^
I go to areas where the Amish live often north of Pittsburgh and central OH and often overhear them talking. It’s interesting to note that they speak old German from the 18th-17th centuries. It differs greatly from modern German. Much like how Middle English differs from modern English. German speakers can still understand what they’re saying mostly but they can’t speak it anymore.
The Amish are super friendly and in Somerset County here in PA back when I used to take photos all the time i actually was allowed to take photos in one of their churches while they were having a service. Wasn’t allowed to take photos of anyone’s face but could take photos from the back of the church building. As an aside, the Amish in Somerset County are the 2nd oldest group of Amish (settled in 1772); Berks County, PA being the oldest (1740) and are the only group that have dedicated church buildings. Every single other group of Amish hold church services in a different house every Sunday and don’t have dedicated church buildings.
The most interesting group of Amish that I’ve encountered are the Byler Amish who live around Belleville, PA in the most beautiful valley on the east coast; sort of near State College. They are the most strict and conservative of all of the Amish that I know of and have yellow buggies. You can tell what sect of Amish most are by what their buggies look like. The Byler Amish live in the Kishacoquillas Valley aka Big Valley, where Belleville is. It’s interesting to note that there are 3 different churches (sects) of Amish in this one valley.
If anyone comes to PA to witness the Amish, skip Lancaster which is just a giant tourist trap and go to Belleville and the Big Valley. I’ve been all over the country and it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and luckily it will stay that way as many of the farms have conservation easements on them which means they can never be developed into hideous housing tracts from retirees from Philly/Baltimore/DC.
On a sidenote, it’s actually amazing how many of the farms etc within reach of Philly, DC and Baltimore are protected by conservation easements. They really help curtail the spread of horrifying suburbia on the east coast.
This map has nearly all conservation easements on it, it’s freaking fascinating (especially with just how much is protected around Philly). Just found it a few days ago and have been obsessed with looking at it and seeing just how much land is permanently protected from the spread of sprawl. I’m really glad that so much is protected because the valleys in Virginia and PA/Maryland are so beautiful and I was always worried that sprawl would forever ruin them. More needs to be protected by conservation easements everywhere but every year more acreage is added all over.
https://site.tplgis.org/NCED/interactivemap/
What really bums me out though is that so little of Texas Hill Country is protected. The sprawl of Austin and San Antonio is quickly ruining the beautiful Hill Country. Where my parents live is some horrible sprawling McMansion suburb of New Braunfels. They are of the generation that just loves McMansions and have no care in the world about the environment. Their retirement tract helps ruin the Hill Country. The people who own 1035 acres to the south of my mamaws 600 acres luckily preserved their land with a conservation easement. But my mamaw is old and I’m afraid when my parents and my aunt and uncle get the property they will sell it and it will be turned into a schlock suburban McMansion development since it’s only about 40 min outside of Austin.