Alpacas, Bridges, Clocks and more
Monday May 12
We left Woodhaven at around 9:30
and arrived in Lancaster County for lunch at Bube’s Brewery in Mt. Joy (pronounced
“boobies”). The brewery, not the town.
The weather had finally turned
warm enough to eat outside so we took advantage of the “Beer Garden.”
The weather was also warm enough
for the flies and ants. So, we shared our table with them. Merle and I shared appetizers of honey lime
glazed wings and fried pickles. I really
love chicken wings. I had the fish tacos
made with a fish called “swai”. It was nice and light with a side of home made
Cole slaw.
Bube’s, which is an historic 19th
century building, has an incredible history and Katie, one of the staff
members, gave me a tour of the buildings
and a bit of the history. We went down
and up and under into places like the Cooper Shed, the Fermenting Room, the
Catacombs, the Banquet Hall, and the Alois Hotel and Tavern. There are rooms decorated in different themes
that are available to book for special occasions. They do things like Murder
Mysteries, weddings and Sunday Feasts, and live music in some of the different
areas. The Catacombs is 48 feet under
ground and the servers walk each level to present you with fine dining. There
is no cell phone reception that far down, so people actually have to talk to
each other face to face. Can you imagine
that? And yes, there are reportings of ghosts
in different areas and they offer Ghost Tours.
See more at www.bubesbrewery.com
Covered Bridges. We
headed off for the tour of Historic Rivertowns Covered Bridges, just one of the
many areas that have covered bridges in Lancaster County. We were given turn by turn directions from
Joel Cliff, Director of Public Relations, PA Dutch Convention & Visitor
Bureau. Ask them for a map with directions as there
are a number of covered bridges “trails”.
http://www.padutchcountry.com/vacation-ideas/covered-bridges.asp
http://www.padutchcountry.com/vacation-ideas/covered-bridges.asp
The first bridge was Forry’s Mill Covered Bridge which was built in 1869.
Next was Siegrist’s Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1885. This bridge was washed downstream in flooding in September 2011 and was rebuilt in 2013.
Shenck’s Mill Covered Bridge was originally built in 1847 and rebuilt in 1855. It is the third oldest covered bridge in the country that is still open to traffic.
Driving a little further led to Kaufman’s Distillery Covered Bridge, first built in 1857.
Last on the list was Shearer’s Mill Covered Bridge built in 1847 and damaged by a flood in 1856 and is now a pedestrian bridge in Memorial Park.
We headed back through Manheim to Route 72 South and into downtown Lancaster to check in at the Lancaster Arts Hotel.
This is a very unique hotel. Originally several different warehouses, including a tobacco warehouse, it now has 63 deluxe guest rooms and suites and still maintains aspects of the original building, including brick walls in the rooms. All of the rooms and common areas are filled with original art, some from local Pennsylvania artists.
My room at the Lancaster was a Studio Queen which was more than comfortable. Merle had a suite which had the seating area separate from the bedroom and included a whirlpool tub which would have taken either one of us between one hour to three hours to get in and or out of but it is a nice amenity.
Next was Siegrist’s Mill Covered Bridge, built in 1885. This bridge was washed downstream in flooding in September 2011 and was rebuilt in 2013.
Shenck’s Mill Covered Bridge was originally built in 1847 and rebuilt in 1855. It is the third oldest covered bridge in the country that is still open to traffic.
Driving a little further led to Kaufman’s Distillery Covered Bridge, first built in 1857.
Last on the list was Shearer’s Mill Covered Bridge built in 1847 and damaged by a flood in 1856 and is now a pedestrian bridge in Memorial Park.
We headed back through Manheim to Route 72 South and into downtown Lancaster to check in at the Lancaster Arts Hotel.
This is a very unique hotel. Originally several different warehouses, including a tobacco warehouse, it now has 63 deluxe guest rooms and suites and still maintains aspects of the original building, including brick walls in the rooms. All of the rooms and common areas are filled with original art, some from local Pennsylvania artists.
My room at the Lancaster was a Studio Queen which was more than comfortable. Merle had a suite which had the seating area separate from the bedroom and included a whirlpool tub which would have taken either one of us between one hour to three hours to get in and or out of but it is a nice amenity.
Dinner was at the restaurant in the
hotel at the John J. Jeffries.
