Amish Country

Each time someone asked my husband and I about our last trip to Lancaster, we were embarrassed to say that it had been 25 years since we had been there, and that was when our children were small. We discovered that there is so much to see that we both felt rather foolish for waiting so long for a return visit. Naturally, a lot has changed, and a lot more has developed around the area.

Our first day was a "train" day. As we pulled into the parking lot of The Strasburg Rail Road we could hear the engineer bellow "All aboard for the train to Paradise." Well, who wouldn't want to head off to Paradise? So we hopped onto a steam engine from 1882, complete with original mahogany woodwork, oil lamp light fixtures, plush green cushioned seats and a working pot bellied stove. The train was reminiscent of a train from the days of "Hello Dolly," and as I listened to the narration, I found out that it was indeed the train used in the movie.

The train shook and clunked down the tracks as we passed Amish farm fields of corn, wheat and hay. It was a relaxing 45 minute ride and a great way to feel like you are indeed stepping back in time. Though built up greatly over the last few years, Lancaster, due to the large Amish population, seems like an area frozen in the past.

The depot of the railroad has a toy store, gift shop, snack shop and kiddie rides, making it more than just a quick side trip. Of course you could buy anything and everything train related.

Directly across the street is the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania- I told you this was a "train" day. This stop is truly a train enthusiast's heaven. Inside are over a hundred historic locomotives. What struck me upon entering this spacious area was the enormity of the trains, from an 1825 John Stevens steam carriage to the more modern Pullman cars. Having grown up with the functional subways of New York City nestled deep in the underground tracks, these trains conjure up the golden age of steam railroading, when a train trip was both exciting and luxurious.

To complete our immersion into trains, we headed over to the National Toy Train Museum, which has on display a large collection of toy trains from the 1800s to the present. Even though I'm not a train buff, I recognized the names Lionel and American Flyer; but I quickly found that one doesn't have to be a hobbyist to love these train displays. When I looked around, it seemed like the kid in everyone emerged, as we all watched the train setups, complete with moving accessories, lights and sounds. The details of the town captivated me, as I began to notice each figure, lawn, tree, streetlight etc.

By now, I was a little "trained out," so we headed over to our B&B -- The Australian Walkabout Inn, built in 1925. Owners Jay and Val Petersheim have decorated this inn with charming Victorian style inside and out. The inn features wrap around porches, wicker furniture, gardens and a swing in the back. Inside is just as lovely-- with antique furniture, pocket doors, lace curtains with rose swags, transom windows and a lovely collection of china teacups.

Our hostess greeted us warmly and showed us to our choice of rooms. There are five, but I chose the one with the double Jacuzzi--my fantasy of luxury was complete.

The museum is a personal encounter with early trains

After a full day in Lancaster we had dinner at Miller's Smorgasbord, one of the many recommended Pennsylvania Dutch buffets in the area. It's been around since 1929, serving traditional favorites such as chicken corn soup, potato rolls, iced raisin bread, brown noodles, fried chicken, baked cabbage, macaroni and cheese, and of course, shoo fly pie. My mouth is watering as I write this- everything was scrumptious. This is a family run restaurant, originally by the Millers and now by the Strauss family.

This busy tourist stop has a dining room divided into four large quadrants seating 480. During the busiest part of the summer season, they often serve 2, 300 people a day. That's a lot of fried chicken and shoo fly pie.

Don noticed that the food was changed continually--making sure everything was fresh and crispy. I only wished that I could have eaten more. One recently added feature at Miller's is a "partial buffet." If you are not that hungry and have great willpower, there are different prices for just the carving station, the salad bar, the shrimp station, or even the dessert buffet. I thought this was a great idea for dieters, and one I had not really seen before. Usually, it is all or nothing at buffets and we all tend to overeat, which Don and I did ourselves, but we loved every minute of it.

Tired from our first day exploring, Don looked forward to relaxing in front of the television in our room, and I especially looked forward to the Jacuzzi. So much for romance.

Window display at the Australian Walkabout Inn

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