We made friends with a wonderful couple on a cruise a few years ago and have not been able to get together on another vacation since. So when we were invited to join them at their home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it seemed like it would be a nice break. Though it ended up hotter than home, we found Lancaster to be a lovely and relaxing vacation spot. We flew into Philadelphia, which is not recommended – if you can’t get into Harrisburg, try Baltimore as an alternative – driving from PHL is just too stressful.  As your drive brings you closer to Lancaster County, you will begin to enjoy the rolling hills and beautiful farms of the Amish, Mennonites and their neighbors. 

Our first stop was the Mennonite Information Center, three miles east of Lancaster (near the Tanger Outlets), where the 30 minute movie “Who are the Amish?” provides background on the people.  Our friends had arranged for a Mennonite guide to join us on a two-hour drive though Amish Country where horse-drawn buggies are commonplace and Amish farms can be recognized by the laundry drying on the clothes line outdoors.  Other features of the area include several one room Amish schoolhouses (with outdoor facilities), Mennonite churches and many charming covered bridges.
 
Along the way to an Amish farm, we enjoyed freshly made soft pretzels and homemade root beer, from  the Bird-in-Hand Bake shop.   One of the most interesting stops was the Gordonville Bookstore, which had school books, supplies and educational toys customized for the Amish children, who have no radio, TV or computers for diversion.  Instead of pictures of cars, there were drawings of horse-drawn buggies and many of the texts were in German. 

We purchased a few homemade greeting cards from the barefoot Amish girls who were learning how to use the cash register. The lights and register were powered by an alternative source of electricity (solar, wind, gas, etc), as the Amish do not use public utilities.  Our guide told us that they are a very hard-working and prosperous people, who don’t pay into or receive benefits from Social Security.  Instead, they take care of their own, by building additions onto their homes for Grandma and Grandpa and helping their neighbors with barn-raisings when there has been a loss.
 
After dropping our guide back at the center, we stopped for corn chowder at the Family Cupboard Restaurant and headed to the Kitchen Kettle Village, a more touristy spot along route 340 in Intercourse, PA.  Worth visiting is the jam and relish kitchen where lots of samples of jelly, jam and butter are everywhere and samplers are available to ship home.  Across the street are the People’s Place Quilt Museum and Village Pottery with the area’s famous redware at reasonable prices.
 
Saturday was Market Day the country's oldest farmers' market: Central Market is located in a beautiful 120-year-old red brick building in downtown Lancaster.  There are no shortages of sweets and treats such as PA Dutch favorites like the whoopie pie and shoo fly pie along with the fresh meats (try the Turkey Lady for sausages) and  cheeses. Another pleasant surprise just up the street was the Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum which included a 1912 Beaux Art vaulted room that is the setting for their permanent collection of Lancaster County Amish quilts.  They have a great gift shop, as well.  And, speaking of gifts, the Landis Valley Museum Weathervane Shop was another great find with unusual Fraktur, Scherenschnitte, and Folk Art paintings for sale at very reasonable prices.

Sunday we headed out route 272 to Adamstown and Stoudtburg Village which includes Stoudt's Brewery, The Black Angus Restaurant & Pub and Black Angus Antique Mall. The large outdoor antique flea market was wrapping up early (it opens at 5:30 a.m., which apparently is the time to arrive!) but there were plenty more antiques indoors.  The highlight of the visit was the microbrewery tour guided by the owner, Ed Stoudt, a true beer connoisseur. We learned all about beer-making and also why two good beers and a glass of water are preferable to 3 light beers in both cost and taste.  The tour was followed by an outstanding lunch of German sausages, kraut and red cabbage at the pub.
 
On our way back to Philadelphia, we stopped at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square where we learned that the Red Rose of Lancaster “stems” back to pre-Tudor England when the Red Rose of Lancaster was the House of Lancaster's badge during the Wars of the Roses. Upon Henry Tudor's ascension to the throne the rose was merged with the White Rose of York to form the Tudor Rose. The most amazing sight was the Waterlily Display which included giant water-platters, a plant I had neither seen nor heard of previously (see photo). 

All in all it was a wonderful visit with lots left to see next time we are invited to Lancaster.