Olivia was our very knowledgeable and attentive wait staff. The restaurant specializes in organic, seasonal, sustainable and farm-fresh products that are really evident in the flavors of the food. Although they had a nice selection of dinner entrees, Merle and I decided to select from the “small plates” menu. See Merle's blog for the take on the evening's menu. I love getting turned on to foods that are not my usual favorites. So now I am eating grits and mushrooms. (See Brandywine blog). The mushrooms kind of grew on me. (Thanks for that one, Bill) I guess you can feed an old dog new food.
Olivia was our very knowledgeable and attentive wait staff. The restaurant specializes in organic, seasonal, sustainable and farm-fresh products that are really evident in the flavors of the food. Although they had a nice selection of dinner entrees, Merle and I decided to select from the “small plates” menu. See Merle's blog for the take on the evening's menu. I love getting turned on to foods that are not my usual favorites. So now I am eating grits and mushrooms. (See Brandywine blog). The mushrooms kind of grew on me. (Thanks for that one, Bill) I guess you can feed an old dog new food.
Dessert????? Oh no, I really couldn’t. Oh, but you must. They are all house made. Ow - you are hurting my arm. OK. So
I had to try something different which meant not eating chocolate. Lavender
and Local Honey Crème Brulee.
We also had Fair Trade organic tea which was from Skinny Park Juice, a local store and was French pressed at the table. Off to our rooms for a good nights sleep.
We also had Fair Trade organic tea which was from Skinny Park Juice, a local store and was French pressed at the table. Off to our rooms for a good nights sleep.
Tuesday May 13
A continental breakfast was included
in the hotel stay and it was a nice spread, in a separate dining area, that
included cereals, waffles, bagels, fruit, juices and coffee.
Alpacas: We were off
to Eastland
Alpaca Farm in Mount Joy, a 20 acre farm and store.
Kevin and Sue Zurin raise, board, transport, and breed these adorable animals. They are usually sheered just once a year in the Spring and their fleece is used for many products. The store has a wide selection including socks, hats, sweaters, stuffed animals, and of course yarn. If you can’t stand the feel of wool, like me, but love the warmth, check out alpaca. Alpaca fiber is similar to cashmere in its fineness and mohair for its strength. It is warmer, lighter and softer than sheep’s wool and contains no lanolin. Both Merle and I got a light weight pair of socks. Of course we went out to the enclosures to mingle with the herds. The first creature to come up to me was one of the few cats that hang out with the alpaca herds and in no uncertain terms, told me that she was the boss here. She allowed us to go visit the alpacas. They all have different personalities and temperaments.
Although Katarina did gaze into my eyes, she apparently chose Merle over me as you will see in her blog.
Fun facts about alpacas:
Kevin and Sue Zurin raise, board, transport, and breed these adorable animals. They are usually sheered just once a year in the Spring and their fleece is used for many products. The store has a wide selection including socks, hats, sweaters, stuffed animals, and of course yarn. If you can’t stand the feel of wool, like me, but love the warmth, check out alpaca. Alpaca fiber is similar to cashmere in its fineness and mohair for its strength. It is warmer, lighter and softer than sheep’s wool and contains no lanolin. Both Merle and I got a light weight pair of socks. Of course we went out to the enclosures to mingle with the herds. The first creature to come up to me was one of the few cats that hang out with the alpaca herds and in no uncertain terms, told me that she was the boss here. She allowed us to go visit the alpacas. They all have different personalities and temperaments.
Fun facts about alpacas:
·
They are a member of the camelid family like
llamas.
·
They originated high in the Andes Mountains.
·
They stand about 36” tall at the shoulders,
weigh 135-150 lbs. and live about 20 years.
·
They come in 22 natural colors
·
A female carries her baby for 11-12 months
·
They have strong herding instincts and need to
have at least one companion.
Next up was the Turkey Hill Experience in
Columbia. Turkey Hill, as you may know
is a company that produces ice cream, iced tea and other beverages.
This was not a trip to the actual dairy but one that has interactive exhibits allowing you to learn about the dairy process, the history of Turkey Hill, and the local history of the area.
You get to make your own virtual ice cream creation, star in your own TV commercial and create and eat your own ice cream creation in the Taste Lab. My creation included the base vanilla with added chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee extracts and espresso pillows and chocolate chips as the inclusions, finalizing with chocolate fudge. Everyone’s half pint then goes into the hardener container for around 15 minutes and is brought back to you to indulge (that mean snarf it down before the next group comes in.) There are a huge number of school groups that come for this experience, so do not expect to get same day tickets. Go on line to purchase available tickets and to get more information at:
This was not a trip to the actual dairy but one that has interactive exhibits allowing you to learn about the dairy process, the history of Turkey Hill, and the local history of the area.
