The Amish Backroads Tour

CONTACT

EMAIL: Les@MarketplaceMediaCompany.com

Leslie (Les) Nelson, Your Tour Guide

I am the owner of Marketplace Media Company, a video production company in Rockford, Iowa. I have also been an educator and public speaker. My family and I lived in “Amish country” for 20 years when our daughter was growing up. In 2016 my wife and I moved to Rockford, Iowa, but our daughter, her husband and their son still live there, and we love to visit them in beautiful Southeast Minnesota as often as we can.

THE AMISH BACKROADS TOUR

TM

This pleasantly narrated audio recording directs you to Amish shops and points of interest “off the beaten path.” I’ve been offering the audio tour for years through local shops in Lanesboro and Harmony, Minnesota, and find that many people like going at their own pace in their own car. That’s the way my family and I like to go! It is available on USB flash drives and as a download. Driving time is about 1.5 hours and you can take as much or as little time as you like at each stop. I hope you will take the Amish Backroads Tour and enjoy learning about the history and culture of our wonderful Amish neighbors, seeing the beauty of the backroads scenery, and perhaps finding some Amish treasures and treats along the way. —Your Tour Guide, Les Nelson

BUY OR RENT

BUY IT NOW for $29

Click the “Buy it now” button to download the .mp3 audio tracks.

Or RENT a USB Flash Drive (memory stick) for $29

at these businesses in Lanesboro or Harmony, Minnesota.

AMISH EXPERIENCE, 105 Parkway Ave. N, Lanesboro 507-467-2992 STONE MILL HOTEL, 102 Beacon St. E, Lanesboro 507-467-8663 THE VILLAGE DEPOT, 90 2nd St. NE, Harmony 507-886-2409 Keep the tour for up to 5 days and return it during business hours. .

TRIP SPECIFICS

What can I buy from the shops? Below is a list of some of the Amish made goods you will find in the shops. • Fine Functional Hardwood Items • Baskets for Many Uses • Beautiful Quilts, Rugs and Spreads • Superior Hardwood Furniture • Handmade Soaps • Wild Berry Jams and Jellies • Fresh and Home Canned Fruits and Vegetables • Homemade Breads, Pies and Sweet Treats

What forms of payment may I use when renting the tour and when buying from the Amish shops? The businesses that you rent the tour from accept credit cards, checks or cash. A deposit is required. The Amish accept only CASH OR CHECKS.

When are the Amish shops open? The Amish shops are generally open Monday through Saturday year round . (The Amish do not receive visitors on Sunday). If their sign is out, that means they are “open.” Most of them are open for visitors from dawn until dusk. They are not open on Christian holidays, including Ascension Day, which occurs 40 days after Easter. Road and driveway conditions in winter and early spring may limit accessibility. We do not guarantee that they will be open at any given time.

TESTIMONIALS

We have received hundreds of reply cards from people who

enjoyed the tour. Here are a few of their comments:

• “What a lovely tour! We enjoyed the families we met and their shops! We liked going at our own pace.” (J.G.) • “Excellent tour... Each store we visited had excellent quality of merchandise... Our tour was perfect!” (J. and E.H.) • “Very informative, casual, less expensive than the [other] tours.” (J.F.) • “We loved it. We have small children in car seats. Wonderful way to tour as a family. Good value for a large family. Did not have to worry about children disturbing others...” (C. & J.S.) • “We loved it! We met so many beautiful people and saw gorgeous landscapes. We will return with friends.” (D., M., & J.H.) • “Excellent. Was a great family outing. My two 13-year-old boys even enjoyed it!” (K.J.) • “Wonderful, peaceful. Very accurate directions. Delightful people!” (C.N.) • “Directions were outstanding...we’d definitely do this again.” (L.P.) • “We all thought it was awesome. The directions were spot on. The families we visited were interesting. We couldn’t wait to hear more.” (M.H.) • “This was a wonderful CD to lead us to the farms and provide information about the Amish. Keep doing what you’re doing!” (R.J.) • “Great tour! We learned a lot about the Amish people and culture. The family stores were great and had lots of beautiful treasures!” (A. & L. B.) • “Precise directions. Liked ‘extra’ info at end of audio.” (M.W.) • “Great tour. My sister and I took the Backroads CD tour and liked that we could be on our own, go as fast or slow as we wanted.” (S. B.) • “GREAT TOUR! We loved how easy it was to follow. Loved the info given about the families and Amish in general.” (anonymous) • “Excellent. Great idea. We could go when we wanted and we just stopped a few places. Your directions were clear, and we appreciated your sensitivity to customs and culture. We purchased a few things and enjoyed meeting the shopkeepers. My husband speaks a Swiss-German dialect very close to their language.” [The Amish speak English with the tourists.] (H. & B. B.) • “Very well done. Great directions. Easy to follow. Very informative.” (N.) • “Excellent! Would recommend it to others.” (D. & C. G.) • “Worked very well. First time we ever did an audio driving tour. Great idea to go at your own pace. Very up to date. Enjoyed getting closer to Amish life and learning more about their lifestyle.” (B. F.) • “We enjoyed the tour. The families were welcoming and your directions were great.” (J. W. and D. D.) • “We had a wonderful time. People were nice and the shops were wonderful! Thanks.” (J. T.) • The tour is very good! Your directions are clear, and your instructions about interacting with the Amish are helpful. We appreciated the great respect you show for the Amish.” (T and A. G.) • “Very enjoyable! Loved being able to go at our own pace.” (C. M.) • “We enjoyed visiting with these wonderful people and learning more about their way of life.” (T. A. Family) • “Clear instructions, very informative, easy to follow, just the right amount of places to stop.” (D.T. and S. J.)

