Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Travel Guide 2025
Dutch Country Roads (DU)
2024-11-29 05:55:57
From the delight of a horse-drawn carriage to the excitement of a high-tech roller coaster, the Dutch Country Roads region pairs old world charm with its contemporary counterpart. Shop rustic markets in Amish Country and antiques in Lancaster County. Check out Civil War sites and Corvette car shows. Eat your way through sweet treats and farm-to-fork dining. Then work it off with a hike on the Appalachian Trail or a paddle down the Susquehanna River.
See Charming Lancaster
Pastoral landscapes and a stately historic downtown make Lancaster an idyllic escape. Get an authentic peek into Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country when you take a buggy ride and meet farm animals at The Amish Farm and House or when you stroll the historic village and see traditional German crafts at Landis Valley Village & Farm. Find a tasty snack—from freshly baked pastries to Scandinavian specialties and Middle Eastern fare—at Lancaster Central Market, the oldest continuously running farmers market in the country. Watch a musical at Fulton Theatre, and then savor a dinner of handmade pastas and wood-fired pizza at Luca or an ever-changing menu of modern French fare at Citronnelle.
Side Trip: Strasburg
On your way, stop for an Amish-style scrapple, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich at Katie’s Kitchen in Ronks. Then, see 100-plus locomotives and railroad cars at Strasburg’s Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, as well as an extensive model train layout at Choo Choo Barn.
Dutch Country Desserts
Comfort foods and sweet treats are hallmarks of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Be sure to try a slice of shoo-fly pie, touting a rich molasses and brown sugar filling with a crumbly topping, dished out at the famous Dutch Haven Shoo-Fly Pie Bakery in Ronks. Apple dumplings, found at Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop in the town of Bird-in-Hand, feature sugary apples wrapped in pastry dough and baked to perfection. While you’re here, pick up a bag of caramel corn, a crunchy, sweet snack of popcorn lacquered with caramel. Achenbach’s Pastries in Leola is renowned for its whoopie pies, two soft cookies sandwiched together with a layer of creamy filling. Depending on the time of your visit, keep an eye out for fasnacht, a delightful indulgence traditionally enjoyed just before the start of Lent, a Christian period of fasting leading up to Easter. These dense, doughnut-like pastries are crafted from potato flour, eggs, sugar, and butter or lard, and then deep fried. Now these are some delicious detours.
A Trip to the Capital City: HARRISBURG
See where PA laws are made when you go on a 30-minute guided tour of the grand Pennsylvania State Capitol.
Then venture to City Island to cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat, play 18 holes of miniature golf at Water Golf, On City Island, and cheer on the Harrisburg Senators — an AA affiliate of the Washington Nationals baseball team. At Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, roam among historic buildings and an ornate estate on a bluff overlooking the Susquehanna River.
For a taste of local creativity, see the works of local artisans and stop in for a craft beer and woodfired pizza at the multi-use hub, Millworks. Farm-to-table cuisine at Home 231 also shows off local culinary talent.
FAMILY FUN TRIPS
Bring the kids to a candy store at Wertz Candies in Lebanon. Then let them run off the sugar rush at Little Buffalo State Park in Newport or go on a safari drive at Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Halifax. In summer months, bring the family to the sandy swim beach at Mt. Gretna Lake and Beach. At night, watch a movie at Cumberland Drive-In Theatre in Newville.
NEARBY, VISIT HERSHEY: “CHOCOLATETOWN, U.S.A.”:
Go on a sweet adventure to the town of Hershey, where you can see how chocolate is made during a factory tour at Hershey’s Chocolate World. Ride roller coasters and waterslides at Hersheypark and see exotic animals at ZooAmerica.
Get Away to Reading
Revel in the small-town feel of this cultural enclave in Berks County. Explore the exhibitions at Goggleworks Center for the Arts and watch live music performances at the Miller Center for the Arts or Santander Arena & Performing Arts Center. See the Japanese-style architecture at the seven-story Reading Pagoda or enjoy the serenity of nature at the 665-acre Antietam Lake Park. Then savor the skill of local craft brewers at the award-winning Saucony Creek Franklin Station Brewpub, housed in a restored 1930s train station.
Time Travel in Gettysburg
Explore the hallowed grounds of the turning point of the American Civil War—and the war’s bloodiest battle—at Gettysburg National Military Park. Learn more about this important time in history when you watch the film A New Birth of Freedom, see the dynamic Cyclorama painting, and peruse the museum exhibits. Or hop on a bus with Gettysburg Battlefield Bus Tours to let a licensed battlefield guide show you around. Stay nearby at the historic Gettysburg Hotel, established in 1797 and updated with modern comforts.
DON’T MISS NEARBY: Learn about Chambersburg’s frontier and Civil War history at the Chambersburg Heritage Center & Gift Shop. Watch a play at the 1911 Star Theatre in Mercersburg. Or stroll through a historic Pennsylvania German farmstead at Renfrew Museum and Park in Waynesboro.
Two Days in York
DAY 1
Make yourself right at home at Heritage Hills Golf Resort, where a championship golf course and luxurious spa will get you into vacation mode in no time. Then, explore the hidden stories of locals throughout the generations at the York County History Center. At night, fill up on crab cakes, lobster rolls, and perfectly steamed shellfish at Rockfish Public House.
DAY 2
Stretch your legs and explore the outdoors right in York. Hike, bike, or roll along the along the 21-mile, ADA-accessible York County Heritage Rail Trail. Have a picnic, fly a kite, and take in sweeping views from the crest of Mount Pisgah at Samuel S. Lewis State Park. Then spot wildlife on a naturalistled hike along the nature trails at Nixon Park Nature Center.
EXPLORE YORK COUNTY CULTURAL TRAILS
Go on a journey that celebrates diversity, perseverance, and the entrepreneurial spirit by visiting African American history sites and women-owned or-operated businesses on the Cultural Trails. Scan the QR code for participating locations.
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