Hey y’all!
Block out a weekend in May for the Amish Country Chocolate Tour! You won’t regret it!
One of my best friends of 30 years and I attended the tour and we could not have enjoyed it more! At each of the seven local Amish Country stops, you get custom chocolates made by Coblentz Chocolates that are designed by each business.
* Tour tip: Be sure to check in early so you can make it to all seven stops. You will definitely want to spend some time at each location - especially since each one gives discounts both days of the event!
The first stop is Walnut Creek Amish Flea Market, where we checked in and received our bag containing our chocolate collecting box and our first round of chocolates; Pomegranate Creams, which were amazing!
When I say the flea market has everything, I mean the flea market has EVERYTHING. They just added a huge expansion and we were blown away at the number of vendors and the vast array of products offered. I’m already planning how to decorate my next home with the handmade rugs and curtains I found. I plan to go spend a full day just walking around the flea market - stay tuned for that blog!
* Tour tip: Parking at Walnut Creek Flea Market is free when you participate in the tour!
Now, you can go anywhere you want after you check in at the flea market, but I suggest checking to see which business is the next closest and creating your route ahead of time so that you wind up closest to your house or hotel at the end of the tour.
Our next stop was Coblentz Chocolates. Now, if you read my last blog, you know I’m a big fan of Coblentz already, but on this day it smelled even more heavenly when we walked in the door. In addition to the divine Himalayan Sea Salt Caramels we got for our Chocolate Tour boxes, we also picked up some truffles for ourselves and a few gifts! It was a calorie-filled day of epic proportions and well worth it!
*Tour tip: Be sure to check out the viewing gallery; you can watch the chocolates being made!
Next up was Behalt, the Amish Heritage & Mennonite Center. If you’ve never been, make plans to go. I had never been before and was stunned not only by the creamy Cool Mint Meltaways we got for our Chocolate Tour boxes, but also by the mural and the cyclorama. What is a cyclorama, you might ask? I had never heard it either, but I will be going back for a history lesson and to spend more time admiring this amazing work of art. More information to come!
*Tour tip: Schedule a 30 minute guided tour and view the 265 ft cyclorama - it's breathtaking!
At Heini’s Cheese Chalet, we picked up some chocolate mice holding cheese for our Chocolate Tour box, and some actual cheese for ourselves! Heini’s has such a vast selection of cheese; every kind you can possibly think of is in their display cases, along with candies, summer sausage, dip mixes and much more! They even have fudge made with cheese! If you’ve never had the Butter Cheese, I highly recommend it; it’s one of my favorites!
*Tour tip: Bring an insulated bag or cooler to carry your cheese home in! (I didn't)
Lunch was at the Amish Door Restaurant, where we rested, ran into several other fellow Chocolate Tourers, and got Buggy Trail Meltaways to add to our chocolate boxes. Because we hadn’t consumed enough for the day, we devoured some yummy broasted chicken, sweet potato fries, breaded mushrooms and sweet iced tea. We took pictures outside of the amazing views from behind the restaurant and decided to go pick up more chocolate to balance out our savory lunch!
*Tour tip: Get the broasted chicken. You can thank me later. Oh - and stop by the bakery before you head back out on the tour!
Nutter Butter Sandwich chocolates. That’s all I need to say, right? Peanut butter covered in chocolate, with a little crunch…in the words of my niece…holdy moldy. Anyway, the Nutter Butter Sandwich cookies were the addition to the Chocolate Tour box at Homestead Furniture. This was my first trip to Homestead and I was taken aback at how beautifully this store is laid out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a furniture gallery so beautiful. I would have beeb perfectly happy to spend the rest of the day there oohing and aahing over the live edge collection.
*Tour tip: Oh - Be sure to check out the convertible tables! I’ve never seen anything like them!
Rounding out our day was our final stop at Lehman’s. If you’ve ever been to Lehman’s, you’ve seen the vintage red pick up truck out front. The final chocolate tour collection for our boxes was a pick up truck just like that, made out of chocolate and pretzels and named for the founder, Jay.
Walking into Lehman’s is like stepping back in time and a definite must-see when you’re planning your trip to Amish Country. We walked out of Lehman’s with a pocket knife, our Chocolate tour boxes full, some fudge and a big appreciation for all the respective businesses we had visited that day. The time and effort that went into the planning of the event was significant and we were thrilled to have been a part of it.
*Tour tip: Leave yourself plenty of time for this stop...you're going to need it!
One of the best parts of the Chocolate Tour is knowing that all the proceeds from the event will be donated to 58:12 Global, a rescue and safe house for female victims of abuse that’s located in Holmes County. Even though we had a blast driving all over Amish Country, taking in the sights, the scenery and the chocolate, it made us both feel good that we were doing our small part into helping someone.
To learn more about how you can donate to 58:12, please visit their website at www.5812global.org.