Random Amish Scenes From Switzerland County: Scooters, Signs, Pickled Beets, and More!

These are just some random photos from my recent visit to Switzerland County, Indiana's  Amish settlement.  Sometimes I don't have enough to write a whole article about a photo, but I have enough photos to create a little collage like  this.  So enjoy these Switzerland County Amish scenes!

Bear Branch, Indiana general store has seen better days.

Okay, the first photo isn't Amish, this is of the shuttered general store in the tiny town of Bear Branch near the Amish settlement.  Sad to see a Mom & Pop business fall on hard times.

I spotted this sign at the "check-out" counter of an Amish-owned business in the area.  Seems like a fun little contest.  Although considering how conservative this settlement is, I'm surprised they'd do anything that could be perceived in the slightest way as a "game of chance."

These scooters are commonly found in some Amish settlements

Look at this slick scooter. Scooters are a "compromise"found in some Amish settlements.  Powered by foot, the scooters give a person good speed and power, but they aren't quite as easy to use as a bicycle (which is the whole point, the thinking is that a bike would provide too much mobility, but this line of thinking varies from Amish settlement to Amish settlement.  For instance, in northern Indiana's large Amish community, traditional bikes are permitted)  The Switzerland County community has deep ties to Berne, Indiana's Amish where neither bikes or scooters are permitted.  The scooters are most common among the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, so I was a little surprised to see this here.

And, lastly, spotted this jar of homemade pickled red beets on a counter in an Amish home.  Such garden goodies allow someone to enjoy a splash of summer year-round.