Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio’s Amish Country

by | Dec 8, 2020 | Destinations, Family Adventures, Midwest, Mommy Getaways, Romantic Retreats, USA, Weekend Trips

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A shopping trip to Amish country is the perfect holiday and long weekend getaway! The pace of life is slower in Amish country. It offers a chance to finally enjoy the scenery and the time to do it. There aren’t many highways, so you have no choice but to take the back roads and see where they lead you! They may lead you to unique shops only found in Amish county. There is ample opportunity to discover those unusual items perfect for the person that has everything.

 

Pro Tip: Some members of the Amish community are a little apprehensive of the “English.” Don’t take it personally if they don’t want to chit chat. Also, the Amish don’t like to have their picture taken. No pictures with an Amish person’s face appear in this article for that reason. 

 

Amish Buggy, Lehmans

Lehmans even sells special blankets meant to keep your clothes clean and dry while riding in a buggy! © Emily Householder- Stacey

 

 

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Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio's Amish Country

 

Lehmans

Lehmans is a huge store that sells everything. Here, you’ll find all kinds of gourmet food and candy, from old-fashioned toys to candle-making supplies. I can’t walk out of Lehmans without an antique toy for my toddler and a cool, old-fashioned gadget for my husband. You could easily spend 3 hours just walking around and looking at all the cool stuff. Luckily, there is a cafe inside if you get hungry or thirsty from all that gazing!

 

Berlin Ohio - Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio's Amish Country

The downtown area of Berlin, Ohio is very walkable, but parking is scarce. Definitely ditch your car if you can! Photo courtesy of S. Clyde, Nat’l Scenic Byways Online, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Downtown Berlin

Berlin, Ohio is a small town that is located near the center of Amish Country, which makes it a perfect place to set up camp if you are staying for a weekend. The downtown area is full of really cute and uncommon shops. You can find anything from quilts to handmade, wooden furniture and decorations, wind chimes, and candles.

My mom likes to park in the public parking at either end of downtown then work her way down one side of the street, and hit the other side on the way back. My husband and I prefer to park in the center of downtown so we can easily take our purchases back to the car. 

 

 

The Berlin Craft Mall

The Berlin Craft Mall is probably my favorite place to shop in all of Ohio. It’s one big building with stands from a bunch of local artisans and crafters. Anything you could ever want that can be homemade, you can probably find at the craft mall. If you are short on time and you are looking to get a lot of different things quickly, this would be the place! Every time my husband and I go there, I end up talking myself into and then backing out of a handmade wooden porch swing. 

The craft mall shares a parking lot with a large antique store. Additionally, there are many stores in a nearby plaza to check out as well as a self-guided tour of a traditional Amish home. 

 

‘Tis the Season

As you might have guessed, Tis the Season is a huge Christmas store. I can’t stress the word HUGE enough. Every kind of ornament or decoration you can imagine is available for purchase. If you are low on decorations, then this is the store for you! If you want to buy all new ornaments so they are color-coded and match, Tis the Season would be the place to do that. Or, if you are adding a second or third tree, I won’t judge you, and this is the place to make that happen. Also, if you aren’t visiting during the holidays, don’t worry, Tis the Season is open year-round. 

 

Where to Eat in Amish Country

I have a few favorites in Amish Country. Mrs Yoders Kitchen has an excellent lunch buffet, where you can stuff yourself full of the best-fried chicken in the state. Der Dutchman has the best deserts and the best donuts. Make sure you try a fry pie! If you find yourself in town on a Sunday, when most restaurants are closed, check out Bags Sports Pub in Sugarcreek. 

 

Photo of plate of Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Corn - Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio's Amish Country

I think I have now consumed like 4 whole chickens at Mrs. Yoders and I’m not sorry.

 

One final and very important note: Most things in Amish country are closed on Sunday. My mom likes to joke that they roll the sidewalks up on Saturday night. The first time my husband and I went down to Amish country was on our honeymoon, and when we got there Sunday night we couldn’t even find a place to get dinner! I highly suggest that you don’t plan on doing anything on a Sunday other than traveling or relaxing. If you need to check into your hotel on a Sunday, you will likely need to make special arrangements. So, I suggest you check with the hotel in advance. 

 

Photo of Treehouse - Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio's Amish Country

My husband is a big kid at heart, so when I suggested we stay in a treehouse for our honeymoon he was totally on board!

 

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When You Go

 

 

Getting To Amish Country From LA

To get to Ohio’s Amish Country from Southern California, you can fly into Akron/Canton Airport or Cleveland. Akron/Canton is closer, but it’s a small airport so it can be hard to get a flight there. Alaska, United and American all have connecting flights. The ones with one stop are around 7 hours total. You will definitely need to rent a car. There are, not surprisingly, any Ubers in Amish Country.

An excellent discount site for flights (and cars, hotels) is Expedia! This is where we start our research for the best deals!

If you’d like to be in the know for exclusive discounts to fly anywhere in the world, check out Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights). Their website shows current deals, and they send emails when they find new deals. Try out their free 7-day membership to save BIG money on flights. I’m not kidding. They have the best deals out there and we’ve tried them all, or so it seems. There’s no need to buy a membership (you’ll still have access to great deals with their free trial).

 

Pro Tip: There are several areas where you don’t get any cell or GPS service in Amish at all. So, look over your routes and get some maps in advance. If you’re a AAA member you can pick up maps from your local AAA for free (if they don’t have them in stock they can order them from an Ohio AAA for you, free of charge!).
 

 

Where To Stay In Amish Country

On the outskirts of Berlin are treehouses. This is where my husband and I stayed for our honeymoon! They are really romantic. They featured 2 person soaking tubs, and they even gave us bubble bath and robes. It was the perfect retreat after our wedding. We stayed at the Lofty Willows, but there is more than one place that offers treehouses in the area. 

The Dutch Host Inn is a cute hotel located in Sugarcreek. They offer packages that include dinner, breakfast, and a bunch of goodies from around the area. They are a great bargain!

Hotel not your thing? There are many cabins and cottages in Amish country available to rent. Look below for all your options!

 

 

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Holiday Family Shopping in Ohio's Amish Country