11/28/2009
By making a slight detour on our trip up to my parents’ for Thanksgiving we were able to skip the highway and instead travel on the Patricia Schultz-approved Amish Country byway. (Every time we would pass a sign labeled “Ohio Scenic Byway” I would yell “Byway!” Again, I was nearly murdered by my wife.) This is a beautiful stretch of Ohio, especially this time of year. On our trip we passed by many farms – we even chanced upon an Amish family working in a field by hand. There were more buggies than automobiles on the road and most of the little towns were truly the “blink or you’ll miss it” variety. Very idyllic.
We did stop a few times to see the “big cities” of Amish country. The first was Millersburg, which reminded Laura and me of the other small towns we’ve visited on our trips. Millersburg is definitely “English” (as the Amish refer to all non-Amish), but a nice place. We stopped into the visitor’s center which doubles as a glass art museum. The man working there was very helpful and seemed extremely knowledgeable of the area. He explained that all of Holmes County is on an Ohio Scenic Byway. “I know!” I exclaimed. Laura was embarrassed.
We continued our journey, mostly under the recommendation of glass museum guy, to the city of Berlin – which for some reason is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable. Berlin is supposed to be the heart of Amish country, well-known for being a center of Amish commerce. However, our experience with Shipshewana prepared us for the worst - shops and shops crammed with 50% off Halloween decorations and “laser-engraved while you wait” doormats. The place was overrun with rabid middle-aged women, practically pushing each other over to grab another Thomas Kincaid print. Amidst the chaos we did see one Amish woman and her two children, shivering in the autumn cold, trying to sell little bead necklaces on the street. But like Shipshewana, it seems like Berlin has become so famous for the Amish that tourists like us have encouraged them to leave. They are called “separatists” for a reason.
About a mile north of Berlin is Heini’s Cheese Barn, where 36 types of cheeses are produced using Amish milk. This place was packed. When we got there a huge line had formed to get free samples. We assumed that the line had just formed and decided to wait until it died down. But the line kept growing as more and more people came and went. We stood in line for about half an hour to get to the samples – but then we understood why people would come from all over just for a taste. The cheeses were excellent. Laura is pregnant again, so she had to be choosy in what cheeses she could safely try, but I had no such compunction. I tried them all! Daniel is too young for dairy products – so we couldn’t let him try anything – but he seemed very excited about what was going on and kept trying to reach out to cheese wheels as we moved along. It’s fun to watch him become more aware of the world around him – it’s going to make these trips so much more worthwhile for us.
Our recommendation: Remember that the Amish are people, not zoo exhibits. Travelling along the byway was very nice – we could keep our distance and maintain their privacy, while still catching a glimpse of a unique culture.
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