads among farm after farm where they all seem to have the black and white cows. I passed farmers harvesting the fields and one spraying liquid fertilizer from his mule pulled cart. I drove on down highway 23 through New London and Blue Ball. The road is lined with large old houses that are built of brick, frame, and stone. The highway is busy with traffic and one does not see so many horses and buggies until off the main roads.
I located the Shady Maple Farm Market, a gigantic grocery that had rows of fresh vegetables and Amish baked goods. I left the store with Walnut raisin bread, a round loaf of grain bread, a tomato, some turkey sausage links, a shoo fly pie, and a Dutch apple pie.
Each morning I heard the steady clip clop of horses' hooves on pavement and realized the sun was up.
Well another day in Paradise..make that Intercourse. I decided to go the the Landis Valley Museum on Oregon Pike. The Landis museum is a 16 acre complex that interprets Pennsylvania German rural life before 1900. The buildings include a tavern, country store, farmsteads, and blacksmith. Several of the buildings are original and some moved from other areas. The Landis brothers started collecting memorabilia decades ago when they realized the times were changing and feared the older customs would be lost. I watched a woman doing the art of theorem which is stencil painting that was done on velvet from about 1760 - 1860. I also became aware of the hex signs that are painted on the barns for various reasons, and saw some flax drying. I also saw Connestoga wagons, I guess my first real ones.
I continued on to Bird In Hand stopping at the Amish Barn Restaurant. There I had the light version of chicken pot pie which was made with noodles and no crust, vegetables, corn, potato, a piece of chicken and a roll. I am glad I didn't opt for the regular course.
I wandered around the back roads as I neared my campground and then followed an Amish gentleman and his son down the road. They surprised me when they too turned into the campground! Christian, his wife, daughter, and son had brought their ice cream machine over to serve the campers. It is a gas powered machine that holds a wooden ice cream barrel and saves on the hand cranking. They invited all the campers to have a bowl of ice cream. It was extremely rich and quite good. They are old order Amish and delightful people to visit with.
Intercourse was founded in 1754 and first called Cross Keys after the local tavern The present name is believed to have come from either the race track nearby and the entrance, called entercourse, or from the joining of the Old King's Highway and the Wilmington Ere Road. The roads around here seem to run in every direction curving around farms but I try to stay off 30 and on the not so busy 23 and 340. I seem to have landed in the heart of Amish country and more roads just lead to more of the same. It is indeed unusual.
I awoke on Wednesday, September 23, 1998 when the rooster crowed and was greeted by a chilly, typically fall day. I drove on east and in Morgan stopped at a station to find out that Hauser's down the road worked on Volkswagens so I stopped for an oil change.
On I traveled preferring the back roads to the main highways. I indeed enjoyed the countryside and then found Doylestown to be a busy, energetic seeming modern city dressed in old garb. The old part of town was on the crest of a hill and people were scurrying about as I passed through.
New Hope was the pleasant surprise of the day: a quaint artist center with shops everywhere and all types of tourists walking the streets. The shops were quite eclectic with a fancy shop for cat items next to an ice cream shop and a head shop. The town itself was quite hilly and this particular shopping area was at the bottom of the hill along the Delaware River and highway 32. As I wandered about I went down some one lane streets along the canal with old houses on the side and many rock walls that appeared to be holding the houses on the hills. I decided I must park and play tourist for a little while.
I later turned north on 32 for a drive along the canal and was quite impressed with the narrow curving road that was lined with old homes. I passed some mules going up the mule trail that ran along the Pennsylvania Canal but couldn't see what they were pulling as it was under the bridge. Probably a barge loaded with tourists. The next thing I knew I was crossing the Delaware and on New Jersey 29 north.
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