The Driving Force
Back in October of 2019, at a monthly meeting of Rocket City Miata Club, our friend, Tim Kratz, shared an idea for a “drive” to join in September of 2020. During meetings, members are encouraged to share new drive ideas: the “Buggies and Bridges III – Miatas Return to Amish Country” event planned by PACE Miata Club was shared by Tim. Thus, the seed for this trip was planted.
As a newly retired couple, this seemed a perfect kick-off for retirement! We had everything we needed to haul our Miata behind the RV. We started planning to join the Miata event. Somewhere along the timeline, our journey expanded to include Acadia National Park and then Niagra Falls. It took months to find all the camp sites and time things just right to be at the event that was to begin September 24, 2020. I created a folder with a calendar and all the reservations printed out.
But, as we all know, in 2020 nothing went as we all planned. We were blessed to make it through that year, live to cancel things, and move on. The trip folder sat in my desk drawer till fall of 2024. Ed was pretty busy playing in a band by then, and I was working part-time at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, but neither of our commitments could not be paused. In January of 2025, we reworked our timeline and blocked out the entire month of September for the trip to become a reality.
Minus a Miata
We have finally arrived here in Lancaster, PA, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, minus our Miata. Since we first planned our travels here, we purchased a 2019 Jeep Cherokee and Ed “set it up” as a tow vehicle. The Miata event that put this journey in motion was never rescheduled. We left the trailer and the Miata at home for another day.
Old Mill Stream Campground; Dutch Wonderland
Once again, we have found a great place to come back to! If you ever venture this way with a camper, you should include Old Mill Stream in your stay. The shade here is lovely and we are centrally located to all that we want to see. Dutch Wonderland them park is located right next door to our campground but is currently closed for the season. Known as the “Kingdom for Kids” Dutch Wonderland is a 48-acre family-friendly theme park meant to appeal to families with young children.
We appreciate the convenience and relative quiet of the area. The site we are in isn’t particularly level, but we added some leveling blocks and set up pretty quickly. Before we turned in for the night we explored an Amish Farmer’s Market in Bird in Hand, PA. I purchased a snack pack of sausages and cheese that were amazing! The oatmeal and raisin cookies I found were phenomenal!
One Day in Lancaster
Since we won’t be here for long, today, Friday, September 19th, we plan to make the most of what is close by. There are 26 historic covered bridges in the area and we are surrounded by Amish farms. It should be a beautiful day.