Copyright 2023 Marketplace Media Company LLC | MarketplaceMediaCompany.com | email: Les@MarketplaceMediaCompany.com | Privacy

Before you buy: Please note that the Amish shops are generally open Monday through Saturday year round except for Christian holidays. We do not guarantee they will be open at any given time. iPhone Users: iPhones will NOT download the files directly to your phone. They can be downloaded to your Mac and then opened in iTunes using your Mac or iPhone. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DOWNLOAD, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT Les@MarketplaceMediaCompany.com, and I will respond promptly. (PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE STORES that rent the CD’s and flash drives as they are not able to assist with technical questions or give refunds.)

Download Now or Rent a USB Flash Drive in Lanesboro or Harmony, Minnesota

Your purchase will be made from Sellfy, a secure site.

BUY OR RENT

BUY IT NOW for $29

Click the “Buy it now” button to download the .mp3 audio tracks.

Or RENT a USB Flash Drive (memory stick) for $29

at these businesses in Lanesboro or Harmony, Minnesota.

TRIP SPECIFICS

THE AMISH BACKROADS TOUR

TM

CONTACT Leslie (Les) Nelson, Your Tour Guide I am the owner of Marketplace Media Company, a video production company in Rockford, Iowa. I have also been an educator and public speaker. My family and I lived in “Amish country” for 20 years when our daughter was growing up. In 2016 my wife and I moved to Rockford, Iowa, but our daughter, her husband and their son still live there, and we love to visit them in beautiful Southeast Minnesota as often as we can. You may contact me at Les@MarketplaceMediaCompany.com

TESTIMONIALS

We have received hundreds of reply cards from people who

enjoyed the tour. Here are a few of their comments:

• “What a lovely tour! We enjoyed the families we met and their shops! We liked going at our own pace.” (J.G.) • “Excellent tour... Each store we visited had excellent quality of merchandise... Our tour was perfect!” (J. and E.H.) • “Very informative, casual, less expensive than the [other] tours.” (J.F.) • “We loved it. We have small children in car seats. Wonderful way to tour as a family. Good value for a large family. Did not have to worry about children disturbing others...” (C. & J.S.) • “We loved it! We met so many beautiful people and saw gorgeous landscapes. We will return with friends.” (D., M., & J.H.) • “Excellent. Was a great family outing. My two 13-year-old boys even enjoyed it!” (K.J.) • “Wonderful, peaceful. Very accurate directions. Delightful people!” (C.N.) • “Directions were outstanding...we’d definitely do this again.” (L.P.) • “We all thought it was awesome. The directions were spot on. The families we visited were interesting. We couldn’t wait to hear more.” (M.H.) • “This was a wonderful CD to lead us to the farms and provide information about the Amish. Keep doing what you’re doing!” (R.J.) • “Great tour! We learned a lot about the Amish people and culture. The family stores were great and had lots of beautiful treasures!” (A. & L. B.) • “Precise directions. Liked ‘extra’ info at end of audio.” (M.W.) • “Great tour. My sister and I took the Backroads CD tour and liked that we could be on our own, go as fast or slow as we wanted.” (S. B.) • “GREAT TOUR! We loved how easy it was to follow. Loved the info given about the families and Amish in general.” (anonymous) • “Excellent. Great idea. We could go when we wanted and we just stopped a few places. Your directions were clear, and we appreciated your sensitivity to customs and culture. We purchased a few things and enjoyed meeting the shopkeepers. My husband speaks a Swiss-German dialect very close to their language.” [The Amish speak English with the tourists.] (H. & B. B.) • “Very well done. Great directions. Easy to follow. Very informative.” (N.) • “Excellent! Would recommend it to others.” (D. & C. G.) • “Worked very well. First time we ever did an audio driving tour. Great idea to go at your own pace. Very up to date. Enjoyed getting closer to Amish life and learning more about their lifestyle.” (B. F.)S • “We enjoyed the tour. The families were welcoming and your directions were great.” (J. W. and D. D.) • “We had a wonderful time. People were nice and the shops were wonderful! Thanks.” (J. T.) • The tour is very good! Your directions are clear, and your instructions about interacting with the Amish are helpful. We appreciated the great respect you show for the Amish.” (T. and A. G.) • “Very enjoyable! Loved being able to go at our own pace.” (C. M.) • “We enjoyed visiting with these wonderful people and learning more about their way of life.” (T. A. Family) • “Clear instructions, very informative, easy to follow, just the right amount of places to stop.” (D.T. and S. J.)

Before you buy: Please note that the Amish shops are generally open Monday through Saturday year round except for Christian holidays including Christmas, Easter and Ascension, which is 40 days after Easter. We do not guarantee they will be open at any given time. iPhone Users: iPhones will NOT download the files directly to your phone. They can be downloaded to your Mac and then opened in iTunes using your Mac or iPhone. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE DOWNLOAD, PLEASE EMAIL ME AT Les@MarketplaceMediaCompany.com, and I will respond promptly. (PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE STORES that rent the CD’s and flash drives as they are not able to assist with technical questions or give refunds.)