All Things Amish

Departure Points:

Yankee Trails, Rensselaer - 7:30am
Dick's/Field & Stream, Latham Farms - 8:00am
Exit 21, Catskill Commuter Lot - 8:45am ***NO PARKING AVAILABLE***
Kingston Plaza, Kingston - 9:30am

Thursday, July 13

When you board the coach this morning you are on your way to indulge in the best of what Lancaster, PA has to offer. Upon arrival we’ll go to our accommodations for the next two nights at the Country Inn of Lancaster (717-393-3413). We will check in and have time to get acquainted with the property and freshen up before heading to dinner (included) at Bird in Hand Family Restaurant and Smorgasboard. Using only the freshest ingredients, they source as much as possible from local farms. Enjoy traditional Pennsylvania Dutch food, including many of Grandma Smucker’s original recipes, as well as a variety of other delicious dishes. Following dinner we will head to the Bird in Hand stage above our dining area to enjoy a broadway style musical set in Amish Country, “Dear Soldier Boy” It’s 1990 and Iraq has just invaded Kuwait. War is contrary to Amish ways, but Anna King wants to do something to help America’s troops, so she and her feisty friend and coworker Sofia volunteer to write letters of encouragement to the troops. Anna just wants to be a blessing. Sofia just wants to find a husband. It’s all fine until the lonely pen pals get weekend passes and show up to surprise the girls at work—all on the very same day! This new musical comedy written by Martha Bolton, with original songs by Wally Nason, is the latest is a long line of wholesome, Broadway-caliber shows from Blue Gate Musicals, all set in the heart of Amish Country. This show is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Anna’s father learn of her secret mission? Will Sofia find a husband? Is true romance in the air for Anna (or is it just the Limburger cheese)? Following the show we will return to our hotel.

Friday, July 14

A buffet breakfast is included at the hotel this morning. Following breakfast we will be met by a local guide, who has many amish friends, for a 5 hour guided tour. We will travel through the picturesque area and visit some of Lancaster County’s unique and quaint countryside stops while hearing about the history and costumes of the Amish and Mennonites. Visit an Amish bake shop- you’ll know you’re getting close by the wonderful smell- where you can purchase some of the area's well known baked goods such as, whoopie pies, shoofly pies, sticky buns, and homemade breads. We will then visit a craft shop where you will see some of the finest quilts in the country as well as other local homemade crafts. Meet with the Amish women there who will explain the “quillow” making and folding process to you. Meeting the Amish of the area tends to be the highlight of the tour. You will find out about their religion, dress, farming and their home life. Did you know that the Amish marry in the winter? Did you know there are 3 different types of buggies? How do you tell the single from the married men? Find out the answer to these questions and more on our Amish adventure! After our tour we will head back to our hotel to relax and freshen up before dinner (included) in an Amish home. As we say goodbye to our newly made Amish friends we will continue on to Sight and Sound Theatre for their performance of Moses. Set adrift as a baby, he is an unlikely hero — until God calls him to lead His people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Journey with Moses as he ventures through the wilderness, encounters God at the burning bush, and ascends to the top of Mount Sinai. Experience one of the Bible’s most epic stories as MOSES comes to life with massive sets, special effects, and live animals in this original stage production.

Saturday, July 15

A buffet breakfast is included at the hotel this morning. Our first stop today will be Plain and Fancy Farm for the Amish Experience show, The Story of Jacob’s Choice. The dramatic tale of “Jacob’s Choice”, an Amish family’s effort to preserve a lifestyle and a culture, is unforgettably told through a high-tech, multi-media production with visual effects, sound design, and mechanical effects. Visitors experience “400 years of history in 40 minutes of magic.” The Amish Experience Theater has been designed to break down the barrier between audience and movie screen. Changes in the environmental space within the theater literally allow you to “experience” the action as it unfolds around you. After the show we are off to Kitchen Kettle Village to delight in shopping on your own at the Kitchen Kettle Village, where you'll find over 40 shops jammed full of Lancaster's simple pleasures. Next we are off to savor lunch (included) at Miller’s Smorgasbord. Their tried & true recipes are prepared with the freshest ingredients and they are still served up with a smile. We will depart from the area at 2pm with an approximate arrival in the Capital District at 8pm. One stop each way.