You get to make your own virtual ice cream creation, star in your own TV commercial and create and eat your own ice cream creation in the Taste Lab. My creation included the base vanilla with added chocolate, cinnamon, and coffee extracts and espresso pillows and chocolate chips as the inclusions, finalizing with chocolate fudge. Everyone’s half pint then goes into the hardener container for around 15 minutes and is brought back to you to indulge (that mean snarf it down before the next group comes in.) There are a huge number of school groups that come for this experience, so do not expect to get same day tickets. Go on line to purchase available tickets and to get more information at:
It wasn’t the
best planning but up next was lunch at Hinkle’s
Pharmacy and Restaurant. Opened in
1893 Hinkle’s is celebrating over 120 years in business. I decided to try the Swedish meatballs with
house made mashed potatoes and Cole slaw.
I could not pass up an old fashioned Lime Rickey which brought back
memories of malteds, Spaulding’s, and poodle skirts. Did I ever really wear a poodle skirt? I think not.
In addition to the traditional menu items, they also make home made soups
and have gluten-free and healthy selections.
We chose gluten “filled” instead.
www.hinklespharmacy.com
www.hinklespharmacy.com
Clocks: We had the time, so we headed to the National Watch & Clock Museum. (My friend Bill should love that one, too.) Exhibits range from early sundials to
modern marvels. We saw “water clocks,
pendulum clocks, coil spring, quartz crystals, grandfather clocks, cuckoo
clocks, rail road time keeping pieces, tools, and the mystery clocks, which
seem to run by magic. The Museum has
over 12,000 items and is recognized as the largest and most comprehensive
horological collection in North America. The gift shop includes a vast array of
books and all things related to time. If you like anything to do with clocks or
even arts and crafts, this is the place.
www.nawcc.org/index.php/museum
We next checked
in at the Airy View Bed & Breakfast.
Mary Pine and her husband Fran, along with Max, the pooch of the house, showed us around the beautifully renovated 1870’s stone farmhouse that they share with three pet Alpacas, a rescued swan named Joey and a few other assorted wildlife. We dropped our things in our rooms and Merle decided to chill in the sunroom overlooking the pond while I headed back into town to meet up with Rick at the Paranormal Museum. Ok. I can hear my friends snickering out there like this is the perfect place for me. Rick’s collections include things related to UFO’s, ghosts, bigfoot, aliens, and all things weird. There are newspaper articles, books, games, artifacts, equipment and research. Rick Fisher, the curator hosts monthly lectures and runs Ghost Tours in the area. He is a wealth of information and loves to share it. Check out more at:
Mary Pine and her husband Fran, along with Max, the pooch of the house, showed us around the beautifully renovated 1870’s stone farmhouse that they share with three pet Alpacas, a rescued swan named Joey and a few other assorted wildlife. We dropped our things in our rooms and Merle decided to chill in the sunroom overlooking the pond while I headed back into town to meet up with Rick at the Paranormal Museum. Ok. I can hear my friends snickering out there like this is the perfect place for me. Rick’s collections include things related to UFO’s, ghosts, bigfoot, aliens, and all things weird. There are newspaper articles, books, games, artifacts, equipment and research. Rick Fisher, the curator hosts monthly lectures and runs Ghost Tours in the area. He is a wealth of information and loves to share it. Check out more at:
www.paranormalpa.net
After the Paranormal Museum I had some time so I crossed over one of the bridges and parked right along the banks of the Susquehanna River. It wasn't really season yet so there weren't any boats out but the river was beautiful. At more than 460 miles, it is the longest river on the East Coast and one of the oldest existing rivers in the world. It starts north as the outlet of Ostego Lake in Cooperstown and empties into the Chesapeake. I started to think of the possibilities for kayaking at a later date and wrote in my notes to do some research about it.
After the Paranormal Museum I had some time so I crossed over one of the bridges and parked right along the banks of the Susquehanna River. It wasn't really season yet so there weren't any boats out but the river was beautiful. At more than 460 miles, it is the longest river on the East Coast and one of the oldest existing rivers in the world. It starts north as the outlet of Ostego Lake in Cooperstown and empties into the Chesapeake. I started to think of the possibilities for kayaking at a later date and wrote in my notes to do some research about it.
