08/13 - 08/23 Country Acres Campground - Part 1

The 200 mile trip took 4 hours via I-287, I-78, and SR 222/30. Traffic was minimal with only a 5 minute slowdown for construction on the Lincoln Highway (Rte 30) just a few miles from my destination.

Upon entering the grounds, the visitor is immediately aware that this campground is worthy of the 2019 Certificate of Excellence awarded by Trip Advisor.  The general appearance of the grounds show meticulous attention to being clean and neat; and this is enhanced with the Covid situation. The concept of being in "Amish Country" conjures wonderful memories for anyone who has ever visited the Lancaster County area. My memories go back to the 1980's when our family groups made the trip in our pop-up campers and enjoyed all this beautiful area had to offer. I'm sure many of my readers have had the pleasure of being in this area in their past. Some little known tidbits about the Amish you may be interested in: 

1. Amish people speak Amish which is derived from German and is a form of Low German, Pennsylvaina Dutch or Amish.
2. Amish adolescents do not attend school after eighth grade. They go directly into their chosen vocation.
3. They get baptized into their church between 16 and 25. They get to choose whether to be baptized or leave the community.
4. At 16 there's "Rumspringa" translated to mean "running around." It is during this time that the adolescent leaves the community to see the outside world and all that goes with it. About 90% of them choose not to leave. If they leave, they're excommunicated and shunned and not allowed to return.
5. It's a requirement for them to question their faith.
6. Not everyone is forbidden from technology. The Swartzentruber Amish don't use tractors for their fieldwork, mechanical refrigerators, running water bathtubs or propane gas. The Kalona Amish make room for all these and more. Some allow cell phones and lamps, while others do not--it's much more complex than most think.
7. They pay sales tax and property tax but not social security. They don't believe in accepting anything from the government.
8. They grow their beards for religious reasons. Once married, they stop shaving their beards but do trim mustaches.
9. Not all their dolls have faces. This is to deter vanity and to show that all are equal in the eyes of God.
10. Women have only four dresses: one for wash, one for wear, one for dress and one for spare.  

The amenities offered here at the campground are extensive and their claim to being "Clean and Close to Everything" is 100% correct.

The Hudson Islanders group will have a total of 15 individuals spread out on 8 maybe 9 sites.

At this writing, not all have arrived but I'm guessing most will be in the upper area of this

map near site #833.  I have to check and see if Jack Q had anything to do where they put me.

The sites are neat and trimmed, level and have water/sewer/cable and, for me
30-amp service. The bigger rigs will require 50-amp service
and probably explains my (and Sue/Ray's) location.

 In my area, here's the 180° view...

...facing south

West

Northwest and....

...and North

Large gift shop area

As mentioned, we're located "near everything" and we've already planned a guided bus tour of an Amish farm for those who wish on Wednesday. For Friday morning's breakfast, Tony/Doreen, Ray/Sue and I visited Bird-in-Hand Restaurant/Smorgasbord.

A large spacious dining area. Patrons are

required to wear their masks and plastic

gloves provided by the restaurant should

they visit the smorgasbord; a new pair

for each return visit.

Trying "scrapple" served as a breakfast side.

To me, bland. So I can say I tried it...but will

pass on next one.

My choice for breakfast was off the menu vs. unlimited trips to the smorgasbord. We Yankees had to ask our waitress, Emily, what "scrapple" was. She said she loves it, hadn't had in a long time and "tries not to think of its ingredients; unused parts of the pig." Well, nuff said. Now now it's Google time. Here's what I found from the website, Daily Meal:

"Like pork? You’ll like scrapple.

Scrapple

If you call yourself a pork lover, then you really should be eating scrapple. A traditional rural American food of the Mid-Atlantic states, scrapple is the perfect example of the peasant tradition of taking food that would otherwise go to waste and turning it into something delicious.

First, let’s get the exact definition of scrapple out of the way. Pork meat (sometimes, but not always, along with offal including the head, heart, and liver) is boiled until falling apart, finely minced, and combined with cornmeal and flour into a slurry. Spices including sage, black pepper, thyme, and savory are added, and the mixture is them formed into loaves, which are allowed to cool until set. Half-inch slices are then cut off and fried in butter until golden brown.

Now onto the good part: Scrapple is absolutely delicious. It’s traditionally served as a breakfast side dish, with sweet or savory condiments including ketchup, grape jelly (yep), applesauce, honey, mustard, or maple syrup. It can be mixed with scrambled eggs or simply served between two slices of white bread. It’s savory, porky, rich, and versatile."

That evening around 6:00 as is her custom every Friday, an Amish lady and daughter walked the campground pulling a wagon and selling fresh, homemade varieties of baked goods. They live about a mile away and afterwards will be picked up and driven back home--which made me feel better.  Aware the Amish do not pose for photographs I can only describe them as sweet, lovely folks. In this wagon there were three layers of plastic containers that usually hold loaves of bread we see being delivered to our groceries stores. By the time she reached site 833 just a few items remained in the top container. The blueberry pies were gone but Sue/Ray caught her first on the way to our site so they got to enjoy them. I purchased 3 items:

8 Sticky Buns
(with morning coffee)

Sour Cream and Onion Pretzels
(addicting)

Fiber Balls which I would describe as balls of peanut
butter, raisins and chocolate chips rolled in oatmeal and honey.
(Filling and satisfying)

To close this first installment of my PA trip and being the proud Poppa of two beautiful young ladies, I thought I would share a moment where older granddaughter, Sara, achieved yet another milestone in her journey through life. This is taken from the website,  https://marine-conservation.org/our-people/sara-tytlar/

Sara Tytlar is currently working towards her Master’s of Professional Science in marine conservation at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. She earned her B.S. in marine affairs and Master’s Certificate in GIS and remote sensing at the University of Rhode Island. Her love for the marine environment came from SCUBA diving excursions at a young age. Her previous research experience has included studying reef fish biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef and fisheries management in New England. She has a strong passion for environmental conservation and is dedicated to making a positive impact in protecting our world’s oceans. She hopes to use her background in marine conservation and GIS to study restoration and conservation of mangrove ecosystems in protected areas. In her free time she enjoys biking, kayaking, and diving!

And so, my adventure continues. I'm here until 8/23rd and hope to have lots more photos for those who follow. Stay tuned and stay well.