Overnight Amish Country Winter Trip

 

This past weekend, I got to mark off another bucket list trip and that is to Amish Country.  I found this really great packet from Dutch Host Inn called Amish Country Winter Package for Two.  This package comes with one night stay and a coupon book of free meals and items from local businesses. When I made my reservation the total was $135.25 as the "Standard Daily Rate" for 2 queen beds and 2 adults which would have been $19.70 lower without the Winter Package.  My total cost in the end for the Inn and Winter package for two queen beds was $180.25. This was an extra $25.30 for the $10 upgrade to queen beds and $15.30 added taxes.  

If you are worried that one night will make the trip seemed rushed, then don't worry.  Dutch Host Inn allows you to stop by after 7am on the day of your check-in to grab your coupon book and a map of the area.  You can explore before your check-in time at 2pm.  This is what we did and had half the items by the time 2pm came around. 

We decided to go the furthest out and work our way back to the Inn.  Our first stop was Country Creations for our free 1/2 lb. of Wrapped Hard Candy.  I'm the type of person that normally does not like "free" items alone so I made sure to purchase something from each location as well. My purchase here was this cute sign ($7.22) that I thought went with a new year starting.  The store has a lot of crafty items and mixed with random other items for purchase.  This stop is close to Ashery Country Store where we were to get a summer sausage but the store was closed for New Years.

Next on the list was Hometown Merchants which gave you a choice of a kitchen utensil.  My purchased item was this cute little inspirational hanger ($4.82).  I loved what it had to say.  The store is a mix of home items but also has some unique items to pick from.  

On the first day, I missed the Main Street Fudge & Popcorn Company so we had to go back on Saturday morning.  I put it here because it would be next on the line.  Here you get your choice of two popcorn balls.  My purchased item was the buy 3 bags of popcorn and get one free for around $20.  This little shop had just about every popcorn flavor you could ever think of.  I grabbed my favorites and then a few different ones to try. 

One of the shops I was most looking forward to was the Kauffman's Country Bakery and their free loaf of bread.  I got the normal wheat bread and for my purchase items, I got the jalapeno bread, pretzel buns and no sugar cherry pie. There was so many baked goods to pick from. It was hard not to buy everything!

This was just what the business name says, a Country Hills Market.  Not much really to purchase that wasn't normal grocery store items.  My free item was the 9 oz. strawberry jam and my purchased item was some much needed garlic salt ($1.85). 

The Hillcrest Orchard was one of my favorite places to shop.  Here you get a free 1/2 Gallon Apple Cider as well has free samples of hot or cold cider to try.  I got the hot spiced cider and it was so good, I had to purchase the stuff to make it at home.  I also grabbed some protein balls, banana chips and they had their Christmas candy on sale so the peanut butter chocolate balls ended up in my bag as well for a total of $13.02. 

Right on the main strip is this little store called Tis the Season.  Now this isn't part of the Winter Package but you have to stop just to explore this amazing place.  It is three floors of heavily decorated Christmas items.  It is broken down into sections depending on what you are looking for. It is pricy so you can expect to spend some money on these treasures. 

After exploring all day, we were getting hungry and friends had recommended Der Dutchman. This is another place not included in your Winter Package.  You do get a free Breakfast and Lunch/Dinner but we wanted to save the coupon for dinner so lunch was ours to pick.  Der Dutchman was very business when we got there so it is a popular place to eat.  It is advertised as a family friendly Amish restaurant with a view.  It did not disappoint!  We went with the $19.49 bar which had a wide range of what I would consider southern cooking from salad, fried/baked chicken, fish, roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, desserts and so much more.  The view was also nice as it gave a snowy picture of the valley. There is also an on-site bakery if you want to grab something sweet to take home. Across the street is Carlisle Gifts where I had a coupon for a free dish towel but we didn't catch this until after we had left. 

Next stop was the Walnut Creek Cheese shop for a free 9 oz. jam or jelly.  My purchased item was another jam and natural peanut butter ($7.78).  This place was huge and set up like a grocery store in the main part with a side section with lots of these different jam and jellies to pick from as well as more healthy items to purchase without all the junk chemicals added.  There is also a restaurant, Mudd Valley Cafe and Creamery, on the upper floor that offers sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salads and build-your-own bowls. 

