Day One in Lancaster, PA

As we drove along Highway 30 on the way to Lancaster (otherwise called PA Dutch Country) on Monday, we really enjoyed the scenery.
The simple things like the beautiful diverse architecture of the homes located sparsely across the plains, the many open fields and farms and the beautiful silhouettes of tree branches against the blue skies are visions to which I am rarely exposed.
It was so great to just roll down our windows and breathe fresh crisp air and take in everything around us, so different from the commercial structures and landscapes with which we are surrounded in Orange County California where we live.
We drove for miles and miles in silence, just enjoying our senses: sights, smells, sounds.

It was so enjoyable, I didn't even once think of taking out my camera and photographing our drive.
That just doesn't happen because I have my camera around my neck nearly everywhere we go.
But this was really an unusual drive... so calm and serene.

By the time we arrived in Lancaster, were both pretty hungry.
We had seen signs for a cute restaurant that sounded to be a typical local chain so we thought we’d stop there.

Our first meal in Lancaster was at Friendly’s restaurant on Highway 30, whose tag line is “where ice cream makes the meal.”
The wait staff really knows how to make you feel welcome.
Our waitress, Michelle, really embodied the name of this restaurant.
She was also very accommodating and helpful as we were making our way in Lancaster for the very first time.

We drove around for quite a while before we found a grocery store.
(Travel Tip #5: stock up on bottled water, orange juice, fruit, muffins, bread, peanut butter and snacks to save money on breakfast, the cost of individual drinks and high-priced meals if your stay is longer than a day or two.)
We finally found a Giant, supermarket located on Fruitville Pike Road.

Next on the agenda was to find a Starbucks.
When we’re on the road doing shows, days are long and nights are short, so good strong coffee in the morning is a must!
We can always count on Starbucks to consistently deliver good, strong coffee which I believe is the key to their success.
We quickly found out that there were three locations in town.
The one we frequented and for which we posted a link for directions is located also on Fruitville Pike Road.

We found another beautiful treasure in the The Cork Factory Hotel which, as the name indicates, used to be an old cork factory that they transformed into a hip/trendy hotel concept.
Complete with wireless internet in each room (a necessity for us), this hotel is unlike any other we have stayed in.
Having opened barely one week prior, we were pleasantly surprised to see they had already worked out most of the kinks.
Everything from the granite counters in the bathroom, slate in the shower, refrigerator, high open-beamed ceilings and wonderfully comfortable beds, we were very pleased to have found this quaint hotel.
The staff at the Cork Factory Hotel is very friendly and helpful and they make you feel right at home.
We would be very happy to stay here again whenever we return to Lancaster.
(Travel Tip #6: Check online for coupons or find out if your frequent flyer miles apply to your hotel. In this case, because the hotel was brand new, they offered two free nights as an “opening” special.)

We were told that the Cork and Cap Restaurant, located on the same property as the Cork Factory Hotel in Urban Place, is a must try.
We haven’t yet had the opportunity to try it but hopefully we’ll get to do that in the last few days we’re here.

Our first dinner in town was at Good ‘n Plenty.
Here there are two ways to eat: family-style all-you-can-eat dinner or individual platters.
If you choose the family-style dinner, you will be seated with others at a 12-seat dinner table and share the three courses and desserts.
If you choose the platter which we did, you will have your choice of 3 meats (I had the fried chicken and Roy had the sausage), 2 sides (Roy had the mashed potatoes and coleslaw, I had the buttered noodles and sweet corn). Every meal comes with home-made bread served with fresh-churned butter, apple butter and cottage cheese, and 2 desserts (Roy had the apple pie and ice cream and I had Jello and shoo fly pie).
After dinner we went out to the cashier to pay our bill and then browsed in their cute little country gift store before heading back to the hotel for the night.



Tomorrow I’ll continue with more of Lancaster, PA...