Alexandria, VA – Founded in 1730, the city of Lancaster lies between the lush green fields of Amish farm country. Boys and bearded men sport suspenders, black trousers and straw hats in summer and black hats against cold winter days. Girls and women stroll by in long dresses with aprons – black bonnets for the single women and white for married women. It’s a striking and readily recognizable appearance. Look around and you’ll hear the sharp clip-clop of the one-horse buggys traveling country lanes.
This travelogue is about the other Lancaster, a burgeoning, hip and historic city easily accessed from Philadelphia – an hour’s train ride – or from the Washington Metro area – a 2-hour drive or 3-hour Amtrak ride into the heart of the city. The perfect weekend getaway.
My fascination with the city began with its remarkable architecture – Greek Revival, Tudor, Beaux Arts, Art Deco, Federal, Gothic, Germanic, Romanesque, Neo-Classical, Victorian, Colonial, Georgian, and Italian Renaissance. Tall multi-story structures decorated with elegant trim line the city streets. Many of these are beautifully preserved with plaques that reveal the history of the building or a notable occupant. Tucked into narrow alleyways you’ll discover log houses, carriage houses and early outhouses. A self-guided architectural walking tour can be accessed online at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9503b44fe06847b7b48a8865684ccec7.
Start your day at Lancaster Central Market in the heart of the city where you can stop for a bite and a coffee while checking out the many stalls featuring Amish cheeses, meats, farm fresh produce, Grasshopper’s Wicked Pickles (20 varieties!) and Mr. Bill’s Fresh Seafood for in-house smoked salmon. The market is a bonanza of locally canned fruit preserves. Pick up a scratch-made savory or sweet pie from Lancaster Pie & Coffee where you’ll find classic apple, peanut butter chocolate, bourbon pecan or a sour cherry latticed pie. Savory quiches are always on the menu.
Sample spirits from Lancaster Distilleries who make a variety of bourbons, whiskies, vodka and brandies. I know. It’s morning. But their booth was already busy with customers sipping and buying small batch bourbon. For nighttime fun the company runs a repertory cinema stillhouse called Zoetropolis with live music, local art and indie films.
Lancaster Central Market is the oldest indoor farmer’s market in the United States. In June the Strawberry Festival showcases piled-high strawberry pies topped with fluffy clouds of whipped cream, glistening strawberry shortcakes and cupcakes topped with strawberry and lemonade icing.
Once fueled up take a short stroll to the city’s art galleries. The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Store has local artists and artisans work – ceramics, carved wood objects, fine art and jewelry. Many of the galleries are close together on Prince Street. Be sure to visit the newly established Lancaster Art Vault on the corner of Orange and Queen Streets where owner Victoria Abadir presents revolving juried exhibits, workshops and live model figure drawing as well as local artists, some of whom work on site in a variety of mediums. Nearby, Redeux Vintage has stylish vintage clothing and unique accessories. Another fun stop is Space chock-a-block with mid-century furniture, clothing, vinyl records and video games.
A recent springtime visit coincided with the annual Rhubarb Festival held at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse. Be sure to visit Jam & Relish Kitchen where you can watch the canning process and sample some of the jams, jellies, salsas and relishes they have stocked to the rafters. Over forty shops are dotted around this charming village. Seek out locally made heirloom quilts, homemade whoopie pies, hand-thrown pottery and artisan treasures.
Within the Village have lunch at the Burnley family’s Kling House Restaurant. The restaurant has just reopened after shuttering for five years. You’ll dine in an historic house choosing from salads, housemade soups and entrées. We sat on the front porch overlooking the Amish Carriages for hire. Try the Shrimp & Crab “Cake”, Pork Barbecue, or Seared Pork Loin with Carolina Gold rice and black-eyed peas. Refreshing “Mocktails” are made with herbs, spices, rose blooms and/or lavender and fresh fruits. Executive Chef, Craig Longnecker helms the kitchen and designs the drinks.
