Weekend Wanderings: Lancaster Co., PA (pt. 1)

Hubby and I decided to get away for the weekend. Remembering weekends gone by, I suggested Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His response was somewhere between a blank stare and incredulous "huh?" I knew I had some selling to do.

I started explaining the wonderful scenery. (Nada.) I then moved to talking about the shops, farmer's markets and restaurants. (Still nothin.) Finally, I started talking about the many, many horses. (JACKPOT!)

Lancaster County, if you don't know, is the home of several large Amish (or Pennsylvania Dutch) and Mennonite Communities. The communities were established largely in the 18th and early 19th centuries by Germans (possibly originally from Switzerland?) seeking religious freedom. They adhere to a strict set of rules that dictate their society and daily life - including guidelines on the clothing they wear, the restricted use of electricity and use of mechanized devices only in certain circumstances, among others. They are largely self-sustaining, farming families within a tight-knit community. Visiting Lancaster Co. gives outsiders a chance to peek into this simpler, devout lifestyle. Not to mention the opportunity to sight some beautiful horse-drawn buggies.

So while I was driving around looking for (and enjoying) scenes like this:












And this:












And this:












Hubby was stealing my camera when I wasn't paying attention and shooting pictures like this:












And this:












And this:


Which is apparently how we achieve balance in our marriage as we chased buggy tracks and horse "leavings" across Lancaster County. Whatever it takes my friends. Whatever it takes. And in the end, hubby was happy we went.

The end... of part 1.