It was around 2 pm and the perfect time to head back to the Dutch Host Inn and rest for a few hours. Check-in was easy as I had already did it when I picked up my coupon book so all the host did was hand over the key.  This is the old school type of key so don't expect the scanner cards most places use today.  The hotel is very clean and nice.  I loved that you can drive right to your door instead of having to take elevators to your room.  I didn't grab pictures of the room so you can check it out on their website.  Our room had two queen beds, table with two chairs, dresser, tv, mini fridge (no freezer), microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, shampoo and soap. 

This Inn has 33 guest rooms with 2 large jacuzzi rooms with fireplaces, double/queen/king rooms and a conference room with kitchenette great for groups.  In the check-in area there is a small breakfast area for people who did not purchase the package as well as drinks and snacks for purchase. Our stay in the room was very comfortable and I would stay here again in the future.  My only complaint has nothing to do with the place but with other guests.  There was one couple in a very loud truck which woke us all up really early in the morning. 

After resting for a while, we decided to head on out to Silver Moon Winery and pick up the free 1 oz. Green Cream Pain/Sinus Relief. This item was high on my list to get because I suffer from sinus issues and am always up to try anything natural that might help relieve the issue.  While at this place we also enjoyed a wine tasting.  We were given a list of all their wines and for $5.99 we were able to try 5 different ones of our choosing.  Out of all of them, we liked the Crispy Apple white wine so grabbed a bottle ($12.99) to bring home with us.  We also got to keep our glasses. The ladies running the place was really nice and made the experience very enjoyable. 

Right down the street is Broad Run Corner which we stopped to get our free 4 oz. jar of mustard.  The champagne dill mustard sounds interesting so I had to get it to try.  My purchased item was this cute little Gnome ($5.28) as we had just left a wine tasting and I thought it was a cute little souvenir to mark the occasion.  

It was dinner time so right behind the Broad Run was Hans' Place Restaurant & Winery which is where we used our coupon for a free meal for two.  We got the hamburger with fries and a side of mac and cheese.  For the purchased item we got a side of cheese sticks and then left the waitress a generous tip since we only had to pay for one item.  After this we headed back to the Inn to tuck in for the night.

In the morning, check-out was easy as we just to had return the key and then we headed out for our free breakfast bar at Dutch Valley Restaurant.  I have to say, out of all the places we ate at, this was our favorite.  It was a breakfast bar and had everything you could think of.  Bacon, sausage, eggs, mini pancakes, french toast sticks, fruit, biscuit and gravy, cinnamon buns, yogurt and so much more. If you use the coupon, the bar is free but you have to pay for your drinks.  As our "purchased" item, we again left a generous tip to the waitress.  They have a gift shop and bakery attached if you want to pick up something to take home. In the same area is Dutch Valley Gifts where we had a coupon for free dip or seasoning but it was closed. There is also a neighboring food market with local meats, cheeses, jams and more.  

After breakfast, we headed out to explore Sugarcreek area and find the rest of our free items before heading home but first we swung by the Amish Country Donuts and Cafe to grabbed some monster size donuts to take home.  When I say monster, I mean they are the size of your head and one of the best donuts I have ever tasted.  I almost wanted to get the maple bacon but we stuck with just the original one and it did not disappoint.  

Sugarcreek is known as "Little Switzerland" and home to the World's largest Cuckoo Clock.  The clock was closed for the winter as the water for the wheel freezes up but when it is operational, every half hour from 9 am to 9 pm you can watch the doors open and the magic of a cuckoo clock work with its mechanical dancing couple and five-piece oompah band.  In the 1970's the Alpine Alpa Restaurant family in Wilmot, Ohio commissioned to have this clock built.  When the restaurant was closed in 2009, it was purchased, restored and moved to downtown Sugarcreek. The clock stands 23 1/2 feet tall and 24 feet wide. 

The Gospel Shop and Collectors Decanters & Steins stores are beside the Cuckoo Clock and you get 20% off coupons in your package but we didn't visit these places on this trip.  Also within walking distance is the Alpine Hills Museum but it was closed so it is also a place we need to come back to visit.  There is several smaller stores around the area that you can shop in as well. I did miss seeing the Brick Wall Sculpture so make sure you don't when you visit. 

We moved on to Swiss Village Bulk Foods to pick up our free 1/2 pint of Yoder's Apple Butter.  There is a section just for jelly and jams so you will find this product there.  It was nicely marked with a sign to indicate which item was for the Dutch Host Inn Winter Package freebie.  This took the guess work out of what item we were looking for.  Our purchased items was more garlic salt, natural peanut butter, mango chips and some organic coconut for our hermit crab who just loves coconut ($14.89). This store is known for over 6,000 products, including meats, cheeses, spices, dips, dried fruits and candy with lots of samples to try. There is also an on-site restaurant which serves sandwiches, wraps, panini, salads, milkshakes, ice cream cones and sundaes. 

