Amish Country, Ohio

We got to our campground in Berlin, Ohio and haven't stopped running 'til this morning! Roy & Barb were already here and set up by the time we got to the park, so we hurried and set up the rig and the satellite; got showers; and headed out for a great Amish family style dinner. Since then, all we've done is eat, shop, and eat some more! I can't wait to get home so I can get back to a routine and get rid of this vacation fat!!

We've had a great time, though. Roy & Barb have vacationed often in this area over the last 25 years so they took us to all of their favorite places. One of them is the Warther's Carvings Museum. When Roy asked if we'd like to go to a wood carver's museum, I thought, okay, we'll see ducks, decoys, etc. Boy, was I ever wrong!!

Mr. Warther was a genius at carving - and I don't use that term lightly at all! He had a second grade education, but was blessed by God with a talent at carving like you've never seen. If you are ever in Dover, OH, I highly recommend you seek out this museum and take the tour. It is well worth it. Warther had a love for steam engines and Abraham Lincoln. So he combined the two with his carvings. I've posted a few pictures here and more at our Webshots site, but the pictures do not do the carvings justice. Plus, some of the pictures are blurry (not sure why). Warther created his own carving knives because he didn't like the ones available to him. From there, he began manufacturing knives for locals and his company grew from there. His grandchildren are still running Warther's Knives right there in the same building as the museum. All the knives are created individually and manually assembled. It is amazing. If you are interested in more information about this amazing man and his carvings, go to www.warthers.com. As you can tell, I was very impressed with what this man was able to achieve. He apparently had a photographic memory as he carved with little or no measuring. He would see it in his mind and then as he said, "I saw it in the wood." The carvings just emerged from the wood. It is truly a wonderful tour.

Of course, we also did the gift shops and such; ate some more, and then sat around the campfire last night talking. This morning we went to one of the Amish cheese factories. Since it was Saturday, the factory was not functioning, but we were able to sample the different cheeses (yes, more eating!). They had so many different kinds of cheese - even chocolate, rainbow sherbet and peanut butter!

Roy & Barb left a little before noon. It was great seeing them again and we hope to catch up with them next winter. They are heading west now and we, of course, are heading east. But, we'll keep in touch through e-mail and they can let us know the places to see out west when we go next year.

Leaving here in the morning and will be stopping for the next in PA. Will be home Monday morning! YIPPEE! So looking forward to being home and seeing all of you. Until then, take care. We love you!