Help With Trip Plans To Lancaster And Surrounding Areas (Ephrata: for sale, amusement parks)

[ylisa7]

I am planning a trip for hubby and I in September. We are going to Lancaster and the surrounding areas. We don't have young children so we have no plans for any of the amusement parks. I would love to see a working farm, do some factory tours, go to a Farmer's market, and of course sample some of the local food(at least one of us would like to do that).

What are some of the places you would recommend seeing? I would also love to learn more about the Amish and Mennonites but I don't want it to be a tourist trap. Any ideas?


What are some some good places to eat. Nothing fancy but unfortunately I don't think my hubby will like the local family style restaurants. He is a steak kind of guy. I heard about Jennie's and I may check into that.


Thank you for your help.

[Kayee]

Try Jennies for breakfast. The place is a dive diner that is very crowded but they problably have the best breakfast foods in the whole state. You will have to wait but it is worth it. I have tried lunch there and it was good but not great, regular diner lunches. My hubby and I were just there on Sunday morning. We make sure to have breakfast there every time we are in the area. The only thing I wish I had was an ice chest to take the left overs home because they give you so much food!
My husband does not like PA dutch cooking or family style so we tend to have lunch & dinners away from the tourist areas. One of our favorites is Annie Bailey's Irish Pub in downtown Lancaster.

[lialleycat]

I haven't been yet, but DJ's Taste of the 50's might be a good place to eat - Best Restaurant & Diner | Family Restaurant & Dining | Lancaster, PA - it's on my list of places to try next time I'm down, which might be in September too!

We also like the Country Garden's Restaurant - Home

If your hubby is a steak guy, Texas Roadhouse is ok - my bf likes it there so we go there as well since we don't have one in our neck of the woods.

For a farmer's market, you can't beat the Central Market - Lancaster Central Market - in downtown Lancaster. It's only open certain days, so you'll need to plan accordingly. I'm not as thrilled with the Farmer's Market in Bird-in-Hand as I used to be, though the bakery across the street is still phenomenal! Kauffmans Fruit Farm -http://www.kauffmansfruitfarm.com/ - is another place I stop at often, but I love their selection of baking goods, especially the lemon chips and caramel bits for cookies - they also have fruit and fruit trees for sale.

For a real Amish experience and fresh farm goods - do some back country exploring and stop at the various roadside stands. In September there should be tons of fresh produce to choose from in addition to baked goods, canned goods and root beer. One of my favorite stands is the one across from Hayloft Candles in Leola. Last year the cantaloupe from there were to die for! I could have eaten one for every meal! And there is awesome corn on the cob at a farmstand off N. Ronks Rd in Ronks, between Rt 30 and Rte 340. Just remember, no pictures of the Amish.

If you haven't checked it out already, Pennsylvania Dutch Country in Lancaster County PA | Amish Country activities, shopping, dining, lodging has lists of some fun things to do, driving directions for covered bridge tours and lists of places to eat. They also have a trip planner you can use that gives you driving directions between each location.

Hope some of this is useful to you. I love visiting the area, and usually manage several trips a year - either day trips or weekend getaways.

[Icy Tea]

Shady Maple does steaks a few times a week, even Prime Rib. We took our sister out to Yoder's for her birthday ( free birthday meal like at Shady Maple) just to avoid the crowds. She had a delmonico steak which looked pretty good. Their grocery store is close to being at a farmers market but Lancaster other places. Stauffer's at Kissel hill, Oregon Pike dairy, both good for grocery stores with local produce and foods.
The Movie Witness farm does tours, I saw it advertised in one of the local guides. If anybody has been on it, do you know if the silo where the one cop suffocated is actually there and is there still a blood stain where Danny Glover got shot in the barn?
Kitchen Kettle has tours that include an amish farm but it is kind of touristy. But they have a great jam and jelly and relish store and theres one across the street nearby thats also great. I got the best shoofly pie i ever had at Kitchen Kettle, expensive, but the best.

[SusqueHappy]

My two favorite places in the Lancaster area are the Ephrata Cloister, a preserved settlers colony

Ephrata Cloister, Ephrata, PA

and the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz

http://www.wilburbuds.com/docs/visit.html


The region is rich with outlet malls too, if that's your sort of thing.

Enjoy your visit!

[teachbeach]

Landis Valley Farm does a nice job of depicting the life of PA settlers, albeit not the Amish. Agree with poster about Annie Baileys. Also good is the Arts Hotel, Checkers Cafe, Betty Groff's Farm, Hadyn Zugs. Love the town of Lititz, cute little place and some neat places to eat.

President Buchanan's home is interesting, and not too far from Franklin and Marshall and the downtown area. The street that the home is on has some beautiful ancestoral type homes.

Route 30 is the hub/metropolis of the area and often gets very congested. Would suggest branching off onto 340 to see some country side and stop at the little stands or shops on the way to Intercourse and Kitchen Kettle Village. Another town that is fun to explore is Strasburg, south of the big Rockville megamall outlet center.