After lunch, head off to The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia where you’ll gaze in wonder at a fascinating collection of hundreds of antique clocks, watches and elegant timepieces from around the world. The museum houses the Engel Clock, an extraordinary timepiece with moving characters synched up to the inner pipe organ. The massive clock sits 11 feet high and 8 feet wide. It was discovered in pieces in an old barn in Connecticut, then brought to the museum and restored by clockmakers and repair experts that came from all over the country. Be sure to take the tour when the guide brings the fantastical clock to life. Fun Fact: Founded in 1895, Lancaster was the headquarters of the Hamilton Watch Company for over seven decades.
Check in at the centrally located Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square before heading up to The Exchange, a modern rooftop lounge featuring drinks, small bites and a killer view of the city. You’ll find a lively scene packed nightly. Be sure to make reservations.
A few steps from the hotel is Josephine’s Downtown, an elegant, bespoke, white linen restaurant drenched in Hollywood glamour and located in an historic building. Chandeliers and candlelight bathe the well-spaced tables. The service is superb as are the wine list and the perfectly prepared cuisine. Deep blue walls are covered with gold-framed photos of famous stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the Broadway stage. We had fun putting names to the iconic images as we listened to a pianist play old standards. A destination restaurant, Josephine’s is an unforgettable lavish dining experience not to be missed.
We slept in, savoring memories of our fabulous dining experience at Josephine’s, before heading out to the Hershey Farm Restaurant’s “Grand Smorgasbord” at the Hershey Farm Resort in Ronks where a twenty-foot Amish figure named Amos and holding a pitchfork, towers over the parking lot. Kitsch and cool at the same time.
Suffice it to say, their buffet is epic and endless. In this newly decorated farmhouse style spot there’s something for everyone, kids and grownups alike. We checked out the lobby’s shops and found a boutique with a chic collection of affordable daywear, collectibles and accessories.
After brunch we headed over to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. I don’t claim to know a single thing about trains, so I was a bit skeptical if it would hold my interest. What we discovered was breathtaking – a vast collection of one hundred antique locomotives, cabooses and train cars, polished and restored as if brand new and housed in a massive two-level building the length of two football fields. You’ll stroll along the platforms, as if you’re about to leave the station or greet a loved one.
On Main Street you’ll discover a re-created passenger depot from the early days of train travel, a train ticket booth and telegraph office, a roomful of model trains and railroad artifacts. We tried our prowess at a hands-on experience – shoveling coal into a train’s engine went well. Then climb aboard a train to be transported back in time. Our tour guide provided a wealth of information about the mechanics of each train and the early days of train travel.
Driving past dairy farms and rolling fields of early corn crops, we headed off to the Haines’ family’s Grandview Vineyard. The tasting room overlooks acres of vines in a scene evocative of a European winery. Their wines are legit as are the charcuterie boards featuring local cheeses.
We enjoyed an excellent cabernet sauvignon and a merlot that was on point and brought home a chunk of the amazing local Smoked Galen’s farmstead gouda from Clover Creek Cheese Cellar. Enjoy the free concert series on Friday and Saturday nights.
A quick ten-minute drive from the winery, in the tiny town of Mount Joy we found one of the most unique experiences at Bube’s Brewery – the first brewery in America to have a liquor license. Visitors come from all over the world to investigate the Old World brewing process and discover the original equipment still in use. It’s the nation’s only intact brewery from the 1800’s.
The extensive tour takes you through a series of underground rooms housing massive brewing vats, then up and down many narrow stairways to a ballroom overlooking the town and another room with the original pre-prohibition bar, still in use for special events. The lowest underground level features the Catacombs. A large, curved ceiling room for fine dining, it’s one of four restaurants onsite. The maximalist Victorian décor, furnishings and original art can be found throughout the 19th Century brick building. I’ve toured many breweries here and abroad and never seen any place as fascinating as this.
Bube’s is also an inn which, we were told, by law they must maintain to continue to operate as a brewery. Eight themed bedrooms accommodate guests – Moroccan, Southwestern, Asian and two Princess bedrooms to name a few. It would be fun to book a room on one of their murder mystery nights. Another area for dining is the expansive outdoor biergarten serving a selection of guest beers plus beers brewed on the property along with upscale pub food.
