On Saturday my wife and I decided to take a quick trip to Amish Country. We visited Sugarcreek and Berlin, Ohio to have lunch and visit a few shops. I took my Nikon D90 with me and captured a few winter pictures of the winter landscapes. Our first stop was at Dutch Valley Gift and then lunch at Dutch Valley Restaurant. I decided to take a few pictures while I was there. I have taken a few photos there in the summer but never during the winter.

First up was a picture of the Carlisle Inn Sugarcreek. Taken on a cold winter day it doesn't have the appeal of a snow covered picture taken at night or the warmth of a summer day. However, you certainly feel the warmth once you go inside the hotel and see the beautiful open spaces and wonderful wood work from local Amish craftsman.

Next up was a few pictures of the surrounding landscape near the hotel and gift shop. It was a gray day with temperatures in the low twenties and a little windy. The house off of old route 39 was an interesting site sitting there in the cold. As I was taking the picture I heard music off to the right that was coming from the church. The tree between me and the church really added some character to the photo. Although I was there to take some winter pictures I kept thinking about how I wished it was summer!

Our next stop was Berlin to visit the Village Gift Barn and while there I took the liberty to snap a few outdoor pictures at Country Gatherings. On our way back home we stopped at Andreas Furniture in Sugarcreek to see what was new and look around to see if there was anything that we liked. We did spot a nice chaise lounge that would be a nice addition to our sun room.

Driving south into the country is always a relaxing drive and is a great getaway to heading north into the bigger cities and heavier traffic. When in Amish country you need to watch out for the occasional buggy, not the shopping mall parking lot speedster.