Visiting Amish Country (Lancaster, State College, Lebanon: college, Mennonites, restaurants)

[usmcfamily]

Hi! We'd like to take the kids to visit an Amish area this summer in Penn. Does anyone recommend a town to stay that has Amish shops and restaurants? Thanks!

[dj10]

I don't have any specific information but if you plan on coming to the Lancaster area this is a good website for information:

Lancaster, PA Welcome Center: All That Awaits You in Lancaster County's Amish Country

[DailyJournalist]

Amish Experience and Amish Country Tours in Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Dutch Country

[ki0eh]

Although Lancaster (LANK-uh-stir) is where the most developed tourist destinations are, it only feels "rural" if you're coming from the big cities of the Northeast Corridor. If a buggy ride along a seven-lane road past an outlet mall to stop at one of numerous places selling Chinese made "Amish" goods isn't what you are thinking of, you might want to consider the far less developed and more relaxed Kishacoquillas (pronounced "Big") Valley of Mifflin County, between Lewistown and State College. Welcome

[Icy Tea]

There are amish many areas in Pa and some have more amish than Lancaster. Kioeh was quite correct and seeing miles and miles of amish farms with the backdrop of wooded mountains is something to see. Western/ northwestern Pa has many amish as well.
But amish and pennsylvania dutch shops and restaurants are definitely a southeast and southcentral Pa fixture. I think tourism gets promoted by the mennonites and they may not be as widespread outside of Lancaster and its surrounding counties. This was true in northwest Pa, at least. You see amish and start looking for smorgasboards out of habbit and there aren't any.
Great restaurants and shops are scattered around Lancaster and into Lebanon and Berks.

[ki0eh]

Allensville has a smorgasbord, right on PA 655. Can't remember the name of it right now, it might not be listed on the website I linked above. There is a link to carriage rides on there though, and other shops.

[donnaluv]

We visited Lancaster last June & we stayed in a little town called Churchtown in a cottage called the Churchtown Inn. We had a blast.

[lititzman2003]

I've been here six years, and the one town that we really enjoy is Intercourse. There is a great little village there called Kitchen Kettle that your family will love.

[pinetar10]

Smicksburg, PA in Indiana County is a quaint little amish village. It is very rural and is much less touristy and developed than the Lancaster area.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by donnaluv

We visited Lancaster last June & we stayed in a little town called Churchtown in a cottage called the Churchtown Inn. We had a blast.

I must say that my daughter and husband loved this Churchtown Inn too.
We sent them there as a gift. Great place to see the Amish and to visit some out of the way shops.......