Weekend Wanderings: Lighthouse at Cape May, NJ

I was lucky enough to visit the lighthouse at Cape May, NJ a couple months ago. Having a retired Coast Guard member in our family, we try to catch the lighthouses we may pass along the way. It happened to be a Sunday night and as we were walking around, we saw a group of Mennonites in the parking lot. A friend of mine mentioned this at the gift shop at the base of the lighthouse and discovered that their being there was not uncommon. Apparently, on selected Sunday nights, at sunset, they fill the stairway of the lighthouse and sing hymns. The acoustics of the lighthouse carry and fill the lighthouse with sound.

Although we were not lucky enough to hear their evensong, I hope we'll be a part of this one day.

Weekend Wanderings: Lancaster Co., PA (pt. 3)

Our last day in Lancaster County, we wandered into a little town called Strasburg, PA. Not having visited Strasburg, I didn't know that it was a destination for train lovers. But if you like trains, there's plenty for the train lover to do - including the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, the Strasburg Railroad or the National Toy Train Museum.

I very much enjoyed the architecture of this little dot on the map. We spotted a fantastic Victorian home as we were driving into town - just down the street from a much older stone home. Many of the homes on Main Street have what look like barns behind them - possibly a remnant of the Amish heritage of the area?

The downtown area has several lovely shops as well as the obligatory ice cream shop (you're either going to find ice cream or pretzels when visiting this area). You could choose to take an Amish Neighborhood Tour. And just down the road is a fantastic antique shop, called the Strasburg Antique Market.

So if you do visit Lancaster County, especially if you enjoy trains, I'd recommend you drop by Strasburg!

Weekend Wanderings: Lancaster Co., PA (pt. 2)

Before visiting Lancaster Co., PA, I looked around several of the many websites dedicated to the area trying to plan some activities. The PA Dutch Convention Visitors Bureau is a good place to start as it has information on hotels, attractions and even itinerary ideas for those overwhelmed with the choices.

I knew from past visits that my favorite way to see Lancaster County is to get a map and stay off the beaten path. Although Route 30 has a long line of attractions - including many, many outlets - I wanted a more relaxed time. For that reason, we chose to stay close to Route 340, just a short jog North of Rte. 30. Rte. 340 passes through Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse, PA, both of which have a lovely selection of shops along the main road.

You can find fresh produce, cider and dairy products in several farmer's markets. You might also choose to ride in a horse-drawn buggy as you explore the area. The Old Village Store is one of the oldest hardware stores in the country and it's linked to one of the most incredible antique stores I've ever visited. I'm talking thousands of items, well-organized, with VERY reasonable prices - good enough I'll go back to visit this store alone.

The best part of our trip, however, was traveling N. Ronks Road and N Hollander Road and even Mt. Vernon Road enjoying the farms, the children playing in the yards waving as we drove by and most especially the lovely horses enjoying a late summer day. If you do get to travel this stretch of country, I'd suggest getting a map and exploring the land in between the beaten paths. Enjoy some shoo fly pie. Pick up some home made jelly. Or just wave back and share a little bit of the simplicity that is Amish country.

Weekend Wanderings: Lancaster Co., PA (pt. 1)

Hubby and I decided to get away for the weekend. Remembering weekends gone by, I suggested Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His response was somewhere between a blank stare and incredulous "huh?" I knew I had some selling to do.

I started explaining the wonderful scenery. (Nada.) I then moved to talking about the shops, farmer's markets and restaurants. (Still nothin.) Finally, I started talking about the many, many horses. (JACKPOT!)

Lancaster County, if you don't know, is the home of several large Amish (or Pennsylvania Dutch) and Mennonite Communities. The communities were established largely in the 18th and early 19th centuries by Germans (possibly originally from Switzerland?) seeking religious freedom. They adhere to a strict set of rules that dictate their society and daily life - including guidelines on the clothing they wear, the restricted use of electricity and use of mechanized devices only in certain circumstances, among others. They are largely self-sustaining, farming families within a tight-knit community. Visiting Lancaster Co. gives outsiders a chance to peek into this simpler, devout lifestyle. Not to mention the opportunity to sight some beautiful horse-drawn buggies.

So while I was driving around looking for (and enjoying) scenes like this:












And this:












And this:












Hubby was stealing my camera when I wasn't paying attention and shooting pictures like this:












And this:












And this:


Which is apparently how we achieve balance in our marriage as we chased buggy tracks and horse "leavings" across Lancaster County. Whatever it takes my friends. Whatever it takes. And in the end, hubby was happy we went.

The end... of part 1.