It’s been five years since we visited the stunning rolling hills and farmland of Pennsylvania Dutch Amish country.
After the Eastern Tandem Rally we hit the road for a visit with the Kofsky family in Poughkeepsie, NY, and then onto Lancaster, PA, where the pretzels are hand rolled and the beers are brewed in the German style of the 1800’s.
Our first ride was a 50-mile covered bridge loop. The route was “advertised” as having 6 covered bridges. We saw only 5, but we aren’t complaining. We think one bridge may have recently washed away.
We also aren’t complaining about one of our favorite breweries. The Lancaster Brewery is less than half a mile from our hotel (not a coincidence). It’s hard to beat a sampler with a dozen 4 ounce pours.
We loved the opportunity to taste all the beers they brew! Our favorite? The ESB and the Festbeer.
They also serve the prettiest, and best pretzel we had on this trip.
Our second ride was a 40-mile ice cream ride. We rode past thousands of dairy cows and three dairies, and chose the Lapp Family Dairy for our morning ice cream stop.
You don’t always know what you are going to see on the road. There was this group of camels which still has us scratching our heads.
Is this where camel-hair coats come from? We stopped to get a closer look at Weaver’s turkey farm – you’ll just have to imagine the cacophony of gobbling as the turkeys got closer to Roger while he leaned in for the money shot.
If the sun is out, it’s laundry day. This house had colorful tastes. Others were much more drab.
We remain in awe of the meticulously manicured farmland, the smooth roads, the low traffic and the patient drivers in this part of Pennsylvania.
It looks like it’s going to be a good corn season. Some of the stalks are over nine feet tall.
We are already trying to figure out when we will be back.
Eve and Roger's Cycling Adventures 
Glad you enjoyed the area of my childhood.
Lapps has wonderful ice cream a must when we had out of town visiters.
Thx for the journey home!!😜
Glad to see you’re having fun! We’very been working on a habitat for humanity build in southern New Jersey for the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, the weekend has been washed out. Tomorrow looks much better! Travel safe.
That pretzel looks awesome!
Pretzels are one of my favorite foods. Thanks for including the picture of that mouthwatering one. You, two, have the best adventures.
Love your pics! And oh that pretzel……yum. PA needs to be on my bucket list – looks gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your travels.
I’m glad you told us how big that corn was. I was going to ask if you guys shrank! Glad you are scouting out the riding there… and the beer…and ice cream. (It should save us a lot of time and trialing & erring.)
We saw camels a few years ago on the BBC Weekend in Lancaster and stopped one of the Amish to ask, They use them for the milk, that supposedly is in demand for autistic children. Here is an article https://www.thetowndish.com/2015/05/12/lancaster-county-farm-specializes-in-good-for-you-camel-milk/.
Cheers
Ian
Wish we would have know you were in the area. It would have been fun to together for one of your rides. Where did you get your Lancaster County routes?
Paul and Rachel Jaspers
We conjured up our routes from suggestions via RideWithGPS. Wish we lived closer–we are jealous of your great routes.
Tandems East hosted the Tandem Weekend in Lancaster County this past July. It was fun showing-off some of our great riding.
So glad to be back on the road with you two. Missed a few posts
and now have caught up. Wondered about your dad since we last
spoke at the GTR. Your comments are touching and a great epitaph
by which we should all live and die.
Living in IN we have toured Amish country also. The Saturday market
days here are active with Amish buggies and bikes. However, having experienced both sunny days and rain, we are glad for hot showers
after following those buggies on the rainy ones! Shipshewana,IN
reminds me of childhood visits with my parents to Pennsylvania
and Maryland. The Shipshewana Pumpkin Vine tour even offers
a special dinner for 50 cyclists at an Old Order Amish home. Wonderful!
Keep on smiling and pedaling! Glad you take us along.
Stoker D
Finally catching up on posts, emails and other correspondence from the last months. love your posts. glad to see all the fun riding you are doing.