Our last stop was at SunRise Market & Cafe for our free 1 lb. of cheese.  This was a very small place like a deli.  Our purchase items was drinks for the road. 

In conclusion, this was a really fun overnight trip and well worth the cost with all the free stuff we were given.  It is a great way to visit local businesses and explore the area that we might not of known was there.  Some of the places we didn't get to was: Dutch Valley Gifts for garlic & herb spread dip mix, Ashery Country Store for Winesburg meats summer sausage, Hershberger's Farm & Bakery for two free Amish-made fry pies, Erb's Stove Center for free bottle of BBQ sauce or seasoning, Carlisle Gifts Walnut Creek for free dish towel, Charm Harness & Boot for free pair of socks, Coblentz Leather USA for free leather bracelet, The Cabin Store for free outlet cover, Kaycee's Western Store for free western charm bracelet, Lamp & Light Candle for free six wax dipped pine cones, The Gospel Shop for 20% off, Collector's Decanters & Steins for 20% off and bfearless for free earrings. These coupons are good until April so I can always make another trip!

Exploring West Virginia One County At A Time (Part 4 - Northern Panhandle)

Northern Panhandle
Brooke, Hancock, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler and Wetzel

This is part 4 of 9 in the exploring all West Virginia's 55 counties series.  You can find links to the rest at the bottom of this blog as well as a few YouTube videos. 

Brooke County 

Brooke County was established in 1797 and was named after Robert Brooke, a governor of Virginia. Today the county seat is Wellsburg.

I stopped at Gus’s Goodies, which dates back to 1935, to grab some treats. This is a family-owned business that was started by two brothers who immigrated from Greece around 1912.  The treats did not disappoint and was a welcome sugar rush stop as I was on my traveling journey.  I took some to go and enjoyed every single bite. 

 

 Hancock County 

Hancock County was established in 1848 and was named after John Hancock who was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Today the county seat is New Cumberland. This area is historically known for the Yellow Creek Massacre, where in 1774, the Iroquois leader Chief Logan’s family was massacred at Baker’s Tavern, which sparked the Lord Dunmore’s War.  Also in 1781, Adam Poe had his famous fight with the Native Americans known as Big Foot.  

Hancock is home to the World’s Largest Teapot. Originally this structure was a wooden hogshead barrel for the Hire's Root Beer company as an advertising campaign.  It measures 14 feet high and 14 feet in diameter. In 1938 the barrel was purchased by Devon's Pottery Outlet Store and moved to West Virginia.  A spout, handle and glass ball to the top was added as well as being covered with tin to form the teapot shape. It was used to sell concessions and souvenirs.  The pottery shop was sold to Mary Wucherer and Rhelda Cain in 1947.  It was sold again in 1971 to Cecil and Alice Fletcher who continued to sell pottery until they closed up shop as well.  It sat abandoned until 1984 when C&P Telephone purchased the land. The pottery building was demolished and the teapot was next until Geneva Hill, a resident, brought the citizens together to save it.  

In 1987 C&P Telephone donated the teapot to the City of Chester. Councilwoman Anne Ford formed a restoration committee and fundraising began for the $3,000 needed.  In early 1990’s Chester City Council voted to provide more funds needed to restore the teapot.  Today the door and windows are sealed shut.  The glass ball had disappeared years earlier and now replaced with a gold-painted basketball.  A ceremony was held on October 12, 1990 to celebrate the restoration completion.  There is an annual teapot day held every year with vendors, music and mini teapot souvenirs are sold to help support the teapots upkeep.  

 

 

 Marshall County

Marshall County was established in 1835 and was named after John Marshall who was the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court.  The county seat is Moundsville. Marshall is home to Grave Creek Mound, the largest conical burial mound in North America built by the Adena people between 250 and 150 BC.  It stands at an impressive 69 feet tall with a 295 feet diameter.  A moat of about 40 feet in width and 5 feet deep used to encircle the mound and inside archaeological researches have discovered Adena remains and artifacts. In 1964 it was declared a National Historic Landmark. 

