All you can eat, and then some: Willow Valley Farms

Quilts, bonnets, horse-drawn carriages and miles of sheep-dotted hills...this is the Amish country in and around Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Today, a warm weekend packs the roads with traffic, and many areas that were once grazing land have been filled with restaurant chains and strip malls. But the Amish farming way of life, with its one-room schoolhouses, feed stores and tradition of handmade clothing, still exist.

Clever tourists can set themselves up at the high-tech-friendly nerve center of the area: Willow Valley Farms resort, a place where you can start to experience the culture and get insider tips on how to find back-roads treasures. Twenty-five years ago, the Mennonite-owned complex was a small, golden-lit hotel with a pool and a Pac-Man machine. What made it famous, however--and what would ultimately require it to expand tremendously--was its smorgasbord. Imagine entering a fairyland of food where every dish is made from fresh, local ingredients. Picture a place where each delight has its own miniature neighborhood: the land of salads and dressings; the bar of hot meat dishes (scrapple, made from pork, is a local favorite); the area of seafood (a friend once joyfully made a dinner of shrimp cocktail and chow mein noodles); and the ultimate food heaven: the breathtaking donut, pie and ice cream bar, featuring nearly all the sugary confections created in the bakery downstairs. How to choose between a cream-filled maple-glazed puff and fresh coconut creme pie a la mode? One cannot, and must devour both.

Bring big clothes. Lest you think this is a hedonist place, it is quite the opposite: owned by a Mennonite family, the resort prides itself on being family-friendly and almost (but not quite) religious, with a no-smoking and no-alcohol policy. You'll find Christian books in the gift shop, and on occasion, a mini Bible near the phone booths. That said, all creeds are welcome, and the staff will gladly help you chart a day trip through the Amish country.

While both Amish and Mennonites hold similar beliefs and may dress similarly, the Amish live without most modern technology, while most Mennonites use electricity. Hence this 90-acre resort is every bit as plush as a Disney hotspot, with a nine-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna and exercise room, huge water slide, multiple restaurants, and a gorgeous atrium where weddings are held (the atrium hotel rooms are particularly beautiful, overlooking the banquet floor).

For low-tech fun, pick up some day-old bread for the ducks (at the bake shop), and feed them at the beautiful outdoor pond, or walk through the nearby covered bridge. Just remember to save room for dinner. The whole package, including the smorgasbord, runs a slim $119 per night. Expect that to be the only thing that remains slim when you leave.