Motorcycle Trip to the Painted Sky Alpaca Farm… guess what? I kissed an alpaca and I liked it!
Okay…I didn’t really kiss THIS Alpaca… but this little guy sure was cute! I love animals and it really doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing, as soon as I see an animal or a group of animals I’m sucked in, in big way. I have been known to make Jeff turn around several miles after spotting an animal(s)… when I say SEVERAL miles, I mean we can be 5 miles down the road!
I can’t help myself, it’s an addiction. It is. This is how I know… my first instinct is to NOT interrupt our trip just because I saw a group of pygmy goats… but then, I just can’t get them out of my mind and I KNOW I will never have fun again if I don’t go check them out. I HAVE to do it! See… I’m addicted. It’s okay though because Jeff is the most wonderfully supportive husband and he will always turn around to say hello or snap a pic of our new furry friend.
I remember the first time I saw an Alpaca on the side of the road. Yes, I made Jeff stop. Yes, they were in someone’s yard. Yes, we named them and took pictures. Yes, I’m addicted. Meet our friend, Taco. 
This is the caption I wrote for Facebook: Look who came to say hi… he came running when we went by on the bike. Had to turn around and introduce ourselves! So adorable!
See… addicted. It’s all good.
Now that you have a sneak peak into my animal addiction, I can’t wait to share our Motorcycle Trip to the Painted Sky Alpaca Farm & Fiber Mill!
My friend, Jenny, has been wanting to check out this Alpaca farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for the past year and just hadn’t gotten around to it. So when we were planning a motorcycle day trip at the end of October, 2017 (an unusually warm day for us), we decided to make the trip.
Jenny and I planned out the back roads we would take and off we went!
First Stop, the unplanned Car Show!
We usually plan a few stops along the way to break up the ride and our first stop was a little hole-in-the-wall, Lena’s. 
Unbeknownst to us, they were having a car show. So, while Jenny and I had a cocktail, the boys looked at all the cool cars and picked up a couple cookies! I wish I had taken a few picture of the cars, some of them were pretty cool; even for a non-car person like me.
Next Up: The Painted Sky Alpaca Farm & Fiber Mill!
When we arrived, we were greeted by the owners and shown around. We met the kitty cats that occupy the barn and were given some history about the farm. There is a lot more that goes into raising Alpacas than I ever even considered! The Dickenson’s bought their farm in Cecil County, Maryland in 2002 before Alpacas were on their radar. They wanted to find a way to have the farm help pay for itself and stumbled upon some literature about Alpacas. They proceeded to do some research, visit some farms and they jumped right in to the Alpaca business. 
As the owner showed us around and took us right in with the Alpacas (yep! were standing right beside them!), he went into great detail how they choose an Alpaca; how they breed and sell Alpacas; and even how they harvest the fiber and then turn it into beautiful clothing and accessories. It was truly fascinating and I think we spent over 3 hours talking with the owner and visiting their gift shop.
The gift shop is incredible and I was able to pick up a few unique Christmas presents for my mom & sister. They have some beautiful things!
I kissed an alpaca and I liked it!
I did it! I kissed an Alpaca… and I LOVED it! This little girl was so friendly and so incredibly soft!
Truth be told, I wanted an Alpaca farm for months after leaving there! Although it’s a lot of work, these little cuties each have their own personality and what fun they are! If you are ever in Cecil county, Maryland or the surrounding areas, I highly suggest a visit to The Painted Sky Alpaca Farm.
If you lean in and listen real close… 
they might just tell you a secret!
Our friend, Jeff, never would tell us what his new buddy said.
Here is an overview of the back roads we took to get to The Painted Sky Alpaca Farm
As always, live life in the scenic lane!
Til next time,
Louise