Exploring Elkton and surrounds

Saturday and Sunday was spent with family exploring Elkton and the local area.  Our first visit was to the Amish Village in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, as we are very close to what is known as the Amish country.  We had a tour through the Amish house, then wandered around the farm - it is not lived in or worked by Amish, instead it is a tourist stop, but it does give a taste of what life is like for the Amish.  They do have modern kitchen appliances and sewing machines etc, but they take the electric motors out and replace them with (pneumatic) air motors.  They also use propane gas to power refrigerators and ovens, etc.  They do rely on non-Amish people to drive them long distances, as they can go into vehicles but not drive them.

Sign in the school - not sure my boys appreciate the importance and wisdom of this!

On all our drives we passed a lot of horse and buggy's, as well as men and children on bicycles - although they were more like a scooter than a true bike.

Coco, Karl, Robin & Tatiana in a buggy (not a real horse!)

After lunch at Good 'n' Plenty, where we all tried Shoo Fly Pie for dessert (made with molasses and brown sugar), we headed off to a couple of quilt shops, including one that was run by young Amish women (and yes, we did try to look at them as much as we could without them noticing us looking!).  The quilts were all very lovely!

We then headed to a spot where Regina often rides her horse, Blue John, and she led us to a ruin known as Mr Pierce's house.  It was built in the 1700s, and made of local stone.  We saw the remains of the house and the barn.

 After a short walk, we were able to see a marker from the Mason-Dixon line, which was surveyed by Mason and Dixon and forms the boundary between Maryland (in the South) and Pennsylvania (in the North).  I had seen one at the State Museum in Harrisburg, but for the rest of NZers, it was the first they had seen.

Our final stop before dinner, was to visit Blue John, Regina's horse.  He is an Arabian stallion.

Dinner was a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with freshly made cranberry sauce followed by an upside down cranberry cake.  Simply divine!!  We also got to meet Tom, Tante Thea's special friend whom we have heard about but until now not actually met.  It was also the last chance for all of us to be together, as Jan and Diane had to head back early Sunday, so we said our farewells to them that evening.

Regina, Tante Thea, Jan

Diane, Marjo, Regina, Jan

Sunday was a wet day, but that didn't stop us getting out.  It was a late start for us all, but our first highlight was meeting up with Miss Ronnie, a friend of Tante Thea's who we had first met in 2014 in San Diego.  What a delight to renew our friendship with her!  In the afternoon, the boys went to the YMCA for basketball and a swim with Regina, Tatiana and Coco (plus Coco's friend Sequoia).  Pita, Eric, Tante Thea and I went into Elkton and looked around.  Elkton was one of only 2 towns in the area that successfully repelled the British twice, so is quite historic.  They were once known as the wedding capital of the country, but now have no wedding chapels remaining in use.  They are very arty, so there are painted elk on display as well as painted parking meters which were quite fun to look at.

Tante Thea, Robin, Miss Ronnie, Karl

Last remaining Wedding Chapel in Elkton

An old barber's shop - this was run by the mayor at one stage

Old log cabin (transferred to its present location)

Another large art piece is the sculpture that was inspired by Tante Thea's husband, Oom Fons.  It is over 16ft tall and made of steel, stainless steel and brass.  The top is a mother and child heart shape, and there are imprints of Oom Fons' jewellery patterns on it as well.  It is quite striking.  (It also has a secret in its base).

The rest of the afternoon and evening were a bit disrupted due to Marjo (who had stayed at Tante Thea's resting) feeling unwell and being taken to hospital for a check-up.  After several hours of tests, she was declared well enough to leave and resume her holiday.  It was a bit of a worry for everyone, but thankfully all is well.