MUSIC ALONG THE BACKROADS

10/19/2010 - 10/24/2010

 

HIGHLIGHTS:   Mountains of West Virginia, Warther Museum,  Ohio Amish tour, Dinner on an Amish Farm with entertainment, Blue Gate Theatre , Joe Huber's Farm, Nashville & the Grand Ole Opry ...  10 Meals

 

OCT 19...Our exciting adventure begins as we travel across the Carolinas and begin to climb our way into the mountains of West Virginia during the most beautiful time of year. Our overnight is the town of Beckley, where we enjoy a Welcome Dinner and the cooler mountain air. (D)

OCT 20...Breakfast and we head north past the Capital city of Charleston and crossing the Ohio River, we leave the mountains and enter the rolling hills and farms of Ohio, prime lands for the Amish people.  In Dover, we stop at the Warther Museum, where Master Carver Ernest Warther presents a display of hand-carved wonders.  Using only his knife, file, and native ingenuity, he has carved the history of steam locomotives, ivory collections of Great Events in American History, and being a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln, at the age of 80 carved an 8 foot ebony and ivory replica of the Lincoln Funeral Train.  You will have a chance to stroll through the Swiss-style flower gardens and visit Mrs. Warther's Button House, a collection of 73,000 buttons arranged in beautiful designs. The rolling hills and farms are prime lands for the Amish people, as we check into our hotel for 2 nights in this lovely area.  Tonight our group enjoys dinner and local entertainment on an Amish Farm. (B,D)

OCT 21...This morning begins our narrated tour of the Amish Country of Ohio as we travel to the tiny village of Kidron for a visit to Lehman's Hardware, an institution in the heart of the county that is a meeting place for both "plain and fancy" people alike. We visit the markets, see the farms, stop at a cheese factory for samples, and tour the picturesque villages that dot the countryside. Dinner is in a typical Swiss/German style restaurant with entertainment as we finish off a wonderful day on the backroads of Amish Ohio. (B,D)

OCT 22 ...Today we journey across Ohio via Toledo into the back roads of LaGrange County, home to the largest Amish community in Indiana.. ..a countryside full of white-washed houses, bountiful vegetable gardens with flowering borders, laundry blowing in the breeze and freshly baked goodies for sale along the roadside. Our stop is in Shipshewana, where we enjoy a dinner at the Blue Gate Restaurant.  The Blue Gate's Amish and Mennonite home-style cuisine features daily specials and entrees like succulent beef and thick homemade noodles, deep-dish chicken pot pie, and signature dish, homestyle meatloaf. Dinners come with homemade bread, apple butter and the Blue Gate's own Amish peanut butter spread. After dinner, their theatre presents a show for our enjoyment... GRAND PIANO EXTRAVAGANZA.  Five prominent Gospel pianists and several Southern Gospel Groups will round out of the greatest shows on stage in the Midwest. (B,D)

OCT 23 ... Turning south, we travel the rolling countryside of Indiana to Joe Huber's Farm.  A special treat as we visit with the family farm, that now includes a restaurant,  and enjoy a meal of fresh vegetables, meats, and outstanding desserts.  Everyone will have some time to explore the farm or maybe take a tour by tractor, before we continue to on to Tennessee for our last night in Nashville.  What is a trip to "Music City" without a visit to the Grand Ole Opry, as we take our seats for this longest running show of legends and the top stars of "Country Music". (B,L)

OCT 24 ... We head for home after a grand fall tour along the backroads of the USA,  featuring the Amish, the American Farmer, wonderful meals and musical shows. (B)

 

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