To celebrate the end of my master’s program and my mom’s birthday (November 11), Mom and I went to Amish Country last Sunday and stayed through Wednesday morning. We only live two hours away from that area of Ohio, but neither of us had ever visited. We would occasionally pass through areas of Amish settlements on our way to somewhere else, so we’ve seen the Amish buggies on the roads. But never in the numbers we saw them on this trip.
Now … a brief review of the places we visited.
Guggisberg Swiss Inn: I booked three nights at this inn just outside Charm, which is also the home of Doughty Glen Winery and Amish Country Riding Stables. Horses roam free on the property. The price was extremely reasonable and included a hearty breakfast each morning (eggs, hash browns, and sausage – sometimes pancakes – along with yogurt, cereal, toast, pastries, etc.)
The grounds are beautiful, with views of rolling hills, farmland, and vineyards. One of the main attractions is the duck pond, and you can bring quarters to buy corn out of a dispenser to feed them. Mom and I were quite popular with the ducks … we had a lot of quarters!
As quiet and relaxing as this bucolic setting is, there is much to see and do in the area. Here are some of our highlights (in no particular order):
Guggisberg Cheese: Yes, this is owned by the same people who own the inn, and the cheese factory is just a stone’s throw away. Stop here to buy the Premium Swiss and/or Baby Swiss, which are both ranked best in the U.S. Of course, they also sell a variety of other cheeses, as well as things that go great with cheese.
Hershberger’s Farm and Bakery: They have a petting zoo here, if you’re into that sort of thing. But mainly it’s a small market/bakery and a place to buy crafts, antiques, and gifts. We got there too early for the petting zoo, unfortunately. They also offer buggy rides for a fee.
Coblentz Chocolates: We stopped in Walnut Creek, mainly because we were passing by there anyway on our way to Sugarcreek. The Der Dutchman restaurant is probably one of the main draws to Walnut Creek. It seems to always be packed. If you happen to stop in Walnut Creek, this is a great place to buy chocolates, fudge, and candies. It smells heavenly inside.
Also in Walnut Creek: Carlisle Gifts (across the street from Der Dutchman and part of the group that runs the restaurant – a beautiful shop with a great selection of gifts). Rebecca’s Bistro is a great alternative for breakfast or lunch if you can’t deal with the crowds at Der Dutchman. It’s small, but quaint. I highly recommend the blackberry bacon grilled cheese.
I was curious about Sugarcreek, the “Little Switzerland” of Ohio – home of the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock. Naturally, this piqued my curiosity, since I lived in Germany for 4 years and I’ve seen some pretty large cuckoo clocks. It’s a fun little detour. Make sure to get there on the half hour or the hour. (There is ample on-street parking and a public lot just across the street.)
You can see video of the clock here (I changed from vertical to horizontal mid-recording … we sat too close.)
We didn’t stay in Sugarcreek long. Some of the places were closed, and there were some shops we weren’t interested in seeing. But we did go into a shop near the cuckoo clock called Secret Garden. It’s a feast for the senses – almost overwhelmingly so.
Breitenbach Wine Cellars: There are quite a few wineries in the area, but we found ourselves here. And I’m glad we did. We had unseasonably warm weather (mid-70s!) for November, and they have a very nice patio. After we did a tasting (so many wines to choose from!), we decided on the plum wine. We ordered a chilled bottle to drink there and purchased a cheese plate (local cheeses, of course). This was probably the highlight of my day, just relaxing on the patio with some lovely wine and cheese.
All of the above were places we visited on the first full day, with the exception of Rebecca’s Bistro, which was a second-day stop. We ended the evening sharing a bottle of Doughty Glen’s White Catawba on the patio back at the inn.
My aunt joined us on our second (and last) full day to celebrate Mom’s birthday. We concentrated on the nearby town of Berlin, since there are a huge number of shops there. We stopped at Sol’s in Berlin, which is Ohio’s largest craft mall. Just down the street from there is Sheiyah Market, where we spent quite a bit of time also. (We stopped at Buggy Brew Coffee Co. inside the market – great pumpkin spice iced coffee!) Berlin Village Antique Mall was also right there, so we browsed in there, too.
After summer-like weather for our entire trip, it turned the morning we left. It was rainy and chilly. But we were up early and drove to nearby Miller’s Bakery so we could get there when they opened. OH. MY. GOD. Their cheese tarts! I got a cherry cheese tart. And I got a creamstick to take home for my husband. (Though I ate about a quarter of it. Sooooo goooood.)
One last recommendation – if you’re in the mood for pizza while you’re in that area, order from East of Chicago. That was our dinner the night we arrived (mostly because it was one of only a few places open on Sunday in the area, and the Berlin location was a short drive from the inn). We each ordered a medium pizza and had enough leftover for dinner the next day.
Karyn Johnson 