What to do with 3 days in Lititz, Lancaster County

As fall comes into full force and the days grow shorter and cooler many folks think that activities in this part of the world slow down as well. I am here to tell you that it “just ain’t  so”!  Late fall and winter are some of the richest, activity wise, in Lancaster County. Here are some fun filled ideas of what you can do with 3 days in beautiful Lancaster County.   Visit our website for links to those that have websites. For those that don’t we will have all the info for you here when you check in.

Fridays
Of course we are near Lititz and love all that there is to do right here!  November brings  2nd Friday on Nov 11, with shops open later, music and other fun things to do. Lancaster City boasts 1st Fridays with special events, food and music as well. While there visit the Central Market, the oldest inland farmers market in Lancaster County, open only on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Friday’s are also Green Dragon days, a busy outdoor/indoor farmers market in Ephrata. Auctions, produce, crafts and flea market all rolled into one.  
Saturdays
This is a great day to tour through Amish farmland, slow your pace to that of the horse and buggies around you, add in a stop at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse for some shopping. Jellies, jams and preserves abound here. Small stores with handmade crafts, and other beautiful things can be found here as well.  Quilt shops are dotted through the countryside. Ask us for our favorites.  You will want to stop for ice cream on an old order Amish farm that makes just about the best ice cream on the face of the earth!  End your day with one of the many performances at the Millennium Theater, Rainbow Dinner Theater, or the American Music Theater.
Sundays
Sunday is the quiet day here in the county. Pretty much anything Mennonite or Amish run will be closed. Buggies wend their way through the back roads to and from church services or visiting. Today is a good day to visit some of the museums in the county. Most are open from noon to 5. The Ephrata Cloister is fascinating and has several programs throughout the year. My favorite is the Christmas Lantern Tours and Christmas at the Cloister, both in December. These require tickets and advance reservations.
President Buchannans home, Wheatland  is open for tours as well.
 Landis Valley Museum, is a living history village and farm, which collects, preserves and interprets the history and material culture of the Pennsylvania German rural community from 1740 to 1940.  Also open 12-5 on Sundays and well worth a visit.
End your day with dinner at one of the amazing restaurants close by. We love Lily’s on Main in Ephrata or the General Sutter Inn on the square in Lititz.
Monday
We love telling guests about the New Holland horse auction that takes place on Monday’s.  This is not a tourist attraction and cameras are not allowed. Many Amish go here to purchase new carriage or work horses. It is fascinating and we will be happy to give you directions.  Monday’s  are also wash day in Amish country and touring through the farmlands is beautiful no matter what the time of year.  This is a good day to visit the outlets as they are far less busy than later in the week.
Tuesday
Year round farmers markets include Lancaster’s Central Market open on Tuesday. Schedule a visit to the Quilt Museum just next door while you are there.  Lancaster also offers walking tours and boasts some excellent restaurants. Like other small cities it is filled with small shops and interesting things to do.  The Fulton Opera House boasts some excellent performances year round.
The other farmers market that is only open on Tuesday is Roots. This is an outdoor/indoor market chock full of excellent stands.  Just south of Manheim it is a short drive from the Inn.   On your way back to the Inn a visit to Waltz Vineyard just west of Manheim. We love Waltz wines! Their wine tasting room is beautiful and bright, the perfect spot to spend a few winter hours. Be sure to try their award winning Fusion wine.
Wednesday
Outdoor activities abound in northern Lancaster County all year round.  Take an afternoon to hike the trails behind the Inn, or at Middle Creek Wildlife Preserve just a short drive from us.  At the end of January, beginning of February through the middle of March you can enjoy the migration of the snow geese and tundra swans.  Not just a few but tens of thousands of them find their way north with a stop at Middle Creek.  Several hundred overnight here at our own Speedwell Forge Lake, but the really impressive  flocks are just a short drive away at Middle Creek. Bring your camera!  Bikers love this area and we have access to cue sheets to help you find your best route. Covered Brideges are scattered throughout this part of the county and make a beautiful tour. End your day at the Boars Head Pub in Lititz for one of their incredible craft beers on tap. Jeff, the bartender will help you find the  perfect one to go with your traditional pub fare .  What a great place to spend a wintery evening!
Thursday
Wow are we through a whole week already? I have barely touched the list of all there is to do here in the county.  Today would be a great day to take a short 25 min drive to Hershey if you want  to visit Chocolatetown USA, or for a closer chocolate fix a trip to Wilber’s right here in Lititz is in order. Home of the Wilber bud they have a wonderful chocolate museum and great outlet store for your Christmas and Valentines day needs. Down the street you will want to stop in at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory and try your hand at twisting a pretzel. Do a good job and you will come away with a certificate to hang on your wall.  For more pretzel fun we can send you to a small Mennonite run pretzel bakery where they still stand around tables twisting pretzels and singing.  Out to dinner and why not end your day with a nice hot cup of coffee in front of our roaring fireplace.

