Amish Country, PA
Lancaster City Market building was closed on the day we visited. Grrr. We enjoyed the floral and artwork in downtown Lancaster. Soon we sauntered to the town of "Bird in Hand" not far away to take a tour of a typical Amish home. The docent who guided us through the home was not Amish and this home was an example of a home not occupied but she did a great job of explaining the Amish culture and answering our questions. The schoolhouse was similar to the one-room school I attended a few years back. :>) The children are educated only through the eighth grade and the teachers are unmarried women starting at 16 years old. Once they are married, they can no longer teach since their job is now in the home. At age 16, all the children are allowed (if they desire) to participate in the "English" world in a 2-year process known as "Rumspringa" to see if they desire to leave the Amish life. They do come home each evening and live with their famil...