Road Trip and What I Learned Along The Way

 Hubs and I have been talking about taking a road trip for a very long time. We finally had some time off. We had the opportunity. And we had some extra cash to just jump in the car and see the landscape. As a side note I'd like to say that The Great Depression is alive and very unwell in the United States. Tons of closed stores, closed restaurants, closed hotels and the absence of tourists can make for a very sad adventure. Nonetheless, we made reservations to see the real Amish Country up in Lancaster, PA. Much to our surprise the hotel was actually fully booked as we managed to score the last available room . Hubs and I, when we aren't RVing, like to stay at the Hilton Tru Hotels. They always accommodate customers who travel with their pets (dogs and cats). Plus the room rate ($92 a night) always includes a free, delicious breakfast! Coffee, tea, hot chocolate are free all day and night long, which can come in handy at times.

Our hotel stay included access to a heated, indoor pool, exercise room, snack bar etc.

This was the view (of the many farms) from the back of the hotel.

Check in was 3PM and after we were settled the front desk recommended this dog park we could take our little "puppy" to. It was located on a local college property and offered some very heathy walking trails (as well as some nice scenery). Afterwards, we stopped at a local Amish restaurant, specializing in steaks, meatloaf and smashed burgers. We ordered two burgers to-go, baked potato, steamed broccoli  (no dogs allowed inside the restaurant) and had an amazing dinner ($31 with tax & tip). 

When we got back to our room we noticed there was an Aldi located in the back parking lot. To get there was within walking distance. After paying another $24 the next day for lunch, hubby took a walk to the Aldi grocery store and bought that nights dinner, as well as snacks, bottled water and food for the ride back home. Our hotel room had a mini fridge so all in all, it was a very good thing!

The next day we rode around the area. We found an actual Amish Village we could tour and visit.  Across the way was an authentic eatery, Katie's Kitchen complete with a funky statue at the front entrance. We had that lunch there but realized if we didn't watch our bottom line we'd go over budget.

We also found a small, picturesque little town, called Strasburg (click here) just outside the tourist area. Hubby and I took a walk through the quaint little town. We found a charming little coffee shop, The Speckled Hen and sat in their (almost empty) patio sipping a hot capacinno, enjoying the blossoming of spring.

The best part, however, was just being able to sit in our car and drive around the area taking in the views and all the many, many farm acres all around us. The Great Depression isn't hitting the Amish as much as it is hitting us regular folk. Our capitalistic society is crumbling right in front of our eyes. The Amish, who don't even power their homes or equipment with electricity (they rely on propane) are totally self-sufficient and support each other from womb to tomb. They grow their own food, raise their own livestock, make their own clothes and depend on the Lord Jesus for all their good fortunes. Maybe it's something we outsiders may be learning for the very first time.

Here's a video I made of our recent ride through Amish Country. I re-started my original YouTube channel, The Frugally Retired Couple and will be again making my videos. The pandemic is over. My cancer treatments are over. I think it's time for me to get back in the game and start enjoying my life again. Many, many changes are going to be coming my way. Hubby and I used this time away to reflect on our lives and start making adjustments to it as we move forward. Stay tuned. Perhaps we all need to re-adjust our lives, our lifestyles and the way we think about life, money and the world around us. 

Bottom line, the entire trip (including gas and tolls) 3 days (2 night hotel), restaurant meals and miscellaneous expenses cost us a total of $435. We got back around $500 in a tax refund, so our journey was not a budget buster. We thought it to be a good use of our 'newfound' money. 

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