Vanetta Chapman with Nora

Last week, Lonesome Hollow hosted Vanetta Chapman and her husband, from Texas.  Vanetta came to Wisconsin to research the Wisconsin Amish for her upcoming  book  series of Amish mysteries.   Her book, A Simple Amish Christmas, was published last October, and she has  begun releasing a series of books called the Shipshewana Amish Mystery Series. Falling to Pieces,  A Quilt Shop Mystery will be released November, 2011.

Vanetta writes in her blog about her visit to our area:  “I visited Wisconsin this week in order to meet some of the local Amish folk formy upcoming Pebble Creek series (Harvest House, 2012). I’m so glad I did. Not only are the Wisconsin Amish lovely people, but they’re very different from the Amish communities I visited in Indiana.

And isn’t that to be expected? After all, if you came to Texas, you’d find things vastly different where I live in a small town in the hill country than where I used to live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. To some extent people are the same–true. We have common beliefs and roots. But other things change with the area around you.

I could have read about Cashton, Soldiers Grove, and Baraboo on the internet … but I couldn’t have seen how to make a rug on a loom, or visited a furniture store, or talked to an older Amish gentlemen as he explained about his grandchild who was sick and in a local hospital. Those are things I needed to be here to experience, and I’m grateful that I did. Now when I boot up my computer and write–I hope I’ll be able to share with you the heart of the Amish people in Cashton and the surrounding area. You can let me know how I did, next June.”

This is  absolute best part of innkeeping!  Meeting such interesting and wonderful people like Vanetta and her husband, Bob!

Begin this trip by driving south on Hwy 61, then west on Hwy 60. Near the village of Wauzeka the Kickapoo River flows into the Wisconsin River. Take Hwy 131 north and begin a leisurely ramble through the Driftless Area following one of the oldest rivers in the upper Midwest. Native Americans named this river the “one who wanders” in their native language. Normally a quiet, lazy river, the Kickapoo River can become a raging torrent during heavy rains and the history of the Kickapoo Valley is full of flood stories. As you follow Hwy 131 along the river you travel through a truly rural area and will never drive through a village with more than 1000 residents. Steuben, Barnum, and Bell Center, are no more than wide spots on the road. Gays Mills offers a couple of restaurants and a large area of apple orchards. The orchards are definitely worth a visit from late August through November when various types of apples are being harvested and sold.

Continuing north on Hwy 131, Soldiers Grove offers two war memorials, several nice restaurants, and one of the most unique village commercial areas in the country — Solar Village. This small commercial area was created in the late 1970′s with state and federal funds. The commercial buildings were moved away from the flood prone banks of the Kickapoo, and were all designed to utilize at least 50% solar heating, creating “America’s First Solar Village”.

Continue north through Readstown, Viola, and LaFarge and you will come to a small piece of paradise, The Kickapoo Valley Reserve. The Reserve contains more than 8500 acres of public land that straddles a fourteen mile section of the Kickapoo River. Hiking, biking, and equestrian trails traverse the Reserve. A new Visitor’s Center describes a thwarted attempt by the Corps of Engineers to dam the Kickapoo River and tells the stories of 140 displaced families. No place in the Kickapoo Valley shows the rural landscape and the rich culture of the valley as well as the Kickapoo Reserve.

Hwy 131 will then bring you to Rockton and Ontario; both of these villages have canoe outfitters who rent canoes and offer livery service. At Ontario, take Hwy 33 west and from Ontario to Cashton you can enjoy many fine Amish crafts shops. The Cashton settlement has become famous for the fine furniture and quilts produced by many local Amish artisans. Return to Lonesome Hollow by heading south from Cashton on Hwy 27, then Hwy 61.

His wife Patsy is a talented artist. Both have spent much of their lives cultivating friendships in the Cashton, WI Amish settlement. Cashton is about 45 minutes east of LaCrosse.

Amish Hay Wagon Near Cashton, WI

Cindy and Ann toured a recently built Amish house, then visited many of the Amish crafts men and women. Following  a tasty lunch they toured a round barn, a venerable and very unique relic of early dairy farming days when 20 or 30 milking cows could earn a family a decent living.

Following their afternoon tour they came up to our main house just gushing about the wonderful day they had. They went home with an incredibly beautiful Amish quilt, some Amish baskets, and some of Patsy’s art work. We have more Amish Workshops scheduled this year and Kevin and Patsy will be an integral part of them. In this day of non-stop hustle and bustle and stress, there is something to be learned from the Amish people. Please come to one of our upcoming workshops/tours and immerse yourself in a tiny bit of the lives of the Cashton Amish.

Locally Made Amish Honey

Included in the Amish learning weekend will be an entire afternoon spent with local tour guides who know the Cashton Settlement extremely well. The afternoon will include a tour, inside and outside, of a recently completed Amish-built house, a driving tour through the Cashton settlement with stops at the workshops of local Amish artisans, lunch at a very unique eatery, a tour of one or more local round barns, and a list of recommended Amish shopping for tour participants to visit on their own.

Amish Hay Wagon Near Cashton

Immerse yourself for one day in the life and the culture of the old world Amish. See and experience how this gentle religious sect lives a life of simple pleasures and hard work. Enter into fascinating discussions with your very personable guides and with some Amish artisans themselves. Visit the “Workshop” page at www.lonesomehollow.com for “Learn About the Wisconsin Amish” weekend details.

Amish gentleman hid from camera

The Cashton settlement also offer many skilled craftsmen and craftswomen producing very high quality furniture, baskets, quilts, candy and much more. There are a couple of non-Amish operated consignments shops in or near Cashton that offer the products of many of the local Amish. You can also pick up a map of the settlement and make direct visits to the workshops of the individual Amish families.

Amish Goods

The Inn at Lonesome Hollow is a nearby Bed and Breakfast that can provide area visitors with information about the Amish. Most of the bedrooms furniture at the Inn at Lonesome Hollow was made by Amish furniture makers in Cashton. Amish quilts are on many of the beds.

Room at Inn at Lonesome Hollow

Especially interesting is the Cashton settlement live Amish auction which takes place each Labor Day. Furniture, quilts, hand-made toys, and Amish produce are all auctioned in a 4-6 hr long event that will give a visitor the feel of having Amish neighbors and friends. We hope that many who read this will be intrigued and will tour the beautiful Amish area around Cashton and attend this great Amish auction.

Nora and Pete