Dinner is at Prudhomme’s Lost Cajun Kitchen where
Sharon and David Prudhomme treat us to a tasting of their various Cajun
specialties. The majority of their
dishes are fresh made to order so you can ask the wait staff to eliminate
anything you may have an issue with.
Merle was “no garlic.” Their
computer actually has a “no” list where the staff enters what not to include in
the dishes so there are no misunderstandings in the kitchen. The best part about the preparation is that
they do not cook with butter and rarely use salt. Cajun cooking is all about the herbs and
seasonings. Not all Cajun dishes are hot and spicy.
Sharon made the
following selections for us:
Frogs
Legs: – Merle had hers without the garlic.
Contrary to the old joke that they taste like chicken, they really
don’t.
Blackened Catfish: – one of
my favorites “Whoopie Pie”: A specialty of the restaurant, it is a corn
bread “sandwich” with crab and a creamy mushroom sauce.
Crab Ring: This is a battered onion ring
loaded with crab and melted pepper jack cheese.
Crawfish Etouffee: Unlike the other etoufees I have eaten, this
one is tomato based . Gator: Yes, you have to eat
gator if you go to a Cajun restaurant.
We had it served both broiled and fried. Hushpuppies: A
staple of the Louisiana cuisine.
Prudhomme’s has
various entertainment like bands and comedy acts and tonight Pete, the Magician
was entertaining the diners. I’m like a
kid when it comes to magic and illusion and I loved it.
Dessert was
homemade bread pudding and carrot cake.
Sharon sat with
us and told us great stories about the history of the restaurant and area, and
yes, ghosts.
We headed back
to the comfort of the Airy View B & B
Wednesday, May 14
Breakfast is in
the sunroom and is fresh made omelets. I
had spinach and sweet peppers. When I
say fresh, I mean fresh. Not like Mary
went to the store in the morning. She
went to the hen house.
We got to spend
some time with the pet alpacas and then we were off to a morning show at the American Music Theater.
The 10:30 a.m. show
at AMT was Music of the Night – The Songs
of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The
orchestra, singers and dancers performed several songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber
productions including Sunset Boulevard, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and
Phantom. I thought it was very well done
and the children added a nice touch to the production. Several top stars and
groups will be performing at AMT. Check
out the schedule at:
Lunch is at DJs Taste of the 50s.
We truly stepped back in time when we walked into DJs. It was everything the old 50s diners used to be. I have not ordered a hamburger out, in I don’t know how many years, because I like them on the rare side and due to regulations, a lot of places will not accept a rare order. I ordered mine medium rare to be safe. I had the “Knuckle” which was the burger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese on a home-made roll. You can order things like the “Fred n Ethel”, “A Blast from the Past”, or an “Elvis” among many others.
We truly stepped back in time when we walked into DJs. It was everything the old 50s diners used to be. I have not ordered a hamburger out, in I don’t know how many years, because I like them on the rare side and due to regulations, a lot of places will not accept a rare order. I ordered mine medium rare to be safe. I had the “Knuckle” which was the burger with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese on a home-made roll. You can order things like the “Fred n Ethel”, “A Blast from the Past”, or an “Elvis” among many others.
We then drive over to the Strasburg Railroad and Museum for our trip to Paradise. First, was the 45 minute train ride which
would be taking us from Strasburg through the farms and countryside of
Lancaster County and to our destination at Paradise. The first thing I thought of was a Twilight
Zone episode – “Willoughby, next stop Willoughby.” I love trains and the 45 minute trip was too
short, but it was but enjoyable.
Strasburg RR is the oldest operating short line railroad in the
Continental U.S. This excursion keeps to
the same schedule as the original and does not exceed 50 mph. I don’t think we even hit 35. At Paradise Junction the line meets up with
PA Amtrak main line. Engine #90, a steam
locomotive, is uncoupled and brought back around the track to bring us back to
Strasburg. The locomotive weighs 180
tons and can take 15 tons of coal and 9 gallons of water to operate.
An interesting fact noted by the conductor was that on February 22, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln made a stop at Leaman Place, which is along the same route we took, on his inaugural train ride, en route to Lancaster. His four-minute visit brought nearly 5,000 people out to cheer for the President and Mrs. Lincoln. To prepare for the President’s visit, Strasburg Rail Road had purchased their first passenger car, which ran on a special train to transport them.
Four years later his
body was taken back to Illinois on the same line.
