If you are making plans to venture to Lanesboro, Minnesota for a family vacation, a quiet get-away for two, or a day trip with your friends, be sure to include a Bluffscape Amish Tour in your itinerary. Your Bluffscape guide will take you on a fun, educational tour of our Amish neighbors. This June you may see the Amish plowing and dragging their fields with their horse-drawn equipment and planting their crops as we are experiencing a late spring with many rain showers, therefore, a later than usual planting is taking place.
Taking the High Road
On the Road Again with Buffscape Amish Tours
Bluffscape Amish Tours are once again driving down country roads to bring you to Amish farms filled with Amish-made crafts, furniture, quilts, and, of course, sweet, buttery cashew crunch! Winter wants to hang on here in Minnesota in mid-April, but we will gladly take you out to learn all about the Amish culture to get your mind off the rain and snow that seem to plague us this Spring. You may want to wear shoes that can get a little mud on them, as we do get out at each farm to enter the Amish retail shops.
One change in our tour this year is the absence of our non-Amish stop at Austin’s Mohair Goat Farm. Sadly, Ada, passed away last November. Ada was an inspiration for many as she always had a smile and greeted everyone like they had been friends for years. I believe you can still order her famous Mohair socks from her daughters.
Keep warm thoughts and maybe Spring will finally arrive to brighten our days!
Bluffscape Amish Tours Gives Thanks!
November brings us Thanksgiving. Bluffscape Amish Tours in Lanesboro is thankful for a wonderful Amish tour season. Thank you to our tour guests who spent three hours (or more!) of their day riding along on our tours learning about the Amish culture of Southeastern Minnesota and meeting Amish families at their farms. Thank you to the Amish families on our route that teach us how to live a humble, simple life without modern conveniences and always having a positive attitude. Thank you to the Amish for sharing your talents in woodworking, baking, canning, basket making, quilting, or cooking up a batch of sweet, buttery cashew crunch (covered in dark chocolate)! I am amazed at your work that you share with us. Thank you to Ada at Austin’s Mohair Goat Farm for showing me how to work with passion and live life to the fullest! Thank you to the staff at Stone Mill Hotel and Suites for handling our tour reservations and helping our guests. Thank you to our knowledgeable, reliable Bluffscape Amish Tour guides: Vern, Rory, Eric, and Dave, my husband, who will drive an extra vehicle on Saturdays in the fall. They go above and beyond in providing hospitality and a fun, educational Amish tour. Most of all, I am thankful for my family as I am blessed with a hard-working husband, two beautiful daughters, and a new son-in-law! Take the time this Thanksgiving to count your blessings and think about what you are thankful for this year.
Only three more days to catch a Bluffscape Amish Tour for the 2012 season! November tours are only on Saturdays–November 3, 10, and 17 at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. This will be an opportunity to do a little Christmas shopping or sit back, relax, and let us do the driving in the countryside to visit Amish farms and shops.
Bluffscape Amish Tours will be closing for the 2012 season in mid-November, but Lanesboro is still open for business! Check out the Lanesboro Christmas Inn Tour on December 2. You may see the Bluffscape bus shuttling folks from one inn to another. Happy Thanksgiving!
Autumn Bluffscape Amish Tours in Lanesboro
Spring Bluffscape Amish Tours in Lanesboro, Minnesota
Spring is a beautiful time to come along on a Bluffscape Amish Tour located in historic Lanesboro, Minnesota. The past few weeks we have observed the Amish plowing their fields with a team of horses pulling a one bottom plow. It is quite a contrast to the large modern machinery that their English (non-Amish) neighbors use in the field. Due to the early Spring, flowers and trees are blooming and the grass is a lush, Kelly green.
The Amish children are finishing their school year this week. It is fun to watch the kids playing at recess outside of their one-room schools located along the countryside. You will need to ride along with me to learn more about their schooling!
Looks like rain in the forecast, but rain or shine, it is always a good time to go on a Bluffscape Amish Tour.
Running Amish
As an Amish tour business owner and guide, I’m interested in learning more about the Amish culture. While I was going through the mail a few days ago I found my daughter’s April 2012 subscription to Runner’s World magazine. A caption on the front cover caught my eye, “Bart Yasso Runs With the Amish (And They’re Fast!)”. If you are a runner or not, it is an interesting read regarding Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Anabaptists producing strong, fast runners. Anabaptists are Christians that practice adult baptism instead of infant baptism. They adhere to humility, hard work, and a simple life. Yasso mentions meeting and running with Mennonites, more progressive Anabaptists, and Old Order Amish, a very conservative branch of the Anabaptists. The Mennonites would wear the usual running apparel, but the Amish men had to wear black pants with suspenders and button-down shirts while running–typical dress for Old Order Amish. He stated that an Amish lady ran wearing a long skirt and a head covering. But, they could all wear running shoes. Another interesting part of the story was that they ran by the light of the moon.
I could tell you more about the article, but I want you to read it for yourself, therefore, I’m including a link to the article: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-243-297–14236-0,00.html
Yasso does a great job of explaining the Pennsylvania Amish culture. The Amish of SE Minnesota are a more conservative group of Old Order Amish also known as the Swartzentruber Amish. I’m not sure if their elders would allow them to participate in marathons like the Amish out east. I will have to check with a few of the local Amish to see if any are interesting in running for sport. If it draws attention or shows pride, they probably are not allowed to do so, but if it is for exercise and encourages others to run for fun, maybe it would be allowed.
All this reading about running almost makes me want to become a runner . . . time will tell!
2012 Bluffscape Amish Tour Season
Bluffscape Amish Tours is happy to announce our fifth Amish tour season! As it is often said, time flies when you are having fun. We have thoroughly enjoyed giving Amish tours since purchasing the business from Flaby’s Amish Tours in Lanesboro five years ago. We look forward to starting our season Saturday, March 4, weather permitting. Tours will run Saturdays in March and daily, Mon. – Sat. from April through October.
Ticketing and departure will be in the same location again this year at the Lanesboro FEED Mill located on the north end of downtown right next door to the Stone Mill Hotel and Suites. The reservation specialists at the FEED Mill will answer all calls and help you with your reservations for our tours. As a reminder, Bluffscape Amish Tours depart at 10:00 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m. The tours are about three hours long.
I look forward to introducing you to the Amish folks on our tour stops. They are very welcoming and appreciate our visits. Remember to bring cash along if you want to purchase their famous cashew crunch, jams, hand-made baskets, and other Amish made items. . . it’s all good!
I hope to see you on a Bluffscape Amish Tour.
Farewell to Das Wurst Haus
It is sad to see Das Wurst Haus in Lanesboro close its doors for good. Arv and Jan had the best German brats and sauerkraut along with a little polka music to go with it. Above is my daughter scooping ice cream while on one of her last days in the restaurant. We wish Arv and Jan the best in their retirement!