I have not even scratched the surface of all there is to do. Check out the Area section of our website for links and more events and things to see and do.  Every month is filled with special events, theater preformances, concerts,  and tours.  Werner and I have innkeeping for 25 years and we love to map out days tailored to what you, our guest want to experience.  I hope you have enjoyed your armchair week in Lancaster County, Why not come for a visit?

Forcasting the winter

Much folklore surrounds predicting the amount of snowfall one can expect in the upcoming winter If the band on the black and red catapiller is broad, not so hard, if it is a thin line, very hard winter.  If the acorns are big and plentiful, hard winter, and the list goes on and on.. I must say I enjoy listening to the speculation as we go into fall and wonder what we can expect. I have my own harbinger of prediction that has a really good success rate. I look out and see how Werner's woods stacking is going. The more wood stacked, covered and ready, the harder the winter promises to be.

One stack of MANY

Well I have news for you. I cannot remember a time that there has been more wood, split and stacked than there is this year. Every available corner, wall, overhang.. you name it, is filled with beautiful oak, poplar, maple and chestnut. Werner has the most beautiful wood piles I have ever seen. Guests comment on them, take pictures of them, ask him for lesson on how to do them.. they are just perfect.
And as precise as a barometer.
So, if  setteling in next to our roaring fire and knitting, reading, taking or even napping sounds like a great idea, make your plans now to visit us when the snow flies!
During Sept, October and November we keep the fires burning on the patio in our very popular fire pit. December onward the main fireplace takes over and is the place to be. 

Wild Mushrooms in the Swiss Woods

Werner and I took the time on Sunday afternoon to hike the back trails behind the Bed and Breakfast,  and take a look at a new bridge the boys built across the stream. The bridge makes that trail a guest favorite. It winds its way back to the marshes and then along the inlet where the owl box hangs, wood ducks nest and frogs sing. If we are lucky the owl will be looking out her door even during the day.
Because of the regular rains we have had this year the hiking paths were lined with mushrooms of every imaginable shape and size. We commented that we really need to find someone to teach us the art of identifying mushrooms that we can eat. There is nothing as wonderful as mushrooms fresh from the forest and we have acres here for them to grow on.
So today when the doorbell rang and it was my nephew Ben, Mr Outdoors, with 2 friends asking if they could hunt mushrooms in the woods, I said, sure, if you bring them back for me to see!
When they returned it was with a 5 gallon bucket filled with Hen of the Woods.  One of them is now in my kitchen waiting for me to figure out what to do with it,  and I know where to find more when I get it figured out!  I love that we are never done finding new things to be excited about on this property.  Let me know if you have a favorite way of preparing wild mushrooms!

A Bed and Breakfast is the perfect way to visit Lancaster County

Every year Werner and I host a group of Swiss Farmers. They arrive after touring through New England and Canada and Lancaster County is the last stop on their trip. We are always challenged with showing them the best of the area and it serves as a wonderful opportunity for us to evaluate all that this area has to offer. Every year we are overwhelmed by just how much there is to do here!

Jeff the vineyard manager ( with the pipe) and  Werner (with the cup)  learning  details of winemaking.  Thank you Jeff!

Our guests enjoying Waltz wines and locally made cheese

Yesterday we visited Waltz Vineyards in Lancaster County. This vineyard is newer to the Lancaster scene and all I can say is .. Welcome! What a wonderful place with wines to match. (My favorite is their Fusion) Located just north of Manheim it is proof positive that Lancaster can produce wonderful wine.
Today in addition to a visit to a local peach and apple orchard the group is touring through pristine Amish farmland, shopping for quilts and learning all there is to know about local milking operations. Tonight we will grill wonderful sausage from S. Clyde Weaver's sweet corn grown 1/2 mile from the inn, and a decadent peach dessert featuring peaches from the farm at the end of the road.  Lancaster truly is a cornucopia of the best food imaginable.!

Outdoors at a Lititz Bed and Breakfast

So often when talking about the Inn we forget to mention the truly spectacular setting that Swiss Woods enjoys. 35 acres of bliss as one of our recent guests put it. Overlooking Speedwell Forge Lake and bordering on state conservation land not only affords us a very quiet setting, but a wide variety of outdoor activities that only require  a pair of sneakers and a step outside. We are very pleased this year to be awarded with a "Certified Wildlife Habitat" designation from the National Wildlife Federation.

