A road trip through Driftless Wisconsin represents a casual excursion of discovery. On this particular day, I set out to see some of the northern stretches of Driftless Wisconsin. Even for someone who lives here, every day in Driftless Wisconsin is an adventure.I turned right off State Highway 27, which dissects Driftless Wisconsin into watersheds, onto County Road P, just north of Westby. County P meanders like an amusement ride through the bluffs of the back country, sandwiched between galloping landscapes and a brook running clear from snow melt.
This is the heart of Amish Country. Handmade signs abound touting blacksmithing, upholstery, horseshoeing, custom-made furniture, hand-woven baskets, and the other hand crafts and trades for which the Amish are famous. Road signs seem to mark the branches of a family tree, with names like Pa’s Road and Andy Miller Road.
Attracted by a sign advertising “Mini-Barns, Furniture & Toys,” I turned right onto Pa’s Road, past a one-room school house and an Amish buggy whose driver raised his hand in greeting. I turned into the crafter’s barnyard, where a shy young boy showed me to the woodworking shop. There, stylish walnut buckboard benches and sleek cherry wood coffee tables sat like orphans waiting for a new home. My host was quick to point out the children’s toys arranged neatly on shelves, demonstrating a wood duck that waddled web-footed as he pushed it along the floor.
The Amish do not sell on Sundays and shun attention – this family did not want their names to appear in my story – but if you’re looking for a collection of Amish Crafts, try “Down a County Road” Amish Shops and Tours in Cashton. They also offer Amish tours by appointment. I once heard owner Kathy Kuderer give a talk on Amish culture and she knows her stuff.
Take a road trip through the Amish Country of Driftless Wisconsin and you’ll soon get to know the Amish landscape as well; in unforgettable, albeit aimless ways.
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