After a few days they told us the boat would be finished by Friday morning the 7^th. That was more than a week away, so we reserved 4 more nights at the midtown Holiday Inn Express in downtown Philadelphia. The price was less than the Holiday Inns we used for some time, but it turned out great. We had a chance to see the big art museum again as well as the WWI cruiser Olympia which we missed last time. We also saw the aquarium in Camden across the river.  Other than the hippos it was not really first rate like the one we saw previously in Baltimore.

While getting back from the art museum Uber insisted on a pick up point too far to walk. I went ahead and started the ride, called the driver and told him to pick us up at the museum back entrance where Uber dropped us off that morning. Like the app, he said it was better if we just come to the pick up point. That did it. Nearly all our Uber issues are messed up pick ups. I installed the Lyft app on the spot, called for a ride, and they came and picked us up where we were. A later Google Maps check showed the walking time from the back of the museum to the Uber pick up point to be 13 minutes. If this is how their app works I might not get into one of their computer controlled cars. We’ll see how Lyft works out.

The day we spent near Lancaster to see Amish country was pleasant if a little disappointing. They should have trademarked their name. There was a lot of Amish stuff about. Amish Experience was obvious and quite a large place when we passed it, but Amish Village did fool us. That was souvenir shop with a tour ticket desk and vans waiting outside to go on a tour through Amish country, which we assumed must be nearby. There were other boutique Amish shops, some with several tour busses parked outside. None of the people working with any of this were Amish, of course.

They were all around us. We saw kids in Amish dress walking home from school and passed several black box buggies. We saw adults as well as kids outside an elder care facility visiting with the residents. The lady at our lunch restaurant told us to look for homes not having power or phone lines extending from the poles. These homes looked just like the others. I was expecting old style homes and other stuff, but it makes sense they would build homes using modern materials and styles. It’s cheaper and easier all the way.

I’m guessing there are areas with traditional older homes and settings that we missed, but interlopers have bought property and mixed into the area. I’ll research that a bit more before we return here, which we will. Maybe it would be easier to just follow one of those tour vans the next time.

The lady at our lunch restaurant also told us that Sarasota was the main place that Amish getting away from winter on the farm come for R & R. While we see them a lot we had assumed they were spread across more of Florida. We see them most around the Troy’s school. They seem to have relationships with the Mennonites that run it. I’ve heard good things about the Amish restaurant near the school. I’ve heard it is run by real Amish people. The best way to get to know the Amish might be to talk with them next time we see them down south.