Originally Posted by
indyfabz
Interestingly, a good number of PA Amish moved to WI decades ago as land prices as land values (and taxes) started to rise with development in certain areas. I remember reading about it in a Philly newspaper. They could sell gheir land in PA and buy land in WI for much less. There were cases where people boarded tour busses to make their moves.
While still around, some of the traditional Amish areas west of Philadelphia have lost their character. You have to go farther north and west in the state to find more tradition. Last year I was touring across PA. East of State College is the Brush Valley. A one-room schoolhouse (the second one I had seen in the valley) was letting out for the day. Five children in traditional dress pulled out a little a bit in front of me on push scooters. I caught up to them and rode behind them for maybe about 1.5 miles. I looked down and noticed they were all barefoot. One by one they turned off at their respective houses at the east end of the valley, before entering PA forest land. I imagined them all meeting again in the morning to scooter to school. It was one of the most intimate experiences I have ever had riding a bike and embodies what I love about touring.
I understand that the philosophy of living of Amish people is so incredibly different and simple from our contemporary life style, that for the most part, it seems incomprehensible. Their children wear shoes only when it becomes very cold, approaching freezing.
I have toured Amish area in PA about 40 years ago and loved the scenic aspects of it immediately, the first thing one notices is nothing cluttering your view - no ugly light poles, telephone poles, only lush green field and rolling hills. Perhaps with decrease in Amish population in PA, the light and telephone poles may have popped up by now.
They seemed friendly and kind people to me… had a nice lunch from one of their bakeries and fruits from their adjacent store. [They make killer cashew brittles! 😋]