2017-03-24 17:28:05
From the clip-clop of horses pulling old-time wagons to the scream of riders strapped into high-tech roller coasters, the Dutch Country Roads seamlessly pairs time-honored attractions with their contemporary counterparts. Shop Amish Country and the Lancaster arts scene. Check out Civil War sites and Corvette car shows. Eat your way through Hershey’s sweet family fun and the farm-to-fork dining scene. Work it all off with a hike on the Appalachian Trail, watch the fall raptor migration, or row yourself out on the glassy waters of the Susquehanna. The Vineyard and Brewery at Hershey, Middletown Lancaster County Carlisle Susquehanna River, Harrisburg Steam Into History, New Freedom A HAPPY DAY KID-APPROVED: Fun grows in Ronks at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm where the kiddos (and you!) Can wind your way through a five-acre corn maze. Merlin’s Mayhem, Dutch Wonderland’s newest high-flying coaster in Lancaster, will entice your very own king of the castle. Have a brood with varied interests? Check out Adventure Sports in Hershey for go-karts, mini golf, and outdoor laser tag. Examine how weather and geology affect Earth at Whitaker Center For Science and the Arts in Harrisburg. Take the fast track to the Choo Choo Barn in Strasburg, where an impressive model railroad display includes animated firefighters putting out flames. HISTORY BUFF: You can’t turn back time at Columbia’s National Watch and Clock Museum, but you can enjoy the largest collection of 19th-century American clocks and watches. Stick with the time period at Harrisburg’s elegantly restored Fort Hunter Mansion & Park, where you can catch a glimpse of sophisticated 19thcentury country living or find one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania at Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster. Opt for the film, “A New Birth of Freedom,” narrated by Morgan Freeman at the Gettysburg National Military Park, which interprets the Civil War through interactive kiosks. Enjoy Native American artifacts from the region on display at Zimmerman Center for Heritage along the Susquehanna River in Wrightsville. SHOPPER: Peruse the unique works of more than 200 artists at Goggleworks in Reading. Take home a bottle of habañero mango jam at Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse. Examine the treasure trove of antique stores in New Oxford for furniture, folk art, and primitive wares. Find that special dress (or leggings, clutch, or sweater) at Little Black Dress in Camp Hill. Lancaster GO FOR THE … SIMPLE LIFE The Amish Village in Ronks or Amish Farm and House in Lancaster are like interactive Amish FAQs: Learn about why the Amish don’t have electricity or how you can tell if an Amish man or woman is married just by looking at their clothing. EVENTS GETTYSBURG BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL May, August 2017 Enjoy as many as two dozen traditional and contemporary bluegrass artists during the course of the semi-annual event. New Grass, Old Tyme, Americana, and singersongwriter performances will be sprinkled in, with the majority of the bands firmly in the bluegrass camp. FOURTH OF JULY IN LITITZ SPRING PARK July 3–4, 2017 Celebrating its 200th anniversary, this annual holiday celebration in Lititz is two days of activities, including the Independence Day Parade, the Grand Illumination of Candles, and high-tech fireworks. 1864 THE BURNING OF CHAMBERSBURG July 14–15, 2017 Watch as Chambersburg is “burned” by Confederate soldiers with lights and sound as re-enactors recreate the 1864 attack on the town during the Civil War. WHOOPIE PIE FESTIVAL Sept. 9, 2017 Celebrate one of Lancaster County’s delicious and worldfamous Pennsylvania Dutch confectionary icons in a big way through games, contests, music, and general culinary merriment in Strasburg. READING LIEDERKRANZ OKTOBERFEST Sept. 27–Oct. 1, 2017 Ranked No. 1 in the U.S., by USA Today and fourth in the world by Business Insider, this has been the oldest and largest authentic Oktoberfest in Pennsylvania dating back to 1885.
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