April 2010 Issue

Dos and Don’ts of Touring Amish Country

Enjoy your next trip, but remember to be cautious and courteous while traveling the rural roads and visiting Amish settlements.

Jessica Esemplare

Do get lost. Some of the hard-to-find back roads have the best Amish businesses, often advertised with nothing more than a sign at the end of a driveway.
Don’t travel on a Sunday. This is a day of rest and most businesses will be closed. If you do travel on a Sunday, stop by a Mennonite church service, take a drive-it-yourself tour or picnic at a scenic location.
Do follow the speed limit. Most of the Amish travel by horse and buggy or bicycle. Be careful when passing, taking sharp turns and going over steep hills.
Don’t take pictures without permission. While it is acceptable to photograph farms, scenery and sometimes people from a distance, the Amish do not like to be recognized in pictures, so it’s best to ask permission first.
Don’t treat the Amish like exhibits. Just as it is unacceptable to point, stare, trespass or interrogate people in your community, it is also unacceptable to do so in theirs. Guided tours and farm tours are the best way to experience and learn about the Amish without being intrusive.