Strasburg RR has numerous special events on the
train including Murder Mystery trains, Vintage Baseball Day, Rolling Antique
Auto Show & Run, and many culinary experiences. When we returned to Strasburg we went across the
street to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. There are many other activities at the
station for families to enjoy. The
museum has a nice collection of locomotives, different cars and other objects
such as lanterns, tools, clocks and accessories. The current special exhibit is “A First Class Restaurant on Wheels: The
Story of the Railroad Dining Car.” Many
of the restored cars can not be boarded but there is a virtual tour of some of
the cars, which you can see on a smart phone or one of the kiosks at the
Museum. Another great feature of the
museum is the Locomotive Cab Simulator. Visitors can take the throttle on a
simulated run, complete with signals, grade crossings and radio transmissions.
The cab simulator is as close as most individuals will ever come to being an
engineer. I have to say that my cousin
Jerry would be sadly disappointed that I failed this one. Well, maybe not really failed. You have to watch a short video to get the
jest of what to do in the cab and there were two young kids waiting so I gave
up the seat to them. I’ll have to spend more time next time.
Our next stop was to our accommodations at The Amish View Inn and Suites in
Bird-in-Hand. They have just added a new
building which is an “Adult Only” wing.
The room is a large suite with a nice sitting area and a view of the
farm land, out the window. It has a
fridge, microwave, and coffee maker and all the other usual amenities, none of
which I made use of. It’s still in its final phases and has a ways to go before
completion.
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Dinner was at The Pressroom back in Lancaster. The Pressroom offers free parking in one of the lots around the corner. However, I didn't have the address of the parking lot and only the restaurant so I dropped Merle off in front of the restaurant and went "around the corner" but because most of the streets are one way - and there are four corners, I chose the wrong street and the wrong lot. Not a big deal - but in addition to a GPS it is always worthwhile to pick up the local maps which are available just about anywhere. They have detailed street names and also include quite a few restaurants and other things to do in the area. Oh yeah...I had Crab Bisque soup and the Pork chop with asparagus and polenta. Dessert was pecan bread pudding. The Mark Huber Trio Jazz band was playing that evening and sounded great. Merle turned me on to this fantastic beer –Framboise Lambic which is a raspberry flavored “corked” beer.
Thursday
May 15
There was a full spread breakfast at the Inn
including made to order eggs and waffles and the usual standards. I had a bacon and egg sandwich and juice.
Our first stop was the Serenity Day Spa at the Best Western Plus Intercourse Village Inn.
The property had a huge make over last year in which all 40 original rooms were renovated and another 49 new rooms added. I was wondering why they didn’t make it an even 90, but that is just my “Monk” personality. Ryan gave me a brief tour before I headed to the Spa for my massage. The rooms were all nicely decorated and very comfortable. The most unusual suite was the 3 Queen Suite which also included a pull out sofa. This is a great bargain for a group of people. The Plus is in the name for a reason. As they say: “This is not your father’s Best Western.”
Merle and I went back to the Serenity Day Spa for our spa treatments. Merle had a facial and I had a massage with
Samantha. The atmosphere was
very mellow and, well, serene. Samantha
did a great job with all my problem areas and after the treatments Merle and I
sat for awhile in the lounge and drank some water and recovered from relaxing
too much.
Lunch was at Osteria
Avanti in the Inn at Leola Village in
Ephrata.
This Inn is a newly-named 4 star rated accommodation by
Forbes Travel. Kelly Doutt gave me a
brief tour of the property which was newly renovated and has 62 rooms in eight
buildings, including a Spa, pools suites, Fisher Cottage which is handicap
accessible, and a Wedding Garden. For
lunch I had a light salad with Baby Greens, hearts of lettuce and poached
salmon.
Oh,
one last thing about Lancaster County: STINK BUGS.
These are
relatively flat, brown, (sometimes green) bugs with a shield shaped body about
½ inch to ¾ long, originating in China or Japan. The first documented specimen in the US was
collected in Allentown, PA in September 1998.
Sting Bugs are called that for a reason.
Their defense mechanism, when threatened or squished, is to omit an
atrocious odor. We were instructed not
to squish them and to pick them up gently and flush them down the toilet. I was just as happy to leave them to their
own, as we didn’t encounter too many and were lucky not have experience the
odor. The combined odor of manure and
chocolate, which was apparent in most of the county, was interesting enough.
We were due to do another covered bridge tour of the
Northern Amish Countryside but we decided to get an earlier start and headed
back to Queens. The ride back was good
until we hit the Verrazano Bridge and the Belt Pkwy, which is always backed up,
but at least you have a great view of the water.