One of the most notable people from this county was Dr. Harriet B. Jones.  In 1886, she became the first woman to be licensed as a physician in West Virginia as well as the first women to be elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates once woman was given the right to vote in 1920. 

Marshall is known for the West Virginia State Penitentiary.  The building itself is beautiful to look at in it's gothic, stone style with turrets and battlements.  The walls alone are five feet thick, 24 feet high and surrounding a center section of 682 feet long.  The land was purchased on February 7, 1866 for $3,000 to build a new prison after nine inmates escaped in 1865. The state used prison labor for the construction process.  The prison opened in 1867 with a population of 251 male inmates. In the beginning it was a good prison but as time passed conditions changed with overcrowding and it ended up ranked on the United States Department of Justice's Top Ten Most Violent Correctional Facilities list. 

On November 7, 1979, fifteen prisoners escaped followed by the January 1, 1986 Riot over two days in which three inmates were killed. Between 1899 to 1959, ninety-four men were executed in this prison, with eighty-five being hung until 1949 and open for public viewing until June 19, 1931.  Public viewing stopped on June 19, 1931 when Frank Hyer was being hung for murdering his wife and the noose ended up decapitating him.  Attendance was moved to invitation only.  The last man to be hung was Bud Peterson.  

By 1951, electrocution replaced hanging and the electric chair was nicknamed "Old Sparky".  The state prohibited capital punishment in 1965 but nine men were electrocuted before then.  Elmer Bruner being the last prisoner to meet Old Sparky's fate. Old Sparky is still at the prison today. 

In 1986, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled confinement to the 5x7 foot cells constituted cruel and unusual punishment and within nine years the prison closed with most inmates being transferred to Mt. Olive Correctional Complex. 

Over the years the prison has been used for training and for movies.  Castle Rock, the Hulu original series, based on the Stephen King's book was filed at the prison.  There has been other shows as well as featured in the video game Fallout 76. 

If you want a taste of India, then you can visit Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold.  The Palace is located in New Vrindaban and covers 1,204 acres.  In 1968, the community was founded by Kirtanananda Swami and Hayagriva Das, two disciples of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  The Palace was built in 1973 as a home for Srila Prabhupada but he passed in November 1977 before it was finished.  

The Palace was opened in 1979 and reported as "the magnificence of the Palace of Gold would be hard to exaggerate" by CBS PM Magazine; "a place where tourists can come and be amazed" by Life magazine; "Welcome to Heaven" by The New York Times; "Almost Heaven" by The Washington Post; and "It's hard to believe that Prabhupada's Palace is in West Virginia.  In fact, it's hard to believe it's on this planet" by The Courier-Journal. 

Now you can take a tour of the Palace (no pictures allowed inside) and walk around the grounds.  Inside you will find a hallway that walks around a center square filled with rooms.  The walls are all decorated from ceiling to ground with the best materials you can find around the world.  It really is an art work in itself.  This is an active location for thousands of Krishna devotees to come and worship so it is important that you respect the culture while there.  

Around the grounds you will find peacocks freely walking about.  From what I understand the peacock was one of Swami Prabhupada favorites so you will find the colors or feathers within the palace as well. 

 

 Ohio County

Ohio County was established in 1776 and was named after the Ohio River.  The county seat is Wheeling.  

On my bucket list was to visit Mt Wood Overlook as I was always fascinated by its history.  Back in 1921 the property was bought by Dr. Andrew Harness and his wife Mabel to build their dream home. However, in 1925 the construction stopped because Dr. Harness was indicted on 2 counts illegal sales of drugs in a sting operation.  The doctor was said to be devoted, kind and generous to his patients.  He would often sell drugs under the table to help his patients avoid the high costs and avoid taxes.  He ended up serving is time and then he left the area with his family.  The property turned into an open canvas for graffiti artists, under age drinking and drug dealers.  The city finally stepped to clean up the area by adding murals, trash cans and picnic tables.  Mere hours after the work was done, new graffiti had been added over the mural as the community loved the old graffiti. Today it is often found to be the backdrop for many photographers and lots of visitors came to enjoy the beautiful view it has to offer.  