One circular trail that is easy to walk and takes you into what feels like untouched woodland is only about 45 minuites long. Werner's logging trail provides a great walk back to the wetlands and the Conestoga trail picks up there and brings you back along the inlet, past the owl box and numerous waterfowl nesting spots, back around to our lower gardens. Bull frogs, heron, and a pair of young eagles can be found along the way. If you are very quiet and lucky there are several pileated woodpeckers who call this area home as well.  Pennsylvania White Tailed Deer with their fawn live here as well, feeding at the edge of the woods at dawn and dusk.
For the more adventurous we keep canoes at the lake. Early mornings before breakfast or in the evening when the sun is almost ready to set are fabulous times to enjoy the unique quiet and wildlife on the lake from the vantage only a canoe will give.
Why not take a few days and join us in this special corner of Lancaster County surrounded by all that unspoiled nature has to offer?

Lititz Bed and Breakfast is a better way to stay!

Homemade root beer and short cake

Memorial Day in Lititz is past and we are now officially into summer.I, for one, love summer, the warmth, the farmers markets, roadside stands, and all the special events that pop up all over the countryside.  In keeping with a current national bed and breakfast promotion called "A Better Way to Stay" we are constantly reminded of the reasons our guests choose to stay with us. One of the reasons is how connected we are with what is happening around us. We enjoy telling visitors about out of the way things to do. This weekend is no exception.

On my way home from Roots Farmers Market with my watermelons, bananas, cantaloupes and home grown strawberries I passed my favorite Amish farm stand. A huge sign proclaimed that Saturday they would be making homemade ice cream. If you have never had freshly churned homemade ice cream you are missing something amazing. Vanilla served with freshly picked fruit or any variety of flavors, homemade ice cream was a staple in the summer at home growing up. Neighbors would gather and all bringing something to go along with the ice cream. We would enjoy a warm evening watching fireflies and savoring  the creamy treat. Neighbor John Landis even hooked the churn up to a tractor motor one summer so we could all sit and watch it churn… but there is still something nostalgic about hand turning a batch.

Boxes of freshly picked berries, sugar peas and fresh jam

We still have a few rooms available this weekend. Why not escape to the country for a few nights, enjoy some homemade ice cream at the Amish farm up the road and relax in some of the most beautiful gardens around.

Other fun events:
Waltz Vineyard wine tastings are a must for any wine lover out there. Just 15 short minutes from the inn this beautiful tasting room is the perfect place to enjoy the amazing wines that Waltzes produces right here on Lancaster County farmland. They have truly earned the many medals they display.

Just around the corner is the Wolf Sanctuary of PA. Once a month they hold an evening event called the Full Moon Tour. Our guests just love this event, many returning several times to it visit again. The next full moon tour is the weekend of June 16.

This year we will again have tickets available for the Nissley Vineyard Lawn Concerts. We are happy to provide chairs and a picnic with 24-48 hours notice. This is such a fun night under the stars dancing.

Hoping to see in Lititz soon

Swiss Woods, crown of Lititz Gardens

MayEvery spring as the daffodils just take our breath away and then give way to the staggering variety of spring flowers and plants, I am just astounded at what all grows in the Swiss Woods gardens.  Today the early daylilys are blooming profusely, the rhododendrons are loaded down with the brightest pink and purple blooms, Jack in the pulpits in white and stunning dark purple, perennial orchids, and bright red poppys. The plentiful rain has only served to make everything more lush than usual. The iris are starting to bloom around the water garden and the birds are building nests in every available tree.

Do you recognize the plants at right? We have had guests ask if they are fake, garden art, statues. If you walk close to them their distinctive smell will tell you that they are every bit alive and growing. They, for lack of a better word... stink. After the black lily stage they turn into what some call an umbrella tree. It is called Devil's Tongue or the Umbrella Tree Plant. They are truly impressive.




There are still a few rooms available for Memorial Day weekend. Why not join us? There are many interesting and fun activities going on all over Lancaster County, or you can just soak up our wonderful peace and quiet.

Local Events.. just a smattering, there are far too many to list here

Flavor Fest at Mt Hope Estate and Winery, just a short 10 minutes from the Inn

Shows at the American Music Theater, Bill Cosby, Kelly Pickler, Dwight Yoakim and many more. 

Who goes Bare at the Rainbow Dinner Theater.  This dinner theater is always good for a laugh and a good time. 

Make plans now to visit us for a weekend in July and August for a wonderful picnic at Nissley Vineyard for their music in the park.