What would we do?

Ok, a little exercise from Crankyprof. What would we do if you spent a day with me in Lovely Lancaster, PA? Assuming money was no object, I didn't have to work that night, and there were no classes to attend...

First stop? Wish You Were Here, for some sweet Swedish Pancakes. Oh sure, you can get bigger breakfasts elsewhere, and you could order something else off the menu, but why bother? They also have the best iced tea around.

Next, a quick walk over to Central Market, "The Country's Oldest Farmer's Market", which is conveniently located downtown. However, if you came to visit in the summertime, I'd probably hustle you out to my favorite farmstand, run by a local Mennonite family. There, you can get a giant office paper size box of tomatoes for about 6.00, great home-grown sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, peaches, and baked goods for ridiculously low prices. (Buy fresh! Buy local!)

Next stop? Lunch. I'm pretty partial to a local Vietnamese restaurant, SaiGon Cafe, (they don't have a website). However, if we're aiming for touristy, we could hit one of the 900,000 smorgasbord tourist traps, like Shady Maple (and we wonder why there's an obesity epidemic?)

After lunch, it would depend on your personality- Crafty folks get a trip to the Flower and Craft Warehouse. It's exactly what it sounds like- a ginormous warehouse with all manner of silk, dried, and fresh flowers, plus regular craft supplies, fabric, baskets, a 10,000 sq foot scrapbooking emporium, bath and body stuff, candles in every scent imaginable, and that's just the first floor. Upstairs is jewelry, candy, decor, and Christmas. Oh, and they added a greenhouse. Planty types, however, would need to visit the Black Creek Greenhouse. (A little further up the road.) They've got more plants than anyone else in the county. (No website, sorry.)

Retail types would, of course, end up at the Outlets. (Yes, they get a capital O.) Rockvale and Tanger Outlets sell all kinds of brand name merchandise at low-low prices. My favorites are the Corningware outlet, and the Pfaltzgraff outlet. They also got a Steve & Barry's, apparently.

After that, it's dinnertime, and eating on the patio at the Old Greenfield Inn would be swell, but if there's an ox or pig roast at a local firehall, my money's on that. (The firehall closest to my Mom & Dad's does a pork and sauerkraut dinner every year on New Year's day- family style, all you can eat, pork, hotdogs, sauerkraut, taters, applesauce, rolls, and at the end? Cake... All for about 11 dollars a person. This? You can't beat.) Firehall cooks rock- and if ya wanna see the Amish in their "natural habitat" forget that crap out on Rte 30, and come to a firehall dinner.

For the evening's entertainment, we could take in a band at the Chameleon, or a couple of drinks in the Lizard Lounge, See a play or hear the symphony at the Fulton Opera House, or take in a Barnstormers baseball game. If you're visiting in the fall, I would recommend visiting one of at least 4 (that I can think of) community street fairs. (New Holland's my favorite, but Ephrata is good too!) Nothing's more fun than eating a Grilled Cheeseburger (a grilled cheese sandwich with a hamburger smacked in the middle- NOT a pattymelt!) and fresh cut fries in the middle of the street, then following up with caramel corn, watching a little "Rat Roulette", checking out the exhibitions, and grabbing some fried Oreos or some tasty cream puffs on the way back to your car. (There are games and rides too, but c'mon- you're here for the FOOD!)


Sure, there's more to do in Lancaster that doesn't involve food, but really- is it worth your while? We grow it, we sell it, and we love to cook it. That's the best part about Lancaster... (We could, actually, spend the entire day eating, but that would be a little bad, eh?) Maybe tomorrow I'll do JUST Lancaster City- Mmm...