We decided to go to St. Jacob's - to visit the Farmer's Market, go to the Outlet Mall, and take a horse-drawn trolley tour of a Mennonite Farm. Calder loves to go to farms, so we thought that he would enjoy that.
Our stay started after quite a long journey. Even though it's supposed to take only 1.5 hours to St. Jacob's, it took us 3 hours, thanks to some guy, trying to escape the Police, who thought it wise to go the wrong way on the highway. This effectively shut down the express lanes for some time, creating a nice traffic jam. :)
Once we got to the hotel, we relaxed for a little while, and Calder explored the room. He was intrigued and excited that there was a TV in the room - something he says he 'always' wanted in his bedroom. If you ask him now, he might just say that was the best part about the trip. Kids. :)
We went out for dinner at a lovely little restaurant called the Stone Crock Restaurant. A great place to go for comfort foods. Gary had the buffet, I enjoyed some delicious cabbage rolls, Calder a Pogo stick and fries, and Easton ate what Gary and I were eating.
After dinner we wandered over to the St. Jacob's outlet mall, which was pretty much deserted on a Friday night. We went into the Lego store, and Calder loved it! It wasn't just a store, a large portion of the space was designated to building your own lego creations as well as display of huge, wonderful Lego sculptures. Wow, some people are so talented, but they also have a lot of time on their hands. ;)
That night Gary and Calder took a trip to the oversized Whirlpool, and off we went to bed, ready to start our journey the next day.
The next day we took a trip to the market...I have been there once or twice before, but I don't remember it being that crowded. It certainly has been hit with the commercial bug, but it's still nice to see what you expect to see at a Farmer's Market, like fresh, local fruits and veggies, home-baked goods, local honey, etc. From the market, we took the horse-drawn trolley tour to a local, working, Mennonite Farm.
The owner of the farm was only about 35-40 years old, already had 5 kids (and likely would have more), and owned 160 acres of land. This land had been passed down from generation to generation for SEVEN generations. 7!! What lovely history to have like that. The family that owned the farm were 'old-order' Mennonites, meaning that their lifestyle is accomplished much in part by using limited technology. They use a black horse and buggy to get to and from places, they do not purchase items for consumption or use (for the most part) from commercialized stores - we were told they have their own 'stores' within the community to purchase what they need - such as fabrics to make clothing. They have their own schools, but often school is only completed until Grade 8. They do not accept any sort of health care from the government, preferring to pay with cash should the need for care arise.
Part of me is really drawn to this lifestyle. It's the same part of me that is drawn to Pioneer times - I know that times can be tough, being self-sufficient, not using a car to get places, etc...but the simplicity I think is something that I sometimes crave. For that short time, in St. Jacob's, I almost felt like I could get away from it all. Escape the hustle and bustle of 'real' life and imagine what it would be like to have a simple, but happy life not dependent on commercialism or making money.
We ended our time in St. Jacob's later that day, and went home weary from our whirlwind family vacation. It was a fun time, and I look forward to the day when we can explore a new destination together as a family again.
