Holmes County Amish Country

With summer’s end on the horizon, it’s time to plan that last road trip. Or perhaps plan for one as the leaves begin to turn.

Ohio Amish Country in Holmes County is a quick day trip, but it’s also a tourist destination for people across North America. You can get there in fewer than two hours on major Interstates like 71, 77 and 271, but if you want to take in some great scenery, chart a course on some of the lesserknown state highways and “blue” roads that cut directly through bucolic settings.

You’ll find a life at a slower pace here. While some of the local attractions might seem a little kitschy, like the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock in Sugarcreek or the Amish Country Theater in Berlin, the overall experience takes you back to a simpler time.

The shopping is great (think homegrown, homemade and handmade). And the food, whether it’s from a store or a restaurant, is nothing short of fantastic. In fact, it’s a great idea to take along a cooler and head back with some goodies.

Here are two of my favorites:

Guggisberg Cheese, particularly the Baby Swiss, is among the very best cheeses in the world. It’s located in Millersburg. One taste of this firm-textured but creamy-tasting cheese, and it’s easy to see why there is no cheese like the Original Baby Swiss.

Cheese aficionados are quick to agree. Winner of the Ohio Grand Champion Cheesemaker title numerous times, Guggisberg currently holds the 2019 United States Grand Champion title of the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. This Baby Swiss is recognized as the “best cheese in the country.”

Troyer Trail Bologna. Buy some local, homemade bread, and pair that cheese with the Troyer family’s genuine

Trail Bologna, a unique bologna produced at the family’s factory on Route 515 in Dundee. It’s been sold directly across the street in a small store since 1912.

If you’re a heathen and can’t help yourself, dollop on some Bertman Ballpark mustard. I prefer mine with just the bread to let the flavors of the bologna and cheese meld together. — TT

Edgewater Beach draws recreational boaters who like to anchor by the Lake Erie shore.

By Erik Drost