Northern Exposure--Day 3

Amana Colonies RV Park. Not one of the best parks we've been to but not one of the worst either. The sites are gravel and grass and not all that level. I had to do some fancy arranging to get the coach level. Had to put some boards under our right, rear tires or they would have been off the ground once the jacks leveled the coach. We have gotten fairly level. The coach is down a wee bit in the rear but we did not notice it while we slept last night.

Spent this morning cleaning the bugs off the front of the coach and put up the sun shade. Not sure how much we will need the sun shade though since it was overcast and dreary most of the day. The sun did peak out a little this afternoon and by 5:00 or so we had full sunshine. But, after dark the clouds came back and it rained for a little while. We're hoping that it clears off some so the RV sites can dry out before the bulk of the coaches arrive this weekend. Currently we have around 20 coaches here, mostly the club officer's and the volunteers that make these rallies work. We have had a good time visiting with old friends we have made over the years at the rallies.

Tonight 27 of us loaded into cars and went to dine at the Ox Yoke Inn in Amana. Although we had made reservations the place had not set up tables for us so we wound up in groups of six to eight at a table scattered around their dinning room. The food, mostly traditional German fare, was exceptionally good. One thing we have found that all RVer's seem to have in common is they like to eat well.

We were surprised with the area and the people when we arrived. We previously have had rallies where there are an abundance of Amish people and were expecting the same here, not knowing anything about the Amana Colonies. As it turns out these are two completely different sects and are very different, although they both come from a German/Switzerland background. The Amish have their roots in the Anabaptist movement, evolving from the Mennonites. They maintain the theology and lifestyle practiced 300 years ago, preferring to live without modern conveniences. The Amana people emerged as a part of the Pietist movement within the Lutheran Church in Germany, creating the Community of True Inspiration. They lived in a communal lifestyle from their migration to America in 1843 until this lifestyle was discontinued in 1932. Church life continues with very few changes, however, and many of the unique cultural traditions remain. The local Lutheran churches have two services on Sunday, one in German and one in English.

The Amana Colonies are made up of several communities, including Amana, East Amana, Middle Amana, High Amana, West Amana, South Amana and Homestead. As we get to explore the area we will be adding more information on the Amana Colonies.