Kalona, Iowa

Transcription

>> In this part of east central Iowa, horses and buggies aren't a thing of the past. Just about 30 minutes from the bustle of the University of Iowa campus and downtown Iowa City is an enchanting small town where you can catch glimpses of a unique way of life and sample some of its treasures. ♪ >> With a population of about 2400, Kalona offers modern conveniences amid the old-world charm of the Amish and Mennonite communities. Many people who live in Kalona work in close by Iowa City. The town's biggest employer is Civco, a world-class medical instrument facility. But what brings people to visit here is a peek at Amish life. >> Kalona's niche is tourism. That's our biggest driving factor here. Individuals want to come here. They want to see the Amish. They want to see the heritage. They want to see quilts. They want to see Amish driving down the street. They want to eat Amish-style meals and be able to interact a little bit. >> It's so charming to watch Amish ways mingle with modern society, but I take care to be respectful of people's privacy. Many of the Amish prefer not to be photographed, and I'm told visitors here usually honor that. >> My logical first stop on a town tour of Kalona is the Kalona Historical Village. Amid the historic structures I spot an old train depot and learn that Kalona was started in 1879 as a railroad town. But the Amish were in the area even before that. >> They first moved here in 1846, the same year Iowa became a state. And there's been Amish people moving here ever since. >> As I head back to the main area of downtown Kalona, I can see cement quilt patterns dotting the walkways. What a unique tribute to such a well-loved Amish folk art. >> We did a $3.2 million downtown renovation here. It does incorporate 42 quilt block designs which that are 6x6 and inlaid into the sidewalks, all unique to the Midwest and specifically to Kalona with some local individual designs. We have a tour, a walking tour of our new downtown, and it takes them in front of all the shops and allows them to learn a little bit about why those quilts are important and where they derived from. >> One of those quilt blocks decorates the sidewalk right outside the Kalona Bakery, where the irresistible smells wafting outside lure me inside to continue my Amish sojourn with a culinary angle. The Kalona Bakery is an eatery serving lunch and a bakery serving yummy cookies, pies and pastries. But it's the homemade egg noodles that are really famous here. I chat with noodle maker Carolyn Geigley as I sample the bakery's chicken and noodles dish. >> We also have recipes in each bag that will tell you how to, how to make them. >> Oh, okay. >> If you don't know how to make them. >> Well, it looks like I'll be having hamburger and noodle casserole the Amish way when I get home. >> Just down the block, I find another town treat - Kalona Chocolates. Is your mouth watering yet? The husband-wife team of Lyndon and Mattie Hershberger provide their chocolates to several stores in the Kalona area. Some of their signature items are tadpoles, java bites, and the Wunderbar. >> It's a solid chocolate bar in either milk or dark chocolate. Wunderbar is a German word that means wonderful. >> It's so good. >> There's another sweet treat in downtown Kalona, and it's more popular than ever on this sweltering summer day. This is Yotty's ice cream, home of 16 flavors of soft serve ice cream and the famed Kalona old-fashioned ice cream bar. >> Yotty's ice cream came about when we decided we wanted to make the Kalona old-fashioned ice cream bar. We started in 1998 and we wanted to make that bar because the gentleman before us was no longer doing it, and I said, somebody needs to make the ice cream bar. >> It's so good. >> There's one more well-known Kalona area food stop I just can't miss. The Cheese House, just outside of town. You can watch the cheese being made through viewer windows. Here at Twin County Dairy, the official name, they specialize in cheese curds made fresh every day! And yes, they do squeak. >> My self-guided tour through Kalona has shown me so much, but there's another fun way to soak up the Amish atmosphere. The Kalona Byways Bus Tour. It's a three-hour tour of the Kalona area which includes stops that range from strict Amish establishments to modern places like J.K. Creative Wood and Gifts. As the tour loads back into the bus, they know they're headed for more scenic views of Amish life as they make their way down the area's country roads to a tasty finale. >> Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. >> We're at the home of Salina Bontrager. She's Amish Mennonite which means she uses electricity, unlike the Old Order Amish, and boy, can Salina cook. >> I've been doing it for 40 years. And I've had people from all over the world. From Iceland. I had a busload from Iceland. I've had 'em from Romania, Ukraine, Germany, I've had people from just all over. >> With 8 children, 38 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren, Salina has extensive experience cooking for large groups. Traditional meat and potatoes are passed around the table as we dine, along with those awesome Amish noodles, and several other mouthwatering dishes. The food just keeps comin'. Now, THIS is the way to celebrate the Amish heritage! As I leave Kalona and Amish country, I take one last look at this beautiful and quaint destination and remind myself how lucky I am to