The Wandering Disciple

A traditional Amish school house sits in the middle of Amish Village.  The one-room school house is where the Amish children go to school to learn until they reach the eighth grade.  Afterwards they will enter Amish life with the boys working in the fields alongside their fathers and the girls will tend to household chores with their moms.  Each school hosts about thirty kids of various ages and they learn a curriculum that teaches them reading, writing, spelling, basic math, geography as well as learning both English and German.  The schools are run by the church and are taught by an unmarried woman from the community.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

The red brick walls of the Netherlands Inn and Spa rise up from the surrounding cornfields in the the heart of Amish Country in Lancaster County.  (Photo: August 28, 2005)

A clothesline hangs from the window of an Amish homestead to a barn. Without the conveniences of electricity, the Amish revert to simple ways of completing everyday household chores. You can get a glimpse into Amish life at the Amish Village in Lancaster County. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Water Wheels like the one here at the Amish Village are used to generate power, helping to keep the Amish living off the power grid. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

A replica covered bridge spans a small creek at the Amish Village in Lancaster County.  Bridges like these can be found throughout Lancaster County. These wooden bridges were covered to prevent the bridge structure from being exposed to the snow, leading to bridge failure during the cold winters.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Windmill's like these can be spotted throughout Amish country to help power the homestead.  The Amish do not rely on traditional electric service, so they use wind power and propane to help power their appliances.  Here at Amish Village, visitors can look into the lives of the Amish through a homestead, farm, schoolhouse and more.  (Photo: April 23, 2004)

An Amish One-Room Schoolhouse on display at the Amish Village in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Amish children attend schools like these from age 6 through 8th grade. The curriculum is based around the basic subjects of reading, writing, spelling and arithmetic. The students will attend school for 6 hours a day for 8 months. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Nestled in the heart of Amish Country, the Netherlands Inn and Spa is a quaint little hotel located in Strasburg. The rooms are furnished with handcrafted furniture, providing a local touch. (Photo: August 28, 2005)

The rolling farm fields of Lancaster County, heart of Amish Country. Here, the fertile fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Generations of farmers have made a living off farms like these by growing crops and raising livestock. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Its a common sight in cities across the country to find the roadways jammed pack with many varieties of cars and trucks. But in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, transportation takes a different approach as many of the county residents resort to more old-fashion methods of travel, the horse and buggy. Lancaster County is home to one of the largest population of Amish residents in the country. The Amish still live their lives without many of the modern conveniences we take for granted. They still travel via Horse and Buggy just like the ancestors did. This one here is seen Route 896 just outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo: April 23, 2004)

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: In the quiet Amish countryside sits the Netherlands Inn and Spa. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, the inn provides the opportunity to kick back and relax in quaint, county accommodations. The Inn was opened in 1973 and designed to resemble to country inns of the 18th century. The five buildings of the complex are named after notable people of Strasburg history. Building one is named after George Hoffman, the builder of the first home in Strasburg in 1733. Building two is named after Francis Asbury who began the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1795. Building three is named after one of the original grantees of land in Strasburg, Martin Kendig. Building four is named Musselman House and because the name is very common in the region, it is not sure which prominent towns member the building is named after. Finally building five is named after Senator John Carpenter who was the director of the Strasburg Philosophical Society. The hotel features ...

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: Located in the heart of Amish county in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Amish Village takes a look into everyday Amish life. As you enter the village, you are quick to realize how life is for the Amish as they tackle the everyday chores of running a household without the modern day conveniences of electric power and technology. Because of their lifestyle, the Amish Village could be the closest that an outsider may get to seeing what life is like for the almost 25,000 Amish that live within the Lancaster County region. You begin your tour in the Amish homestead. Here your tour guide takes you through a replica of an Old Order Amish home. As you tour the house you see how they complete even the simplest household tasks without the aid of electricity. You will see the handmade quilts and antique furniture that is typical of the Amish home. Once you leave the homestead you can then tour the rest of the village. There is a barn with horses and mules, bl...

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: We headed to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport to catch an early morning flight to begin our first travel to leave the state. Yeah we have traveled around Florida plenty of times, but this was our first trip together out of the state and my first visit back home to Pennsylvania since moving to Florida in 1998. The itinerary of the trip was a busy one. In one week we were planning on visiting family and seeing a bunch of stops along the way. We plan to visit Williamsburg, New York City and Washington DC while visiting with family in between the trips. The trip started with an early morning flight out of SRQ on Delta to Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport. This was the first flight for both me and my wife. Then in Atlanta, we transferred to a Comair Regional Jet to take us into Harrisburg International Airport. Both legs of the flight were uneventful, perfect for a first flight experience. Once we hit the ground in Pennsylvania, we were greete...