Saturday, April 30, 2011

Exploring Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State Capital
The Pennsylvania Dutch isn’t Dutch; the name comes from Deutsch (German). In the 18th Century this rolling farmland of Philadelphia became the home of the Amish, the Mennonites, and other German and Swiss immigrants escaping religion persecution. Today their descendants continue to turn their backs on the modern world and in doing so attract the world’s attention. In summer, buses jam route 30, the main thoroughfare. But there is still charm on the back roads, where you will discover Amish farms, hand painted signs advertising quilts, fields worked with mules and horse drawn buggies.

The People’s Place provides an excellent introduction to the Amish, Mennonite and Hutterite communities in a multi-screen slide show and interactive family museum. Several farmhouses offer simulated up-close looks at how the Amish live, including the Amish Farm and House.

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