If you love old vintage toys, Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum is a must to visit. This museum was once a public school built back in 1905. On March 18, 1997, the building was sold at auction and the museum was born.  It is a two-story building with basement; all filled with childhood memories for you to enjoy. The old classrooms are now converted into different toy rooms.  There is the Doll Room which date back to the 1920’s with the nation’s largest interactive dollhouse.  One of my favorite rooms was for Miniatures Room dating back to the 1930’s.  The Transportation Room are from the 1800’s to present.  The Game Room dates back to 1920’s. You can’t miss the Puzzle Room which has one of the largest puzzles in the world at 6 feet tall and 22 feet wide.  And of course, there is train rooms to explore and play.  The basement is nothing but Peanut Gang for all those Snoopy fans like me. Ticket price will run between $7.50 to $15.00 and they also have party room rentals as well.  

And if you are looking for a unique place to stay, there is also a 1926 Baltimore & Railroad Caboose C-2019 on the property.  It holds four people with access to a full bathroom in the museum, one of the nation’s largest train libraries, kids play area, small eating area and a TV with VCR/DVD player. 

 

 Tyler County

Tyler County was established in December 6, 1814 and was named after John Tyler Sr who was the father of President John Tyler.  The county seat is Middlebourne. 

When you think of Tyler County, Marble King come to mind!  Marble King was founded in December 1949 by Berry Pink and Sellers Peltier and is the only domestic marble manufacturer which keeps their products all Made in America. Pink “The Marble King” traveled around the country hosting marble tournaments and giving way marbles along the way which is how the company got its name. When running at full production, this company can make over one million marbles a day. In 1983, Marble King was sold to Roger Howdyshell who dedicated his life to the facility until his death in 1991.  

His daughter, Beri Fox, now continues the Marble King legacy.  Next time you watch “Goonies”, “Hook” or “Home Alone”, know that those marbles used are from Marble King. Today they still ship marbles worldwide and a contributing sponsor of The National Marble Tournament since 1968.  There is a gift shop where you can purchase those beautiful marbles but when I visited, it sadly was closed. They are only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  They do have an online gift shop though.

 

  

Wetzel County 

Wetzel County was established in 1846 and was named after Lewis Wetzel a frontiersman.  The county seat is New Martinsville. History has that Wetzel County was the home of the Jennings Gang of sixteen members. They were known for robbing and shooting which nearly all members served terms in the penitentiary. A secret organization named, the Redmen, was formed to put a stop to the gang.  John Jennings, thought to be the leader, was woken by a gun shot during the night of June 12, 1873.  As he looked out of his window, he saw a mob of people with their faces painted red. He was ordered to surrender but he refused. His wife tried to help by handing him an ax when a rope was attempted to be put around his neck.  That action resulted in Jennings being shot and killed.  His wife was also shot twice but lived to tell the tale.  

While traveling, I stopped at Quinet’s Restaurant for breakfast on a beautiful morning. This restaurant was founded in 1941 and was the winners of the “Best Places to Eat Coast-to-Coast” in 2008. It was everything you would want in a West Virginia Restaurant.  As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by locals there eating their morning breakfast and was even offered a seat at their table. That is the kind of WV local kindness that makes this state so great.  The walls are covered with pictures of famous people and the tables have old black and white pictures made into the table. For breakfast I had the Bob Corace which is two eggs, meat of choice, fried potatoes and two slices of very thick buttered toast for around $8.  It was really good and I’m not really a big fan of fried potatoes but I ate them all.  It is worth taking a trip here if you are looking for some good food.  

Across the street from the restaurant is the 1920 Lincoln Theater.  In 1925, it became known as the main filming location for the silent film “Stage Struck” staring Gloria Swanson.  Swanson later returned to the Theater for the world premiere. The Theater closed in 1967 when the owner moved out of state but today it is owned by the New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department in which city events and free family movies nights are held. 

 

If you want to learn about the other 8 areas of West Virginia, you can find a link here. I have also created a few YouTube videos that goes with this series.

Part 1 - Eastern Panhandle: Berkely, Jefferson and Morgan

Part2 - Potomac Highlands: Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph and Tucker

Part 3 - Mountaineer Country: Barbour, Doddridge, Harrison, Marion, Monongalia, Preston and Taylor

Part 5 - Mid-Ohio Valley: Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Wood and Writ

Part 6 - Mountain Lakes: Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, Lewis, Nicholas, Upshur and Webster

Part 7 - Metro Valley: Cabell, Kanawha, Mason and Putnam

Part 8 - Hatfield-McCoy Mountains: Boone, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Wayne

Part 9 - New River/Greenbrier Valley: Fayette, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming

YouTube - Exploring West Virginia One County At A Time

YouTube - Malden to Belle, A West Virginia Historical Tour

YouTube - The Historic Itmann Company Store in Itmann, West Virginia