God willing next year my hubby wants to take me to see the Amish quilts. I don't really know where is the best place to go or what is the best travelling arrangement to see them (bus, train etc) As we are from Northern Ireland can anyone tell me where we would get the most displays. The travel agents are'nt really very helpful on this one so automatically I thought all you quilters would probably be the ideal people to ask.
Thanks in advance.
Vi

there are big Amish communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, try googling amish quilt tours, one i know of is www.amishcountrylanes.com/ there should be others, i think that one is for Lancaster Pa area., lots of nice quilt shops in that area too.

If you're making the trip, you might as well schedule it to coincide with one of the large quilt shows, right? :mrgreen:

The big Lancaster, Pa show, now run by the same AQS folks that put on the Paducah show, will be held March 14-17, 2012.
http://www.americanquilter.com/shows...s/upcoming.php

There are a ton of hotels/motels in the area, at all price ranges, but don't wait until the last minute to book. You'd find a room, but it might not be to your liking. ;-)

When you say you want to "see the Amish quilts," are you talking about viewing them in a museum, or checking out the Amish lifestyle?

Weather can go either way at that time of year - if can be really cold/snowstorm or beautiful with a nice chill in the year.
There are tons of quilt shops in the area.
http://www.quiltart.com/lancaster.html
And the Quilt and Textile museum in Lancaster:
http://quiltandtextilemuseum.com/qt/

NYC is 2 hours away, a very easy drive.

Here's a list of the shows that Quilts, Inc. puts on every year (the Houston folks):
http://quilts.com/newHome/index.php
At least you'd have the dates for reference.

Wherever you choose to go, enjoy your trip.

Hope you enjoy your trip

Monday thru Friday of next week my husband and I are going to be in "Amish Acres" in northern Indiana.... so excited!!! I read that they plant gardens to look like quilts - so excited to see that!!
Can't think of a better was to celebrate our 46th wedding anniversary :P

I will say, if you don't wish to drive while you're here, you may want to look for a bus tour. Public transportation outside of metropolitan areas is sketchy at best and in most places, completely non-existent. Amish country is beautiful, and there are lots of tour bus companies that have travel packages. I can't speak for any quilt-specific ones, but considering that's a huge part of the Amish appeal, I'm sure there are some out there.

I grew up playing with the Amish kids when my grandpa would go visiting. They're a wonderful group of people, and I find them inspiring and refreshing.

Thank you all for quick respose. We don't particularly want museums just to be able to visit amish areas on maybe bus tour where we can see quilts and of course fabric and quilting shops. That would be good if we could combine some of the big quilt shows. Starting to get really excited about planning.
Many thanks

Lancaster is very crowded during the quilt show. Make sure that you have time before the show to tour and shop. I personally would wait for warmer weather later on in the year. Maybe you aren't used to the hot summers, but I like to go when the farms are producing and you can sample the local goodies. Anytime in Lancaster is a treat and I only live 90 minutes away. I was in the area last weekend and I noticed several rental motorhomes. There are many beautiful campgrounds and self tour maps are available. Check out the prices and maybe this is something you would like.

You’ll love it! I found some gorgeous Amish quilts when I was at Bird in Hand PA. Also beautiful scenery, crafts and other things that the Amish make. Very relaxing and beautiful lifestyle. The food is so good. Wish I could remember the name of one of my favorite restaurants but I think no matter what you’ll enjoy the Amish food. It will be a fun time! :thumbup: :-D

William and I used to drive truck as a team, and I LOVED it when we got to "Amish Country"!! As was said before, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc. There were quilts for sale in every little store/resturant that we stopped in...I loved the fall, when we could drive by and see the men working in the fields, it looked like a picture from the past...and the bakeries!! Oh my!! We stopped at one that was not at all modern! Wood stoves and ovens, kerosene lamps for lighting, candle sconces on the walls...
One of my favorite memories tho, had nothing to do with quilts or food... heading to our destination, we had to go around a corner and as we approached it, saw "mama" on her knees working a flower bed. We could see "papa" in the back yard working on something beside a shed, and here came two little girls, about 3 and 5 years old, long dresses, bonnets, little boots, running as fast as they could pumping their little arms like mad! William reached up and hit the air horn for them, and they jumped up and down, hugged each other and danced in circles, they were so happy about it and pleased with themselves! I still smile to this day thinking about it! :)