You are probably getting it by now that there are several Amish areas. I know several regions in Wisconsin and Iowa as well as those previously mentioned.

I believe that Amana, IA has a large base which I have heard is where the name of the town comes from. Also home to Amana applicances/refrigerators...or at least was originally.

We live close to Sugar Creek/Millersburg/Hartville OH and purchased our oak dining room and oak bedroom from an Amish manufactor (I believe the name is Andrea's) One thing that I find interesting is that their homes have no electricity, phone, no cars, ect. But a van picks them up, takes them to work where they do work with modern technology making their craft and then they return to their "no modern" technolgy homes.

I visited Amish country in Southern Illinois and it wasn't commercialized at all (at least not a few years ago). We ate breakfast at a restaurant w/Amish food and I have to say it was the most BLAND food I've ever tasted. Is this typical of Amish food or did we just stumble upon a bad meal?

So where do they read and post on Fodors.com?

There is also a Amish population near Mendon Michigan. They are not commercialized, but will have you in to a Saturday night supper, if you come with the Innkeeper from Mendon Country Inn. This is not far from chicgal's above Indiana locations, just across the state line a bit. They farm/live in community "structures" of no more than 26 families, as they have church in one of the families' homes every other Sunday. This self-limits their community size greatly. Although each single family may have 3 generations or numerous in-laws that have built on to the original house.

Their dinners are huge and all home cooked, but I do agree that many dishes are bland. Simple. Desert features lots of pies.

Amish country in Ohio centers around Holmes County south of Orrvile and Wadsworth and southeast of Wooster. Very nice to visit . Many craft stores and Amish-Mennonite restaurants.

One thing I will never forget about our visit to the Amish in PA : Their "refrigerator" was a natural cold water stream diverted to run through their houses, visible once you opened a lower cabinet door in the kitchen. There, in the water, were the food items meant to be kept cold.

toetscruise. If you would like to visit the Amish country in Lancaster,PA, enter a POST and someone will help you with trip plans and ideas. The area (Lancaster, Hershey & Gettysburg) has lots to do.

thanks for all the information!!

Check this out.....
http://www.cnn.com/2004/TRAVEL/DESTI....ap/index.html
I'm on the way!

there are Amish in New Wilmington,Pa.(Westminster College is located there too) about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh,Pa.---also in Indiana County,where IUP(Indiana University of Penna.) is located, too...and across the border in Ohio..and they are real Amish....

letscruise. CNN on their travel section has a very interesting article about the Amish you might enjoy reading.
cnn.com of course.

Thought of you when I read it this morning.

You have just received the Amish Virus. Since we have no electricity or computers, you are on the honor system. Please delete all of your files.
Thank thee.

The Swiss Woods Inn is a Bed and breakfast we have enjoyed in Lititz, PA.
Debrah & Werner Mosimann,are the Innkeepers. Debrah is from the area and is a Mennonite woman, very active in the community; she is also a gourmet cook. The bed and breakfast is lovely (any season) but what was truly impressive were the number of Mennonite ccouples in the area that stay at the Mosimann's for a special evening or celebration. I did a google search to see they were still in business. Many of the Amish farmers have lost their land due to economics, and much of the area has changed during the years--many outlets and landfills --

LoveItaly and BeachBoi.....thanks for the article....made me hungry!!

There is also an Amish as well as Mennonite comunities around Amity Oregon.

letscruise, actually when I read that article this morning it left me drooling. Not having a decent dinner last night didn't help either.

Didn't the food sound fantastic!!

Hi letscruise,
This is a very intriguing post in which you have received some great answers. If I was intrigues by the Amish, I think I would head to Ohio from the posts. But my intrigue is, why amish? are you intested as a scholar, convert? Did you see the movie Witness? I am truly asking in total respect to your post and the wonderful responses. I guess, I too am as little intrigued by the Amish, but for me it is that they seem to have become the complete opposite of who they truly are. They have become a tourist destination, caged animals that people come to see. It just seems very strange to me, this going to see the Amish...unless you truly want to understand and explore their life choices. Again, please, I am not attacking anyone here, I just don't get the whole thing. In my opinion, it could be compared to the papparazzi....don't they want to be left alone? Respecfully curious.

Mennonites dress completely differently than Amish, so it's awfully hard to confuse the two.

There is a large Amish community in western PA.

gyppielou, I wanted to visit the Amish areas because I personally found the Amish lifestyle to be interesting and intriguing. I think that, for most of us, its hard to imaging life without such everyday luxuries such as electricity, cars, computers, etc. When you visit an Amish community, its striking to see horse-drawn carriages in the midst of regular cars on the streets. I live in Illinois, near St. Louis, and have visited the Amish area near Arcola in Illinois twice. While it was interesting, the area has definitely turned into more of a tourist attraction. I find it actually quite bizarre, in a way, that these people are just going about their everyday lives, and yet we flood to their town in droves like its an amusement park! But at the same time, because most don't work "normal" jobs, a lot of their income comes from the tourists who visit their shops, buying their furniture and homemade goods.

Its interesting to visit the area, but I try to be respectful and not make a spectacle or myself or them.