Amana love

While we were in Iowa last week, we took a trip to the nearby Amana Colonies, which is one of my favorite places in Iowa. It is a collection of seven villages that were begun by German settlers in the 1860's or so. It was begun as a way of communal living and stayed that way until the 1930's. Today, the villages are part of the National Register of Historic Places and is a tourist destination, as the area is filled with shops and restaurants and is really just so adorable.

I'm pretty much in love with it, and insist on going every time we are in Iowa! It's a bit over an hour from Steve's parents house, so it isn't a bad drive at all. I took some pictures, and will post them later, but here is one of a few of my purchases, from the German bakery!





Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

If the words are too small to read, it is a loaf of old-fashioned Dutch dill bread, dill mustard and a jar of Amana seasoning, whatever that means! You know how much I love my spices, I wasn't going to leave that behind!

They have bakeries, meat shops, a basket shop, a quilt shop (of course I went in there!), chocolate shops, wineries, a woolen mill, and so much more! If you are nearby Iowa, or ever go, make sure to go to the Amanas!