Stay
Warehouse Stays:
Before eating, shopping or general navigating, choosing a place to rest at the end of each day is paramount. If retiring from the day in a unique renovated and remodeled warehouse sounds like the way to go, consider either the Cork Factory Hotel (corkfactoryhotel.com) or the Lancaster Arts Hotel (lancasterartshotel.com). Once an actual working cork factory, the space now offers a broad range of facilities including hotel rooms and a restaurant. The Arts Hotel marries a historical backdrop with art from the modern era for a memorable stay, and it also features a restaurant serving up local ingredients. Both are in downtown Lancaster.
Image Courtesy Village Inn Bed & Breakfast
Country Quaint:
Plenty of places exist outside downtown, too, like the Village Inn Bed and Breakfast in the center of Strasburg, where it’s all about location, location, location (strasburg.com). They’ve been serving travelers “since before the turn of the 20th century,” so you can enjoy a different type of history along with some sleep.
See & Do
The Places You'll Go By...
Car:
Countrysides were made for cruisin’, so get in the driver’s seat and enjoy the scenery. Aside from
the popular downtown Central Market, many lesser known roadside stands and markets abound around the outlying towns. While meandering the countryside can be enjoyable, check out a website (reallancastercounty.com) that lists exact locations of farmers’ roadside stands off the beaten path. Plug the addresses into a GPS and find seasonal fruits and vegetables, as well as occasional baked goods (whoopie pies, hello!) and flowers at modest prices, sold directly by the farmers. Besides the GPS, don’t forget cash, as small roadside stands will usually not accept credit cards.
Foot:
Stroll the streets of downtown the best way—on foot. Eating and shopping could easily swallow a whole weekend, but do not miss recurring events, like First and Third Friday, or a show at a National Historic Landmark, The Fulton Theatre.
First Friday (July 7th) brings the pulse of the already vibrant city up another notch, offering street performances; galleries with wine, hors d’oeuvres and exhibits; plus surprise elements around every corner. Curious crowds love coming downtown even more in the warmer months, so enjoy the friendly rumpus. Musical performances take the stage for third Friday (July 21st), hosted by the City of Lancaster (visitlancastercity.com). Stop by Binns Park to see what Music for Everyone (musicforeveryone.net) is bringing to everyone’s ears.
From June until July 23, the Fulton will be showing Disney’s Newsies, a Broadway hit for over two years about the newsboy strike of 1899. If seeing a show doesn’t fit the schedule, during the summer, tours will take place every Friday at noon. Learn the surprising history of the theatre and see behind the scenes. Tickets for shows and tours can be booked through the website (thefulton.org).
Pick up a memorable souvenir available from the Lancaster City Visitor’s Center at 38 Penn Square. Find unique designs commemorating specific locations, including The Fulton, on items like mugs, magnets and prints.
Image Courtesy Barebones Bicycle
Bicycle:
The car was invented as a quick means to get from point A to point B, but on vacation sometimes it's fun to stop and smell the roses. One way to achieve this is by bicycle. Strasburg, a quaint historical town nestled between farms and the notorious outlets on Route 30, offers a traditional pastoral experience coupled with fun shopping and landmark activities.
Besides simply meandering the scenic serpentine roads, you can reach the famous Strasburg Railroad, museums, independent boutiques and various eateries by bicycle. One particular bike shop, Barebones Bicycle, near the town square, offers rentals by the day or hour. Co-owner Kristie Nies says, “riding a bicycle offers so much more for your senses. If you’re interested in sight-seeing, there’s so much beautiful countryside in and around the town of Strasburg [that is] easily traveled by bicycle.”
Come empty-handed, as all rentals include everything needed including a helmet, handlebar bag, lights, locks and maps of historic Strasburg. If BYOB (bringing your own bike) sounds more the right speed, they are also happy to do repairs or tune ups. (Find rates and availability at barebonesbicycle.com.)
Image Courtesy Donovan Roberts Witmer
Cycle to the famous Strasburg Creamery for some ice cream homemade with local ingredients (strasburg.com), then play miniature golf at the picturesque Village Greens, situated on 13 lush acres of landscaped grounds featuring shrubs and seasonal blooms (villagegreens.com).
Sip & Savor
All this walking, biking, driving and sightseeing makes for one hungry and thirsty weekend. Fortunately, the toughest part won't be finding a place but choosing one (or a few).
If experiencing some of Lancaster’s authentic ethnic cuisine sounds like food for thought, try the popular Himalayan Curry and Grill (himalayanlancaster.com). Be sure to call ahead for seating, as locals know this cozy restaurant, regarded for its Nepalese and Indian cuisine, can be booked up even on a Wednesday night until eight o’clock.
Image Courtesy The Fridge
If choosing a few beers from a list of over 400 bottles sounds refreshing, head over to The Fridge (beerfridgelancaster.com) to open the doors of the wall-to-wall refrigerators that give the restaurant its name. Ten craft beers from around the world await on draft as well. Fill up on rotating seasonal pizza slices while sipping brews for a perfectly rounded experience.
Numerous cafes and coffee shops dot the streets in downtown Lancaster, Strasburg, Lititz (another small town that’s garnered accolades) and the surrounding countryside. Be sure to check Discover Lancaster for highlights from each area (discoverlancaster.com).
With more things to do in Lancaster than an ice cream shop has flavors, know that no matter the itinerary, the goal is to have fun! Fill the camera with photos, the suitcase with treasures and the mind with memories. And hopefully another trip can mark the calendar, because fall is just around the corner with a whole new cornucopia of experiences to explore.