LANCASTER COUNTY
TRAVEL IDEAS

The staff at Otels hope you enjoy the following Travel Ideas
from travel writer (and enthusiastic naturalist) Mark Kolakowski
Best wishes on your next trip!

 

Dutch Treat in Lancaster County

By Mark Kolakowski
Copyright © 2003 by the author

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania boasts lovely rural landscapes and an intriguing people, the Amish (pronounce the “a” as in “father”), who seem to live in an earlier age, with their rejection of modern inventions like the automobile, electricity and the telephone. The principal Amish region is a triangle with its western point in the city of Lancaster, its eastern edge along PA Route 10, the northern side on PA Route 23 and the southern on US Route 30. Drives virtually anywhere therein (except on highly commercial US 30) are picturesque. Route 340 (Old Philadelphia Pike) is the principal route and I especially like the stretch of Route 772 northwest from Intercourse village to Leola. Routes 10 and 897 north of 340 also are worth exploring.



Note furrows in the roads created by horses’ shoes. Drive cautiously: a slow-moving buggy may be around a blind turn or over the crest of a hill. The telltale sign of an Amish house is the absence of electric or telephone lines running into it. Look for men working the fields with horses or mules. Watch for Amish farms selling fresh produce or delicious baked goods. I always search for home made root beer, spicy and not unduly sweet.

Most Amish find direct eye contact immodest. They normally converse among themselves in one dialect of German, hold religious services in another and learn English strictly to communicate with outsiders. Avoid the latest slang, lest you be misunderstood. They also dislike having their pictures taken by strangers, so be sensitive to this.

In the village of Bird-in-Hand on Route 340, you can ride in a horse-drawn Amish carriage with Abe’s Buggy Rides or visit the Weavertown One-Room Schoolhouse, which Amish children attended for over a century. In Intercourse village, The People’s Place has excellent exhibits on the beliefs, arts and crafts of the Amish, as well as those of related groups such as the Mennonites and Hutterites. Plain & Fancy has a wonderful film about an Amish teenager making his choice to continue with Amish tradition or to live life on the outside. It is shown on barn board, behind a screen holographically, with live special effects, etc. and is well worth the visit.

The Landis Valley Museum is one of the outstanding living history museums in the country. It’s 2.5 miles north of Lancaster city on Route 272 (Oregon Pike). It has over 30 historic buildings, illustrating rural Pennsylvania German life in the years 1740-1940. In the town of Ephrata, 10 miles farther north via Route 272, is a remnant of an interesting communal society, the Ephrata Cloister.

Train buffs must make a pilgrimage to Strasburg, about 10 miles east of Lancaster city at the junction of Routes 896 and 741. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has a great assortment of locomotives and rolling stock. The Strasburg Rail Road offers scenic steam train rides. For kids of all ages who love toy trains, visit the Choo Choo Barn or the National Toy Train Museum.

Older kids with an interest in history may like visiting President James Buchanan’s home Wheatland, in the city of Lancaster. The National Watch and Clock Museum, 12 miles west of Lancaster city via US 30, is a unique and memorable collection.

For dining, I strongly recommend Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant on Route 772 just southeast of Route 340 in Intercourse village. They serve outstanding family-style meals, with possibly the best fried chicken, ham loaf and sausages (especially the latter) anywhere. I’ve been going for 20 years. Try some shoofly pie.

For more info call the Pennsylvania Dutch Country Welcome Center on (800) 723-8824 or (717) 299-8901.  See www.thepeoplesplace.com  for outstanding photos. 

To make hotel reservations for Lancaster County, please click here.


Attractions  (with times for Memorial Day-Labor Day):

Abe’s Buggy Rides (717) 392-1794, M-Sa 9-dusk $10 adults, $5 ages 3-12
Weavertown School (717) 768-3976, daily 9-5 $3.25 adults, $2.25 ages 5-11
The People’s Place (800) 390-8436, M-Sa 9:30-8 call to inquire
Landis Valley Museum (717) 569-0401, M-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-5 $7 adults, $5 ages 6-12,
$19 family
Ephrata Cloister (717) 733-6600, M-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-5 $6 adults, $4 ages 6-12,
$17 family
RR Museum of PA (717) 687-8628, M-Sa 9-5, Sun 12-5 $6 adults, $4 ages 6-12,
$16 family
Strasburg RR (717) 687-7522, 5 or 8 trips daily $8.50 adults, $4.25 ages 3-11
Choo Choo Barn (717) 687-7911, daily 10-4:30 $4 adults, $2 ages 5-12
Nat’l Toy Train Mus. (717) 687-8976, daily 10-5 $3 adults, $1.50 5-12
Wheatland (717) 392-8721, daily 10-4 $6.50 adults, $3.50 students,
$1.75 ages 6-11
Watch & Clock Mus. (717) 684-8261, Tu-Sa 10-5, Sun 12-4 $6 adults, $5 ages 6-12,
$16 family
Stoltzfus Farm Rest. (717) 768-8156, M-Sa 11-8 $14.50, $6.95 ages 4-12


We welcome your comments or suggestions about the above Travel Report: