Amish country, Trains, Liberty Bell & Independence Hall

Liberty Bell and Independence Hall,

Philadelphia, PA

Neil & I standing in front of Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Independence Hall is in the background. The crack in the bell developed over time as a result of the weaker material that was used.

"We the People" .... and "All men are Created Equal" are great messages that originated at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. It is where the Declaration of Independence was drafted and finally signed; and where the Constitution of the US was formed and signed. Unfortunately, we arrived to late in the day to take the 3-1/2 hour tour of the hall.

Train Museum, Strasburg, PA

When Neil was looking through literature and tourists books for the Pennsylvania area he saw that they had a museum of trains. On our way to the Quilt shop, we happened to drive by it, and it was open. We spent one entire morning looking at all these old Steam Engines and older trains. It was great. Neil standing on the landing of an old train in the Museum.

Two very old Steam Engines
Right next to the Train Museum was a "Caboose" Motel. Had we known this existed, we would have made plans to stay here, instead of one in town. It would have been a neat experience.

THE AMISH COUNTRY, Lancaster County, PA

The Amish people are known for their hand-crafted items. The ladies make beautiful quilts and craft items from fabric, while the men build wonderful furniture out of wood. While in the Amish Country, we visited the Zook Quilts, Craft & Furniture Store in Strasburg, PA. I really enjoyed talking to Mrs. Mary Zook. She showed me how she works her sewing machine without using electricy, and talked openly of their way of life. It was wonderful. I have always loved the quilts they make, especially knowing the are done by hand. Neil talked me into getting one for our home in Ronald. It just arrived by UPS today, and I love it! What a treasure to have from our trip!!! I also picked up several hot pads, and a purse that she designed using the "Log Cabin" Pattern of quilting.

The form of transportation for the Amish people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This is a young boy driving the coach and horse.

We watched this gentleman for quite some time plowing his field using the horses. It such a simple way of life they live, yet so peaceful. No electricity, no phones, no automobiles, no conveniences as we know.

Lancaster county has many covered bridges. If you look closely, you'll see that the man behind the wheel is Neil driving our new (new to us) car we picked up in Charlotte, NC. It's a 2005 Honda Accord EX -- Silver with Black leather interior. Very nice.